How to pronounce kanji
Say it like KAN-jee. Kanji has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KAN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce kanji. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- KAN
- jee
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Kanji pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- KANSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- jeeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
American vs British pronunciation of kanji
American and British speakers say kanji in essentially the same way: /ˈkændʒi/ in the US and /ˈkændʒi/ in the UK.
British respelling: KAN-jee.
What does kanji mean?
- The system of writing Japanese using Chinese characters.“Japanese is written in a mixture of kanji and kana.”
- Any individual Chinese character as used in the Japanese language.“I know about a thousand kanji.”
- A North Indian fermented drink made with beetroot, black mustard seeds, carrots etc.
- Drink made from sugarcane vinegar.
- Rice gruel made by fermentation of rice and tastes sour.
Questions about saying kanji
How do you pronounce kanji?
Say KAN-jee. The American pronunciation is /ˈkændʒi/. In British English it is /ˈkændʒi/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in kanji?
Kanji has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (KAN). Broken into parts: KAN · jee.
Do Americans and Brits say kanji the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈkændʒi/ and the British form is /ˈkændʒi/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.