How to Pronounce りゃ りゅ りょ

Picture describing Japanese pronunciation /ry/

Description of the Japanese Pronunciation りゃ りゅ りょ

りゃ りゅ りょ consist of the Japanese consonant [ɾ j] representing the sounds of the roman letter /ry/ with the Japanese vowels [a], [u] and [o] respectively. When you pronounce [ɾ j], your tongue is going to touch from your upper gums to the roof of your mouth, i.e. from where you pronounce [ɾ] (=/r/) to where you pronounce [j] (=/y/). This closure will cause a buildup of pressure. Then, you will release that pressure all at once by opening your mouth. [ɾ j] is a voiced sound.

Does it make sense to you? Let's try to pronounce りゃ りゅ りょ after the tutor on the video!

Wasabi Japanese Pronunciation Lessons

Words Exercise with the Pronunciation [ɾj] りゃ りゅ りょ

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

Words Roman Letters Meanings
りゃく rya ku abbreviation
しょうりゃく syo u rya ku omission
りゅう ryu u dragon
りゅうがくせい ryu u ga ku se i foreign student
りゅうこう ryu u ko u trend
りょこう ryo ko u travel
りょうきん ryo u ki n charge, rate, fare, fee, price, toll
りょうり ryo u ri cooking, dish
しゅうりょう syu u ryo u end
りょうほう ryo u ho u both

Sentences Exercise with the Pronunciation [ɾj] りゃ りゅ りょ

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

Japanese Sentences English Translations
りゅう恐竜きょうりゅうています。 Dragons and dinosaurs are alike.
もうすぐりゅうがく終了しゅうりょうします。 My study abroad will end soon.
りょこうりょうきんはらいました。 I paid the travel fare.

Tongue Twister Exercise with the Pronunciation [ɾj] りゃ りゅ りょ

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

そりゃそりゃそらそりゃそりゃそりゃそらそりゃ

そりゃ、そら: a yell used to time or encourage activity (e.g. "Heave ho!", "On three ... One, two, three!" in English)

いろいろりょうよりどりりょう

いろいろ: various, りょう:cooking

ゆうりょうどうりょうきん

ゆうりょうどう: toll road, りょうきん: charge, rate, fare, fee, price, toll

Conclusion

This is the how to pronounce [ɾ j] りゃ りゅ りょ. 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; つ, ー, ん.

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