I've observed a number of cases in which a Japanese word spelled with an *r* is pronounced in English translations with an *l* sound. I have been told that this is because *r* is pronounced *l*, and I have also been told that Japanese has no *l* sound. What is going on then?
Question #63621. Asked by kaylofgorons.
Last updated Oct 02 2016.
gmackematix
Answer has 2 votes
gmackematix 22 year member
3206 replies
Answer has 2 votes.
According to this, Japanese does not have a sound equivalent to "l" or "r" but something in between called an alveolar flap. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhotacism
Mar 17 2006, 12:06 PM
xfacilitatorx
Answer has 2 votes
xfacilitatorx
Answer has 2 votes.
Rhotacism may refer to several phenomena related to the usage of the consonant r (whether as an alveolar tap, alveolar trill, or the rarer uvular trill).
Rhotacism is a speech impediment, natural or regional.
Response last updated by satguru on Oct 02 2016.
Mar 17 2006, 1:15 PM
Flynn_17
Answer has 2 votes
Flynn_17 23 year member
604 replies
Answer has 2 votes.
Japanese has no real sound for the letter *l* just as Chinese has no real sound for the letter *r*, but what one has to consider is that Japanese uses fully formed words while Chinese is a language of individual sounds that combine to make a language.
Response last updated by satguru on Oct 02 2016.
Mar 17 2006, 2:56 PM
kaylofgorons
Answer has 1 vote
kaylofgorons 20 year member
303 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
Thanks. So this ambiguity I've been seeing/hearing is the English tranlators picking whatever sound they think belongs. (Kirara pronounced Kee-la-luh)
Mar 17 2006, 3:17 PM
wajo
Answer has 1 vote
wajo 22 year member
186 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
Yes, that's right kayl.
Similarly the Japanese 'shi' sound is somewhere between English 's' and 'sh'...which is even more complicated because they don't have a 'th' sound - so 'th' also becomes 's'. Another difficult one is ye/e as in year/ear. But my (Japanese) hubby's least favourite English word is probably 'really'...takes him about a minute to get it out. :)