Editing Hiragana (section)

==Table of hiragana==
The following table shows the complete hiragana together with the [[Hepburn romanization|modified Hepburn romanization]] and [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] transcription, arranged in four categories, each of them displayed in the ''gojūon'' order.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/lesson/english/syllabary/hiragana_english.pdf|title=The Japanese Syllabaries (Hiragana) |website=NHK World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ja:■米国規格(ANSI Z39.11-1972)―要約 |url=http://www.halcat.com/roomazi/doc/ansiz3911.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924024633/http://www.halcat.com/roomazi/doc/ansiz3911.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |website=halcat.com |language=Japanese}}</ref><ref name="ALA-LC">{{Cite web |year=2022 |title=ALA-LC Japanese Romanization Table |url=https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/japanese.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509160436/https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/japanese.pdf |archive-date=2023-05-09 |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary|year=1974|publisher=[[Kenkyūsha]]|edition=Fourth}}</ref> Those whose romanization are in '''bold''' do not use the initial consonant for that row. For all syllables besides ん, the pronunciation indicated is for word-initial syllables; for mid-word pronunciations see below.

{| class="wikitable nowraplinks" border="0" cellpadding="2" style="vertical-align:top;padding:2px;" width="50%"
|+Hiragana syllabograms
|-
!rowspan=2 width=2%|
! style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center; background:#BECFEB;" colspan=5 width="50%"|Monographs ([[gojūon]])
!colspan=3 align=center style="background:#CCCB9A;" width="33%"| Digraphs ([[yōon]])
|-
!width=10%| ''a'' !!width=10%| ''i'' !!width=10%| ''u'' !!width=10%| ''e'' !!width=10%| ''o''

!width=11%| ''ya'' !!width=11%| ''yu'' !!width=11%| ''yo''
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!title="vowels"|∅
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[あ]]</big><br /> a {{IPA|ja|a|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[い]]</big><br /> i {{IPA|ja|i|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[う]]</big><br /> u {{IPA|ja|ɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[え]]</big><br /> e {{IPA|ja|e|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[お]]</big><br /> o {{IPA|ja|o|}}
|colspan=3 style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''K''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[か]]</big><br /> ka {{IPA|ja|ka|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[き]]</big><br /> ki {{IPA|ja|ki|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[く]]</big><br /> ku {{IPA|ja|kɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[け]]</big><br /> ke {{IPA|ja|ke|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[こ]]</big><br /> ko {{IPA|ja|ko|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[きゃ]]</big><br /> kya {{IPA|ja|kʲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[きゅ]]</big><br /> kyu {{IPA|ja|kʲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[きょ]]</big><br /> kyo {{IPA|ja|kʲo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''S''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[さ]]</big><br /> sa {{IPA|ja|sa|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[し]]</big><br /> '''shi''' {{IPA|ja|ɕi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[す]]</big><br /> su {{IPA|ja|sɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[せ]]</big><br /> se {{IPA|ja|se|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[そ]]</big><br /> so {{IPA|ja|so|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[しゃ]]</big><br /> '''sha''' {{IPA|ja|ɕa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[しゅ]]</big><br /> '''shu''' {{IPA|ja|ɕɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[しょ]]</big><br /> '''sho''' {{IPA|ja|ɕo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''T''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[た]]</big><br /> ta {{IPA|ja|ta|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ち]]</big><br /> '''chi''' {{IPA|ja|tɕi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[つ]]</big><br /> '''tsu''' {{IPA|ja|tsɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[て]]</big><br /> te {{IPA|ja|te|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[と]]</big><br /> to {{IPA|ja|to|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ちゃ]]</big><br /> '''cha''' {{IPA|ja|tɕa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ちゅ]]</big><br /> '''chu''' {{IPA|ja|tɕɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ちょ]]</big><br /> '''cho''' {{IPA|ja|tɕo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''N''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[な]]</big><br /> na {{IPA|ja|na|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[に]]</big><br /> ni {{IPA|ja|ɲi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぬ]]</big><br /> nu {{IPA|ja|nɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ね]]</big><br /> ne {{IPA|ja|ne|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[の]]</big><br /> no {{IPA|ja|no|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[にゃ]]</big><br /> nya {{IPA|ja|ɲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[にゅ]]</big><br /> nyu {{IPA|ja|ɲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[にょ]]</big><br /> nyo {{IPA|ja|ɲo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''H''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[は]]</big><br /> ha {{IPA|ja|ha|}} <br />(wa {{IPA|ja|wa|}} as particle)
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ひ]]</big><br /> hi {{IPA|ja|çi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ふ]]</big><br /> '''fu''' {{IPA|ja|ɸɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[へ]]</big><br /> he {{IPA|ja|he|}} <br />(e {{IPA|ja|e|}} as particle)
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ほ]]</big><br /> ho {{IPA|ja|ho|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ひゃ]]</big><br /> hya {{IPA|ja|ça|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ひゅ]]</big><br /> hyu {{IPA|ja|çɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ひょ]]</big><br /> hyo {{IPA|ja|ço|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''M''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ま]]</big><br /> ma {{IPA|ja|ma|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[み]]</big><br /> mi {{IPA|ja|mi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[む]]</big><br /> mu {{IPA|ja|mɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[め]]</big><br /> me {{IPA|ja|me|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[も]]</big><br /> mo {{IPA|ja|mo|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[みゃ]]</big><br /> mya {{IPA|ja|mʲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[みゅ]]</big><br /> myu {{IPA|ja|mʲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[みょ]]</big><br /> myo {{IPA|ja|mʲo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''Y''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[や]]</big><br /> ya {{IPA|ja|ja|}}
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|<big>[[𛀆]]</big><ref name="obsolete" /><br /> '''i''' {{IPA|ja|i|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ゆ]]</big><br /> yu {{IPA|ja|jɯ|}}
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|<big>[[𛀁]]</big><ref name="obsolete" /><br /> '''e''' {{IPA|ja|e|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[よ]]</big><br /> yo {{IPA|ja|jo|}}
|colspan=3 style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''R''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ら]]</big><br /> ra {{IPA|ja|ɾa|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[り]]</big><br /> ri {{IPA|ja|ɾi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[る]]</big><br /> ru {{IPA|ja|ɾɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[れ]]</big><br /> re {{IPA|ja|ɾe|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ろ]]</big><br /> ro {{IPA|ja|ɾo|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[りゃ]]</big><br /> rya {{IPA|ja|ɾʲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[りゅ]]</big><br /> ryu {{IPA|ja|ɾʲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[りょ]]</big><br /> ryo {{IPA|ja|ɾʲo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''W''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[わ]]</big><br /> wa {{IPA|ja|wa|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ゐ]]<ref name="obsolete" /></big><br /> '''i''' {{IPA|ja|i|}}
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|<big>[[𛄟]]<ref name="obsolete" /></big><br /> '''u''' {{IPA|ja|ɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ゑ]]<ref name="obsolete" /></big><br /> '''e''' {{IPA|ja|e|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[を]]</big><br /> '''o'''{{efn|{{lang|ja|を}} is transliterated as ''{{Transliteration|ja|o}}'' in [[Hepburn romanization|Modified Hepburn]] and [[Kunrei]] and as ''{{Transliteration|ja|wo}}'' in Traditional Hepburn and [[Nippon-shiki]].}} {{IPA|ja|o|}}
|colspan=3 style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|-
|colspan=9|
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=5 style="background:#BECFEB;"|Monographs ([[gojūon]]) with diacritics ([[dakuten]], [[handakuten]])
!colspan=3 style="background:#CCCB9A;"|Digraphs ([[yōon]]) with diacritics ([[dakuten]], [[handakuten]])
|-
! ''a'' !! ''i'' !! ''u'' !! ''e'' !! ''o''

! ''ya'' !! ''yu'' !! ''yo''
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''G''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[が]]</big><br /> ga {{IPA|ja|ɡa|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぎ]]</big><br /> gi {{IPA|ja|ɡi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぐ]]</big><br /> gu {{IPA|ja|ɡɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[げ]]</big><br /> ge {{IPA|ja|ɡe|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ご]]</big><br /> go {{IPA|ja|ɡo|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぎゃ]]</big><br /> gya {{IPA|ja|ɡʲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぎゅ]]</big><br /> gyu {{IPA|ja|ɡʲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぎょ]]</big><br /> gyo {{IPA|ja|ɡʲo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''Z''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ざ]]</big><br /> za {{IPA|ja|(d)za|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[じ]]</big><br /> '''ji''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ず]]</big><br /> zu {{IPA|ja|(d)zɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぜ]]</big><br /> ze {{IPA|ja|(d)ze|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぞ]]</big><br /> zo {{IPA|ja|(d)zo|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[じゃ]]</big><br /> '''ja''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[じゅ]]</big><br /> '''ju''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[じょ]]</big><br /> '''jo''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''D''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[だ]]</big><br /> da {{IPA|ja|da|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぢ]]</big><br /> '''ji''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[づ]]</big><br /> '''zu''' {{IPA|ja|(d)zɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[で]]</big><br /> de {{IPA|ja|de|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ど]]</big><br /> do {{IPA|ja|do|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぢゃ]]</big><br /> '''ja''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぢゅ]]</big><br /> '''ju''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぢょ]]</big><br /> '''jo''' {{IPA|ja|(d)ʑo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''B''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ば]]</big><br /> ba {{IPA|ja|ba|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[び]]</big><br /> bi {{IPA|ja|bi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぶ]]</big><br /> bu {{IPA|ja|bɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[べ]]</big><br /> be {{IPA|ja|be|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぼ]]</big><br /> bo {{IPA|ja|bo|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[びゃ]]</big><br /> bya {{IPA|ja|bʲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[びゅ]]</big><br /> byu {{IPA|ja|bʲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[びょ]]</big><br /> byo {{IPA|ja|bʲo|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
!''P''
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぱ]]</big><br /> pa {{IPA|ja|pa|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぴ]]</big><br /> pi {{IPA|ja|pi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぷ]]</big><br /> pu {{IPA|ja|pɯ|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぺ]]</big><br /> pe {{IPA|ja|pe|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ぽ]]</big><br /> po {{IPA|ja|po|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぴゃ]]</big><br /> pya {{IPA|ja|pʲa|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぴゅ]]</big><br /> pyu {{IPA|ja|pʲɯ|}}
|style="background:#F3F5DE"|<big>[[ぴょ]]</big><br /> pyo {{IPA|ja|pʲo|}}
|}
{| class="wikitable nowraplinks" border="0" cellpadding="2" style="vertical-align:top;padding:2px;" width="10%"
|-
!style="background:{{{Final nasal monograph header color|#BECFEB}}};"| Final nasal monograph (hatsuon)
!colspan=6 style="background:{{{polysyllable monographs header color|#BECFEB}}};"| Polysyllabic monographs (obsolete)
|-
!width=10%| ''n'' !!width=10%| ''[[Kashiko (kana)|kashiko]]'' !!width=10%| ''[[koto (kana)|koto]]'' !!width=10%| ''[[sama (kana)|sama]]'' !!width=10%| ''[[nari (kana)|nari]]'' !!width=10%| ''[[Mairasesoro (kana)|mairasesoro]]'' !!width=10%| ''[[yori (kana)|yori]]''

|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[ん]]</big><br /> n <br />{{IPA|ja|m n ɲ ŋ ɴ ɰ̃|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[File:Hiragana kashiko.svg|20px]]</big><br /> kashiko {{IPA|ja|kaɕiko|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[File:Hiragana koto.svg|20px]]</big><br /> koto {{IPA|ja|koto|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[File:Hiragana sama 1.svg|20px]]/[[File:Hiragana sama 2.svg|20px]]</big><br /> sama {{IPA|ja|sama|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[File:Hiragana nari.svg|20px]]</big><br /> nari {{IPA|ja|naɾi|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[File:Hiragana mairasesoro 1.svg|20px]]/[[File:Hiragana mairasesoro 2.svg|20px]]</big><br /> mairasesoro {{IPA|ja|maiɾasesoːɾoː|}}
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[ゟ]]</big><br /> yori {{IPA|ja|joɾi|}}
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
| colspan="2" style="background:#E9E9E9" |
|style="background:#EFFAFA" width=10%|<big>[[File:Hiragana koto.svg|20px]]゙</big><br /> goto {{IPA|ja|goto|}}
| colspan="4" style="background:#E9E9E9" |
|}

{| class="wikitable nowraplinks" border="0" cellpadding="2" style="vertical-align:top;padding:2px;" width="50%"
!colspan=4 style="background:{{{Functional graphemes header color|#BECFEB}}};"| Functional graphemes
|-
! sokuonfu !! chōonpu !! odoriji (monosyllable) !! odoriji (polysyllable)

|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[っ]]</big><br /> (indicates a [[geminate]] consonant)
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ー]]</big><br /> (indicates a long vowel)
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ゝ]]</big><br /> (reduplicates and<br />unvoices syllable)
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[〱]]</big><br /> (reduplicates and<br />unvoices syllable)
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ゞ]]</big><br /> (reduplicates and<br />voices syllable)
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[〱|〱゙]]</big><br /> (reduplicates and<br />voices syllable)
|- style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center"
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|style="background:#E9E9E9"|
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[ゝ|ゝ゚]]</big><br /> (reduplicates and<br />moves a h- or b-row syllable to the p-row) 
|style="background:#EFFAFA"|<big>[[〱|〱゚]]</big><br /> (reduplicates and<br />moves a h- or b-row syllable to the p-row)  
|}
<!--
An early, now obsolete, hiragana-esque form of ''ye'' may have existed ([[𛀁|<big style="color:#808080">𛀁</big>]] {{IPA|ja|je|}}<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U1B000.pdf|title=Unicode Kana Supplement|website=unicode.org}}</ref>) in pre-Classical Japanese (prior to the advent of [[kana]]), but is generally represented for purposes of reconstruction by the kanji 江, and its hiragana form is not present in any known orthography.{{Contradiction-inline | Two sentences later it says it *is* known.|date=March 2012}} In modern orthography, ''ye'' can also be written as いぇ (イェ in [[katakana]]).

It's true that in early periods of kana, hiragana and katakana letters for "ye" were used, but soon after the distinction between /ye/ and /e/ went away, and letters and glyphs were not established.

This topic is too much advanced, and it's better to write in [[Early Middle Japanese]].
--><!-- 
Though ''ye'' did appear in some textbooks during the [[Meiji period]] along with another kana for ''yi'' in the form of cursive 以.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/manya-isi/iroha.htm|title='''(ja)'''「いろは と アイウエオ」|website=home.ne.jp}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/itikun01/hibi/zat2.html|title='''(ja)''' 伊豆での収穫 : 日本国語学史上比類なき変体仮名|website=geocities.jp}}</ref>[[File:Hiragana I 01.png|thumb|100px|Cursive 以 (Yi)]]

Original research. Although such "letters" did appear, such simplistic description is wrong. Read [[:ja:五十音]] for the details.

-->

=== Spelling–phonology correspondence ===
In the middle of words, the ''g'' sound (normally {{IPA|[ɡ]}}) may turn into a [[velar nasal]] {{IPA|[ŋ]}} or [[voiced velar fricative|velar fricative]] {{IPA|[ɣ]}}. For example, かぎ (''kagi'', key) is often pronounced {{IPA|[kaŋi]}}. However, じゅうご (''jūgo'', fifteen) is pronounced as if it was ''jū'' and ''go'' stacked end to end: {{IPA|[d͡ʑɯːɡo]}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/bunken/research/kotoba/pdf/20170401_6.pdf|title=鼻濁音の位置づけと現況}}</ref>

In many accents, the ''j'' and ''z'' sounds are pronounced as [[affricate]]s ({{IPA|[d͡ʑ]}} and {{IPA|[d͡z]}}, respectively) at the beginning of utterances and fricatives {{IPA|[ʑ, z]}} in the middle of words. For example, {{nowrap|すうじ}} ''sūji'' {{IPA|[sɯːʑi]}} 'number', {{nowrap|ざっし}} ''zasshi'' {{IPA|[d͡zaɕɕi]}} 'magazine'.

The singular ''n'' is pronounced {{IPA|[m]}} before ''m'', ''b'' and ''p'', {{IPA|[n]}} before ''t'', ''ch'', ''ts'', ''n'', ''r'', ''z'', ''j'' and ''d'', {{IPA|[ŋ]}} before ''k'' and ''g'', {{IPA|[ɴ]}} at the end of utterances, and some kind of [[Close vowel|high]] [[nasal vowel]] {{IPA|[ɰ̃]}} before vowels, palatal approximants (''y''), and [[fricative consonant]]s (''s'', ''sh'', ''h'', ''f'' and ''w'').{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

In kanji readings, the diphthongs ''ou'' and ''ei'' are usually pronounced {{IPA|[oː]}} (long o) and {{IPA|[eː]}} (long e) respectively. For example, {{nowrap|とうきょう}} (lit. ''toukyou'') is pronounced {{IPA|[toːkʲoː]}} 'Tokyo', and {{nowrap|せんせい}} ''sensei'' is {{IPA|[seɯ̃seː]}} 'teacher'. However, {{nowrap|とう}} ''tou'' is pronounced {{IPA|[toɯ]}} 'to inquire', because the ''o'' and ''u'' are considered distinct, ''u'' being the verb ending in the dictionary form. Similarly, {{nowrap|している}} ''shite iru'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ɕiteiɾɯ]}}, present progressive form of {{nowrap|する}} (''suru'', "to do").

In archaic forms of Japanese, there existed the ''kwa'' ({{lang|ja|くゎ}} {{IPA|ojp|kʷa|}}) and ''gwa'' ({{lang|ja|ぐゎ}} {{IPA|ojp|ɡʷa|}}) digraphs. In modern Japanese, these phonemes have been phased out of usage.

For a more thorough discussion on the sounds of Japanese, please refer to [[Japanese phonology]].