Explaining the おお or おう sound to a clear-brained beginner

[InTransition]

What is the best way that you can explain to a new learner the difference in the pronunciation of the words for example:
しょうしょ and しょうしょう. I understand that one is like stretching the "o" sound, but I find that I always stretch the "o" too far. How can you explain to a newbie when is the best time to cut the "o-stretch"?

P.S.- I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but I am seeking the best way. Thank You for any help.

 

[nice gaijin]

The best way is to listen to native speakers. Japanese is based on the "mora," a phonetic unit just under the syllable. Each mora is the same length. しょ is one mora, [sho]; しょう is two morae, sho+o, [shö] (it's realized as an extended vowel with the length of two morae).

If you have difficulty distinguishing between them by listening, pay attention to the context around them. With practice they will be easier to recognize.

 

[Elizabeth]

What is the best way that you can explain to a new learner the difference in the pronunciation of the words for example:
しょうしょ and しょうしょう. I understand that one is like stretching the "o" sound, but I find that I always stretch the "o" too far. How can you explain to a newbie when is the best time to cut the "o-stretch"?
P.S.- I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but I am seeking the best way. Thank You for any help.

It's difficult to gauge based on that information but I think if it goes much beyond "oh" in English you need to cut back. Although of course there isn't as much a problem in terms of potential misunderstandings in being too long as being too short.

 

[Glenn]

Try using a metronome. One beat for each mora, which means that しょうしょ will be 1)しょ 2)う 3)しょ, and しょうしょう will be 1)しょ 2)う 3)しょ 4)う. You can also use it for the moraic nasal ん and the geminate っ. This way you can set the tempo however you want, and speed it up as you get more comfortable with the rythm.

Of course, to get to true speaking speeds you have to be able to subdivide the beat, but that shouldn't be too difficult once you've got the feel of it. That metronome only goes up to 220, which is still a bit long for one beat per mora.