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Pronunciation
ざ(za): Pronounced as "zah" (like "za" in "pizza"). ざ is Hiragana and ザ is Katakana.
How to Pronounce Japanese [z]:
1. Tongue Position:
• The [z] sound is voiced, meaning you use your vocal cords.
• Place the tip of your tongue against your upper teeth or just slightly behind them, creating a slight vibration when you push air through. Your tongue should be relaxed but in contact with your teeth.
2. Mouth Position:
• Keep your mouth slightly open and your vocal cords vibrating as you produce the sound.
• The air should pass through the small gap between your tongue and your teeth, creating the "buzzing" sound.
3. Sound:
• The [z] sound is a voiced, fricative sound, meaning the sound is made by the friction of air passing through a narrow gap. It’s like the "z" in the English words "zebra" or "zone."
A voiced z sound is followed by あ(a).
No. | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
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Pronunciation
じ(ji): Pronounced as "jee" (like "ji" in "jeep"). じ is Hiragana and ジ is Katakana.
How to Pronounce Japanese [j]:
1. Tongue Position:
• The [j] sound is voiced, meaning you use your vocal cords.
• For [j], the tongue should be positioned closer to the roof of the mouth (palate), near the back of the upper teeth. It’s almost like a “y” sound but voiced.
• The tongue should be placed close to the roof of the mouth but not touching it, allowing the air to flow through with a slight friction.
2. Mouth Position:
• Keep your mouth slightly open. Your tongue should be relaxed but high in the mouth, with the tip of your tongue near or touching the back of the upper teeth.
3. Sound:
• The [j] sound in Japanese is very similar to the English "j" sound in words like "jump" or "job." It is a voiced, palatal approximant sound, meaning the sound is produced by narrowing the space between the tongue and the roof of the mouth but without fully blocking the airflow.
The sound changes from a pure z to a j sound before い(i).
No. | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
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Pronunciation
ず(zu): Pronounced as "zoo" (like "zoo" in "zoo"). ず is Hiragana and ズ is Katakana.
How to Pronounce Japanese [z]:
1. Tongue Position:
• The [z] sound is voiced, meaning you use your vocal cords.
• Place the tip of your tongue against your upper teeth or just slightly behind them, creating a slight vibration when you push air through. Your tongue should be relaxed but in contact with your teeth.
2. Mouth Position:
• Keep your mouth slightly open and your vocal cords vibrating as you produce the sound.
• The air should pass through the small gap between your tongue and your teeth, creating the "buzzing" sound.
3. Sound:
• The [z] sound is a voiced, fricative sound, meaning the sound is made by the friction of air passing through a narrow gap. It’s like the "z" in the English words "zebra" or "zone."
A voiced z sound is followed by う(u).
No. | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
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Pronunciation
ぜ(ze): Pronounced as "zeh" (like "ze" in "zero"). ぜ is Hiragana and ゼ is Katakana.
How to Pronounce Japanese [z]:
1. Tongue Position:
• The [z] sound is voiced, meaning you use your vocal cords.
• Place the tip of your tongue against your upper teeth or just slightly behind them, creating a slight vibration when you push air through. Your tongue should be relaxed but in contact with your teeth.
2. Mouth Position:
• Keep your mouth slightly open and your vocal cords vibrating as you produce the sound.
• The air should pass through the small gap between your tongue and your teeth, creating the "buzzing" sound.
3. Sound:
• The [z] sound is a voiced, fricative sound, meaning the sound is made by the friction of air passing through a narrow gap. It’s like the "z" in the English words "zebra" or "zone."
A voiced z sound is followed by え(e).
No. | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
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Pronunciation
ぞ(zo): Pronounced as "zoh" (like "zo" in "zone"). ぞ is Hiragana and ゾ is Katakana.
How to Pronounce Japanese [z]:
1. Tongue Position:
• The [z] sound is voiced, meaning you use your vocal cords.
• Place the tip of your tongue against your upper teeth or just slightly behind them, creating a slight vibration when you push air through. Your tongue should be relaxed but in contact with your teeth.
2. Mouth Position:
• Keep your mouth slightly open and your vocal cords vibrating as you produce the sound.
• The air should pass through the small gap between your tongue and your teeth, creating the "buzzing" sound.
3. Sound:
• The [z] sound is a voiced, fricative sound, meaning the sound is made by the friction of air passing through a narrow gap. It’s like the "z" in the English words "zebra" or "zone."
A voiced z sound is followed by お(o).
No. | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
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