How to pronounce hiragana
Say it like hir-uh-GAN-uh. Hiragana has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (GAN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce hiragana. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- hir
- uh
- GAN
- uh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Hiragana pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- hirGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- GANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of hiragana
American and British speakers say hiragana in essentially the same way: /ˌhɪrəˈɡænə/ in the US and /ˌhɪrəˈɡænə/ in the UK.
British respelling: hir-uh-GAN-uh.
What does hiragana mean?
- The main syllabary for the Japanese language, used to represent native Japanese words, including particles, and when kanji is used, to represent verb and adjective endings.
- A letter of this syllabary.
Words that rhyme with hiragana
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of hiragana.
Questions about saying hiragana
How do you pronounce hiragana?
Say hir-uh-GAN-uh. The American pronunciation is /ˌhɪrəˈɡænə/. In British English it is /ˌhɪrəˈɡænə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in hiragana?
Hiragana has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (GAN). Broken into parts: hir · uh · GAN · uh.
Do Americans and Brits say hiragana the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌhɪrəˈɡænə/ and the British form is /ˌhɪrəˈɡænə/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.