How to pronounce や・ゆ・よ | Japanese Basics of や-Row

We will teach you how to pronounce「や」,「ゆ」, and「よ」on this page.

ひらがな (Hiragana)	カタカナ (Katakana)	ローマ字じ (Romaji)	国際こくさい音声おんせい記号きごう (IPA)
や	ヤ	ya	ja
ゆ	ユ	yu	jɯ
よ	ヨ	yo	jo

IPA = International Phonetic Alphabet

Please learn how to pronounce the “や-row” on this page. The IPA “j” is a semivowel which acts as a consonant. It needs a vowel “a,” “ɯ,” or “o”. The sound is not the same as the English “j.”

Places of Articulation

Before we get to the main point, please learn each part’s name to understand our explanations.

Vocal Tract Cross-Sectional View	Tongue
① upper teeth ② lower teeth ③ upper lip ➃ lower lip ⑤ alveolar ridge ⑥ hard palate ⑦ soft palate	⑧ tip ⑨ front ⑩ bridge ⑪ back

How to pronounce “や-Row”

We will teach you the details of “や-row” in this section.

Pronunciation of「や」(Romaji: ya, IPA: ja)

や ＝ Consonant “j” + Vowel “a”

	First – Consonant “j” Tip of tongue: It touches the top and back of our upper teeth. Bridge of tongue: It approaches the hard palate.
	Second – Consonant “j” We make a space between the hard palate and the bridge of our tongue.
	Third – Vowel “a” Tongue: We place our tongue in the lowest position. Mouth and Lips: We open our mouths wide.

Pronunciation of「ゆ」(Romaji: yu, IPA: jɯ)

や ＝ Consonant “j” + Vowel “ɯ”

There are two ways to pronunce「う」.
The details are here: Pronunciation of Japanese Vowels あ、い、う、え、お

	First – Consonant “j” Tip of tongue: It touches the top and back of our upper teeth. Bridge of tongue: It approaches the hard palate.
	Second – Consonant “j” We make a space between the hard palate and the bridge of our tongue.
	Third – Vowel “ɯ” Tip of tongue: It touches the top and back of our upper teeth. Back of tongue: It is closer to the soft palate. However, compared with the tongue position of「い」, there is much space between the tongue and palates.

Pronunciation of「よ」(Romaji: yo, IPA: jo)

よ ＝ Consonant “j” + Vowel “o”

	First – Consonant “j” Tip of tongue: It touches the top and back of our upper teeth. Bridge of tongue: It approaches the hard palate.
	Second – Consonant “j” We make a space between the hard palate and the bridge of our tongue.
	Third – Vowel “o” Tip of tongue: It touches the top and back of our upper teeth. Back of tongue: It is closer to the soft palate. However, compared with the tongue position of「い」, there is much space between the tongue and palates.

To Pronounce「や」,「ゆ」, and「よ」Correctly

There are many non-native learners who cannot pronounce “や-row” correctly. Moreover, we often see non-native Japanese learners pronounce「りゃ/りゅ/りょ」as「や/ゆ/よ」.
The details are here: How to Pronounce りゃ・りゅ・りょ

It is said that it is difficult to listen to and pronounce a second language when our first language does not have the same sound as the second language. Therefore, they do not notice that they are pronouncing incorrect Japanese.

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