Japanese Language Basic Program

ORIENTATION To Begin With the MISJ BASIC PROGRAM

UNIT 3-6 The Romanization System Used in the MISJ

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Sometimes vowels, mainly [i] and [u] are parenthesized.

(i) (u)
The parenthesis indicates that the vowel is not always pronounced clearly and often remains silent. The frequency of this occurrence depends on the individual.

See if you can hear the difference of the pronunciations of each combination.

[kutsu] & [k(u)tsu] [chikatetsu] & [ch(i)katetsu]

The sound difference does not effect the meaning of words.
So don't worry if you cannot hear the difference.