Pronunciation of ふたり

[Ben W Bell]

ふたり, meaning two people. How is it pronounced? The Hepburn for it is futari, but Pimsleur seems to be pronouncing it more like hutari.

 

[Kara_Nari]

I say Futari. Depending on the word I guess. My boss in NZ was named Humi... spelt Fumi (well there really is no two ways of spelling it, it just comes down to the pronunciation). Sorry Im useless at explaining languages... but anyway thats how I say it.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

I think it is pronounced like a cross between futari and hutari. I read somewhere that ふ is pronounced like you are blowing out a match.

 

[Damicci]

I think it is pronounced like a cross between futari and hutari. I read somewhere that ふ is pronounced like you are blowing out a match..

Sounds about right, it is more of a combination of and "f" and "h"

 

[sasame]

ふたり, meaning two people. How is it pronounced? The Hepburn for it is futari, but Pimsleur seems to be pronouncing it more like hutari.

Is it time when it spells Japanese by the Roman alphabet?
ローマ字で日本語を綴る場合ですか？

I think that both are the same sounds if it pronounces as Japanese.
日本語として発音するなら、両方同じ音だと思います。

ふ＝fu＝hu


According to the spelling of the Hepburn system Roman alphabet though only "ふ" seems to use F.
ヘボン式ローマ字の綴り方によれば「ふ」のみF を使うようですけれど。

HA HI FU HE HO
は ひ ふ へ ほ

It becomes the following according to The Society for the Romanization of the Japanese Alphabet method.
社団法人日本ローマ字会の方法（99式＝きゅうきゅうしき）によると、以下のようになります。

HA HI HU HE HO
は ひ ふ へ ほ

For the present age that uses the personal computer Japanese, here might be a general mark method.
パソコンを使う現代日本人には、こっちの方が一般的な表記方法かも知れません。

 

[Glenn]

There is no equvilent in English for the sound, really, although some Japanese pronounce it "hu." The "f" version is the voiceless bilabial fricative, made by putting your lips close together until you get an approximation of the "f" sound of English (voiceless labiodental fricative).

See also here.