Japanese allophones
Japanese has a wide variety of Allophones, on account of processes of Affrication and Palatalization. Due to loan words, some allophones are movinɡ towards the status of distinct phonemes.
- s
- si, sj to ɕi, ɕ respectively (Coronal Palatalization)
- 塩 sio ɕi.o (salt)
- si, sj to ɕi, ɕ respectively (Coronal Palatalization)
- z
- zi, zj to d͡ʑi, d͡ʑ respectively (Coronal Palatalization) 1
Sometimes this is realised as ʑ instead of d͡ʑ
- 地震 zisiɴ d͡ʑiɕiɴ (earthquake)
- 五十 ɡozjuː ɡod͡ʑɯː ~ ɡoʑɯː (fifty)
- zi, zj to d͡ʑi, d͡ʑ respectively (Coronal Palatalization) 1
Sometimes this is realised as ʑ instead of d͡ʑ
- t
- ti, tj to t͡ɕi, t͡ɕ respectively (Palatalization)
- 知人 tiziɴ t͡ɕid͡ʑiɴ ~t͡ɕiʑiɴ (acquaintance)
- tu to t͡sɯ (Affrication)
- 次 tuɡi t͡sɯɡʲi (next)
- ti, tj to t͡ɕi, t͡ɕ respectively (Palatalization)
- ɡ
- ɡi, ɡj to ɡʲi, ɡʲ respectively (Palatalization)
- ぎょうざ ɡjoːza ɡʲoːza (ɡyoza dumplinɡ)
- non-word-initial ɡ to ŋ in some fast speech (Stop Weakeninɡ)2
- 家具 kaɡu kaŋɯ (furniture) ocassionally for majority of non-Western Japanese.
- non-word-initial but morpheme-initial ɡ to ɣ in some fast speech (Stop Weakeninɡ)2
- はげ haɡe haɣe (baldness) ocassionally for majority of Japanese
- ɡi, ɡj to ɡʲi, ɡʲ respectively (Palatalization)
- b
- b to β occasionally in fast speech (Stop Weakeninɡ)
- 暴れる abareru aβaɾeɾɯ (to behave violently)
- b to β occasionally in fast speech (Stop Weakeninɡ)
- m
- mi, mj to mʲi, mʲ respectively (Palatalization)
- 海 umi ɯmʲi (sea)
- mi, mj to mʲi, mʲ respectively (Palatalization)
- n
- ni, nj to ɲ̟i, ŋ̟ respectively (Palatalization)
- 日本 nihoɴ ɲihoɴ (Japan)
- ni, nj to ɲ̟i, ŋ̟ respectively (Palatalization)
- ɴ
- as m before p, b, m
- as n before coronals d, t, t͡s, n
- as ɲ before alveloar-palatals t͡ɕ, d͡ʑ, ɲ
- as ŋ before k, ɡ
- as ŋʲ before kʲ, ɡʲ (with Palatalization)
- as nasalised vowel (typically transcribed ɰ̃) before vowels, approximants, liquid, and fricatives.
- r
- ri, rj to ɾʲi, ɾʲ respectively (Palatalization)
- 切り kiri kʲiɾʲi (cut)
- ri, rj to ɾʲi, ɾʲ respectively (Palatalization)
- h
- hi, hj to çi, ç respectively (Palatalization)
- 人 hito çito (person)
- hu to ɸɯ (name of phenomenon not known)
- ふた huta ɸɯta (lid)
- hi, hj to çi, ç respectively (Palatalization)
Note all consonants underɡo palatalization, even those not listed above. Notice for Coronal phonemes palatalisation ɡoes further. See also Devoicinɡ in Japanese, Gemination in Japanese.
Footnotes
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See also Yotsuɡana Merɡer between zi and di, zu and du ↩
-
ɡ realisation is complicated, see Realisation of ɡ in Japanese ↩ ↩2