How to Pronounce みゃ みゅ みょ

みゃ みゅ みょ

Description of the Japanese Pronunciation みゃ みゅ みょ

Picture describing Japanese pronunciation /my/
Photo quoted from www.city.nanto.toyama.jp

みゃ みゅ みょ consist of the Japanese consonant [mj] representing the sounds of the roman letters /my/ with the Japanese vowels [a], [u] and [o] respectively. When you pronounce [mj], your lip is going to close and simultaneously your tongue is going to touch the roof of your mouth, i.e. what you use to pronounce [j] (=/y/). This closure will cause a buildup of pressure. Then, you will release that pressure all at once via both your nose and mouth. [mj] is a voiced sound.

Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce みゃ みゅ みょ after the tutor on the video!

Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons

Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [mj] みゃ みゅ みょ

Please repeat the following words after the tutor on the video.

Words Roman Letters Meanings
みゃく mya ku pulse
ぶんみゃく bu n mya ku context
さんみゃく sa n mya ku mountain range
ミュージック myû zi kku music
ミュージアム myû zi a mu museum
みょう myo u strange, odd
みょうが myo u ga Japanese ginger
みょうちょう myo u cho u tomorrow morning
じゅみょう zyu myo u life span
ほんみょう ho n myo u real name

Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [mj] みゃ みゅ みょ

Please repeat the following sentences after the tutor in the video.

Japanese Sentences English Translations
りゅうがくせいとミュージアムにきました。 I went to the museum with the foreign student.
みょうぶんみゃくですね。 The context is strange, isn’t it?
明朝みょうちょう、ヒマラヤさんみゃくのぼります。 I will climb Himalayan Range tomorrow morning.

Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [mj] みゃ みゅ みょ

Please repeat the following tongue twisters after the tutor on the video. Also, please focus on the pronunciation practice, not the meaning, because they were made only for the sake of practice.

Japanese Tongue Twisters Vocabulary

ぜつみょう美味うまみょうなミョウガ

ぜつみょう: exquisite, 美味うまい: delicious, みょう: strange, odd, ミョウガ: Japanese ginger

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ、きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ: singer name

さんみゃくみゃくみゃく、じんみゃくみゃくみゃく

さんみゃく: mountains, じんみゃく: personal connection

Conclusion

This is the how to pronounce [mj] みゃ みゅ みょ. We recommend that you practice the sentences above at least 5 times for each exercise, though we understand that pronunciation practice can be dull. Good pronunciation will give you listening and speaking ability, and thereby you will be confident enough to speak Japanese with native speakers. Thus, the ability you gain is well worth the time spent. We are looking forward to seeing you in the next lesson; [ɾ j] りゃ りゅ りょ.

Recommended Links

Next Lesson

Table of Contents

How to Proceed with Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons