Translation guide
A consonant is a speech sound that is not a vowel. In Japanese, consonants are almost always followed by a vowel, except for ん (n) and sometimes っ (small tsu). This guide covers how to talk about consonants, consonant sounds, and related linguistic terms.
consonant (linguistics)
Referring to the category of speech sounds that are not vowels.
The standard linguistic term for 'consonant'. Used in technical contexts, language learning, and phonetics.
Japanese consonants almost always appear together with a vowel.
'K' is a consonant called a voiceless velar plosive.
Refers specifically to a consonant letter (as opposed to a vowel letter). Used when talking about writing systems.
The English alphabet has 21 consonant letters.
Talking about a particular consonant sound within a word or pronunciation.
Describing how consonants combine with vowels in kana or pronunciation.
Referring to a sequence of consonants without intervening vowels, which is rare in Japanese.
Except for ん (n) and sometimes っ (small tsu), Japanese consonants are always followed by a vowel. This is a key difference from English, where consonants can appear alone or in clusters.
Please explain the difference between the consonant sounds of 'r' and 'l'.
The consonant part of 'ka' is 'k'.
In Japanese, there aren't many sequences of consonants.