客 (きゃく) vs 規約 (きやく): the pronunciation difference
客 (きゃく) says きゃ as one beat (2 beats); 規約 (きやく) splits it into き・や (3 beats).
Meaning and beats
| Example | Meaning | Beats |
|---|---|---|
| 客きゃく · kyaku | customer / guest |
|
| 規約きやく · kiyaku | terms / rules |
|
What changes
客 (きゃく) says きゃ as one beat (2 beats); 規約 (きやく) splits it into き・や (3 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
- 今日は店に客が多いです。
- 登録する前に規約を読みました。
Test yourself
Record one of the words. Mora compares your recording with that word and with its pair, then shows which one it sounds closer to.