English pronunciation · Words Starting with J

Japan Pronunciation

Japan is pronounced juh-PAN, IPA /dʒəˈpæn/.

juh-PAN

US /dʒəˈpæn/  ·  UK /dʒəˈpæn/

Syllables: juh · PAN (2 syllables, stress on syllable 2)

proper noun: The island country in East Asia, off the Pacific coast of the mainland.

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Japan in a Sentence

  • He spent three years teaching in Japan.
  • Japan imports most of its energy.
  • The team from Japan won on penalties.

Common Mispronunciations of Japan

Not JA-pan

The second syllable is the strong one, so the opening flattens to a quick juh.

Not ya-PAN

English starts the name on the j of jam. The y sound belongs to how the name is said in several European languages.

Tip: The country stresses its ending, juh-PAN, but the adjective Japanese pushes the beat further still, onto ja-puh-NEEZ.

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