Learning Japanese pitch

PatPaul

Kouhai

19 Dec 2015

52

20

• 18 Jun 2026

• #1

Hi Everyone,

The more I research about the spoken language of Japanese, the more I learn just how bad I have been speaking all these years, oblivious to the importance of "pitch," as the website helps one learn.

Pitch accents - Kanshudo



Any other advice about how I can learn to speak Japanese so Japanese listeners can understand me you could share would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

PatPaul

 

mdchachi

Moderator

Moderator

Twenty-year veteran

6 Mar 2003

9,318

9,447

• 18 Jun 2026

• #2

Practice and immersion. It's not something I ever really put any thought into. Either I'm doing it right most of the time or people give me a pass. I rarely have trouble being understood which is the important thing.

 

Grandpa Frank

Sempai

Admin

Twenty-year veteran

21 May 2003

14,310

4,404

• 18 Jun 2026

• #3

I found local accents come into play. I got along great in Fukuoka where I lived for 2 years. On a trip to Tokyo , I was asked if I learned my Japanese from a retarded fisherman , LOL. I learned that "Hakata ben" was an issue in Tokyo.

 

mdchachi

Moderator

Moderator

Twenty-year veteran

6 Mar 2003

9,318

9,447

• 18 Jun 2026

• #4

Grandpa Frank said:

I found local accents come into play. I got along great in Fukuoka where I lived for 2 years. On a trip to Tokyo , I was asked if I learned my Japanese from a retarded fisherman , LOL. I learned that "Hakata ben" was an issue in Tokyo.

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If you ever watch Japanese TV and they're interviewing somebody from rural areas, especially older people, they always put subtitles onscreen because they're so hard to understand.