Question about を

This may sound like a noob question, but I'll admit I'm one. In listening to native speakers pronounce the direct object marker, (を) I hear the same speakers sometimes pronounce it o and sometimes pronounce it wo. How do you know when to pronounce it o or wo? I'm completely confused.

quamp said:

I hear the same speakers sometimes pronounce it o and sometimes pronounce it wo. How do you know when to pronounce it o or wo? I'm completely confused.

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Well it is true that native speakers sometimes speak を differently to お but it doesn't really sound like what _I'd_ call 'wo' (as an English sound).

You might as well pronounce it the same as お because that's more common among younger speakers. There is no particular pattern to when 'wo' is right or 'o' is right (speaking of pronunciation of course). 'wo' might be more common when singing but I doubt that will prove relevant.

Thanks. That helped a bit.

This is a note on the side I guess? I don't wanna confuse you with a sidebar though.

There are some people who do speak o with more of a 'w' sound in front of it, but there is no rhyme or reason for it, and everything's fine if you just say 'o.'

Some people feel like they need to say 'wo' whenever the particle を is used, because you type it as 'wo' to get the kana to come up with computers. While just typing 'o' gives you the お kana, which is not the correct 'o' particle.

Confusing, and I hope I didn't fog you up any more.

Point of reply = don't worry about trying to sound like the 'wo' you think you hear, you're fine as is, and those Japanese are fine as they are.