病院 (びょういん) vs 美容院 (びよういん): the pronunciation difference
病院 (びょういん) says びょ as one beat (4 beats); 美容院 (びよういん) splits it into び・よ (5 beats).
Meaning and beats
| Example | Meaning | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| 病院びょういん · byouin | hospital |
|
| 美容院びよういん · biyouin | hair salon |
|
What changes
病院 (びょういん) says びょ as one beat (4 beats); 美容院 (びよういん) splits it into び・よ (5 beats).
Japanese contracted sounds (yōon) are kana with a small ゃ, ゅ or ょ, said together as one beat. Split them and 病院 (hospital) becomes 美容院 (hair salon).
In a sentence
- 熱があるので病院へ行きます。
- 土曜日に美容院を予約しました。
Test yourself
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