Introduction to Japanese Pitch Accent

What is the Pitch Accent?

Japanese is a pitch-accented language. The pitch accent is a phonological feature that plays an important role in the pronunciation and meaning of words. It refers to the patterns of pitch or intonation used in spoken Japanese.

In Japanese, the pitch accent can distinguish between different words that have the same sequence of sounds but differ in meaning. It is similar to stress accent in English, where certain syllables within a word are pronounced with higher pitch or stress.

However, unlike stress accent in English, which is characterised by a prominence on certain syllables, Japanese pitch accent is characterised by a rise or fall in pitch.

There are two main types of pitch accent patterns in Japanese: the up-step pattern and the down-step pattern. In the up-step pattern, the pitch rises from a low to high pitch on the accented mora. In the down-step pattern, the pitch drops from a high to low pitch on the accented mora.

Japanese pitch accent varies by dialect and regional variations, but standard Japanese, often known as Tokyo dialect, is typically used as the reference. In standard Japanese, there are four basic pitch accent patterns.

• 平板へいばん　(Heiban)　Flat
• 頭高あたまだか　(Atama-daka)　Head-high
• 中高なかだか　(Naka-daka)　Middle-high
• 尾高おだか　(O-daka)　Tale-high

Let’s talk about “Mora”

Japanese uses slight differences in pitch (“high” and “low” pitches) to distinguish words and convey sentence structure. This differs from stress-accented languages such as English.

English is not a rhythmic or timed language, and the sounds that make up a word are called “syllables.” The standard “unit” of sound is the syllable, as the sounds that make up a word vary in length.

However, Japanese is a rhythmic language (like clapping in time with the beat) and each successive sound has the same length, so the standard unit of sound is the “mora.”

This rhythmic consistency sometimes misleads people into thinking that Japanese is a “flat language,” but this is not the case.

It is important to note that pitch accent can vary depending on the surrounding words or context, and if it is not accurately pronounced in speech, it will sound unnatural.

In addition, the same sound in several words may have different pitches, and poor pitch can make it difficult to understand. For example, “はし /hashi/” can be “edge,” “bridge” or “chopsticks.” The first one is Heiban, the second one is O-daka, and the latter is Atama-daka.

平板

春はるになって、日ひが長ながくなりました。Spring has arrived and the days are getting longer.

この道みちをまっすぐ行いってください。Go straight down this road.

今いま、時間じかんがありません。I don’t have time now.

日本語にほんごが話はなせます。I can speak Japanese.

将来しょうらい、小説家しょうせつかになりたいです。I want to be a novelist in the future.

頭高

庭にわにたくさん木きがあります。There are a lot of trees in the garden.

本ほんを読よむのが好すきです。I like to read books.

電気でんきを消けしてください。Please turn off the light.

新あたらしいジーンズを買かいました。I bought a new pair of jeans.

金閣寺きんかくじに行いったことがありますか？ Have you been to Kinkaku-ji?

中高

お菓子かしが食たべたいです。I want to eat snacks.

今日きょうはスカートを履はいています。I am wearing a skirt today.

将来しょうらい、花火師はなびしになりたいです。I would like to become a pyrotechnist in the future.

昨日きのう、美容院びよういんに行いきました。I went to the hairdresser yesterday.

月曜日げつようびにテストがあります。There will be an exam on Monday.

小型こがたバスに乗のって観光かんこうしました。I went sightseeing in a small bus.

尾高

綺麗きれいな花はなが咲さいています。Beautiful flowers are in bloom.

その映画えいがを観みて、心こころが動うごかされました。I was moved by that film.

私わたしは六月ろくがつに生うまれました。I was born in June.

二月にがつになって、梅うめの花はなが咲さき始はじめました。Since February started the plum blossoms have started to bloom.