the other key to pronouncing japanese as an American, starter pack, is to NOT put stress on syllables the way we do. Japanese green horseradish (like with sushi) is not waSAAbi the way we want to pronounce it, it's something like three equal syllables pronounced distinctly wa. sa. bi. then put them together and pronounce them fast wa.sa.bi.
UK English has the same stress patterns as American English (Shakespeare, iambic pentameter) but I just haven't given any thought to whether my advice would be any different
I said "starter pack" because imho the first step is to stop pronouncing things American. Japanese does have some stress patterns, but you're not going to learn them easily. So just learn to flatten out the American stress and you are 80/20 there.
Because you are so used to American stress, to your ear it will sound like you are saying WAAsabi, which is closer to your goal, but don't do that on purpose, and not long syllables, not waaaa saaaa biiii, clip them short and just flatten them out, wasabi and you'll be fine.
UK English has the same stress patterns as American English (Shakespeare, iambic pentameter) but I just haven't given any thought to whether my advice would be any different
I said "starter pack" because imho the first step is to stop pronouncing things American. Japanese does have some stress patterns, but you're not going to learn them easily. So just learn to flatten out the American stress and you are 80/20 there.
Because you are so used to American stress, to your ear it will sound like you are saying WAAsabi, which is closer to your goal, but don't do that on purpose, and not long syllables, not waaaa saaaa biiii, clip them short and just flatten them out, wasabi and you'll be fine.
ka-ra-o-k. sy-a-na-ra.