ん: a beat of its own
ん always takes a full beat. Drop it and 漢字 (kanji) becomes 火事 (fire).
How ん changes with the next sound
| Next sound | ん sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| m · b · p | [m] | さんま、新聞、乾杯 |
| t · d · n · r | [n] | こんな、プレゼント |
| k · g | [ŋ] | 天気、参加 |
| a i u e o · y · w · end of word | [ɰ̃ / ɴ] | 恋愛、本屋、電話、円 |
How to say it
Hum ん for one full beat.
Before a vowel, keep ん separate: れんあい, not れない.
At the end of a word, let ん fade through your nose.
Common mistakes for English speakers
Linking ん to the next vowel
Like “an apple” → “a-napple”, れんあい turns into れない. Keep ん separate.
Clipping a final ん
A short final n makes ほん sound like ほ. Hum it for a full beat.
In the pronunciation test
Prompts compare your recording with the version without ん, e.g. 漢字 vs 火事.
Take the free pronunciation testListen and practice
Each set differs by one beat or sound. Listen, then practice.
Audio uses a generated reference voice.