11 English Sounds That Challenge Japanese Speakers
English might look simple on paper, but for Japanese speakers it hides a few landmines. The sound systems of English and Japanese don’t line up neatly, so actors and learners often trip over the same handful of phonemes. If you’re prepping for an audition, a presentation, or just want to be understood, here are the 11 English sounds Japanese speakers struggle with most — and how to fix them.
1. R vs L
The classic. Japanese has a single sound /ɾ/ that sits somewhere between R and L. English splits them.
Problem: “rice” and “lice” blur together.
Fix: For R, pull your tongue back without touching the roof. For L, press the tip to the alveolar ridge.
Drawback: Takes repetition — your ear may still hear them as the same sound at first.
2. Th (voiced /ð/)
Japanese doesn’t have the “this/that” sound.
Problem: “this” becomes “dis”.
Fix: Stick tongue between teeth, voice the sound gently. Think of it as a “soft buzz”.
Drawback: Feels awkward in fast speech.
3. Th (voiceless /θ/)
The twin of voiced th — as in “think”.
Problem: Turns into “sink”.
Fix: Same tongue placement, but no vibration. Blow air lightly.
Drawback: Easy to overdo and hiss.
4. V vs B
Japanese doesn’t use /v/. Closest is /b/.
Problem: “vote” sounds like “boat”.
Fix: Bite your lower lip gently, release air while voicing.
Drawback: Lip may slip back into /b/ under pressure.
5. F vs H
Similar story — /f/ doesn’t sit naturally.
Problem: “fan” becomes “han”.
Fix: Same lip bite as V but without voice.
Drawback: If you blow too hard, it sounds breathy.
6. S vs Sh
Japanese has /s/ and /ʃ/, but in slightly different contexts.
Problem: “see” and “she” blur, especially before /i/.
Fix: For Sh, round lips slightly and push tongue back.
Drawback: Hard habit to unlearn when reading scripts fast.
7. Z
Japanese doesn’t have a clean /z/ at the start of words.
Problem: “zebra” comes out closer to “jebra”.
Fix: Place tongue like S but add voice.
Drawback: Often softened into J without focus.
8. L in Clusters
It’s one thing to say L alone, another in blends like “play” or “glass”.
Problem: “glass” slides towards “grass”.
Fix: Keep that tip-to-ridge contact while moving to next consonant.
Drawback: Tongue trips easily in speed.
9. Short vs Long Vowels
Japanese vowels are steady, with length as the main difference. English relies on both quality and length.
Problem: “ship” and “sheep” sound identical.
Fix: Over-exaggerate the length at first to hear the difference.
Drawback: Feels unnatural to “stretch” vowels when acting.
10. R-Controlled Vowels
Think “car”, “bird”, “four”. Japanese doesn’t do vowel + R combos.
Problem: “car” becomes “kaa”.
Fix: Hold the vowel, then curl tongue slightly for the R.
Drawback: Can sound over-American if you push too hard.
11. Ending Consonants
Japanese syllables usually end in vowels. English loves consonant endings.
Problem: “cat” becomes “cato”.
Fix: Land firmly on the final consonant, don’t add extra vowels.
Drawback: Takes muscle memory to stop adding that trailing “uh”.
The Actor’s Shortcut
If you’re a Japanese speaker learning English accents, these 11 sounds are the real hurdles. Start with R/L, Th, and final consonants — they give the most bang for your buck. Work on the others once your ear tunes in.
Want feedback that actually sticks? Accentify’s bite-sized lessons cover R, L, Th, vowels, and more — with professional coaches listening to your recordings. We’ve got RP, General American, Southern US, Australian, Indian, Scottish, Irish, and 100+ more accents rolling out. Built by actors, for actors.
👉 Hear the difference today — try Accentify.
