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50 flashcards · 3 conversation scenarios · quiz · pronunciation guide.
Flashcards
50 Essential Japanese Words
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Greetings
こんにちは
Click to reveal
↩Greetings
Hello
Konnichiwa · midday
↩Scenarios
3 Real-Life Japanese Conversations
Learn phrases you’ll actually use, with romaji and English translation.
🍜
Ordering at a restaurant
レストランで注文する
🚉
Asking for directions
道を聞く
🛍️
Shopping
買い物をする
Quiz
Test Your Japanese
10 multiple choice + 10 word-order puzzles.
Question 1 / 10
Multiple Choice Score (out of 10)
Question 1 / 10
Word Order Score (out of 10)
Pronunciation
Japanese Pronunciation Basics
Click 🔊 to hear each sound spoken aloud.
Japanese has only 5 vowel sounds: a, i, u, e, o — always pronounced clearly and consistently, unlike English vowels that shift based on context.
あ / ア
a
Like “ah” in “father”. Short, clear, never shifts.
ありがとう
arigatou
Thank you
さくら
sakura
Cherry blossom
い / イ
i
Like “ee” in “meet”. Short, with lips stretched sideways.
いぬ
inu
Dog
きれい
kirei
Beautiful
う / ウ
u
Between “oo” and “uh”. Lips barely rounded — different from Spanish “u”.
うみ
umi
Sea
すし
sushi
Sushi
え / エ
e
Like “e” in “bed”. Short and clear.
えき
eki
Train station
お / オ
o
Like “o” in “core”. Round lips, always consistent.
おはよう
ohayou
Good morning
A few Japanese sounds have no English equivalent. These are the ones that will make you sound most natural when mastered.
Long vowels matter! おばさん (obasan) = aunt vs おばあさん (obaasan) = grandmother. Length changes meaning!
つ / ツ
tsu
No English equivalent. Like “ts” in “bits” + “u”. Say “cats” then drop “ca”.
つき
tsuki
Moon
つくえ
tsukue
Desk
ん / ン
n (syllabic)
A full syllable on its own. Hummed at the back of the throat, attached to no vowel.
にほん
nihon
Japan
っ / ッ
double consonant
A brief pause before the next consonant — like holding your breath for a beat.
きって
kitte
Stamp
These 3 rules will immediately improve how natural you sound when speaking Japanese.
Rule 1
Equal syllable length
Unlike English, every syllable in Japanese is roughly equal in length. Don’t stress one syllable heavily over others.
とうきょう
To-u-kyo-u (equal)
Tokyo
Rule 2
Silent vowels
“i” and “u” are often whispered or dropped in words like です (desu→des) and ます (-masu→-mas).
です
desu → “des”
Is / am / are
Rule 3
Pitch accent
Japanese uses pitch (high/low) to distinguish meaning. “Hashi” means chopsticks, bridge, or edge depending on pitch.
はし
hashi
Chopsticks / Bridge