Japanese Words Difficult to Pronounce for Spanish Speakers

2025/10/19

At Nihongo Online School, we help Spanish speakers move from “I understand a little” to speaking naturally, with a practical, friendly approach that tunes not only your sounds but also the rhythm and musicality of Japanese. If you already study vocabulary and grammar but pronunciation holds you back, this article is for you. We’ll review the most common challenges for Spanish speakers and the classroom techniques we use to help you improve quickly: how to tap the Japanese /r/ without overdoing it, how to soften shi/chi/ji so they don’t sound too Spanish, how to keep time for long vowels and double consonants, and how to refine tsu/fu/ɴ without letting them fade. The goal is for your Japanese to sound clear, fluid, and well-timed, and for you to apply these tips in conversations right away—even if you study on your own or only have a little time each week.

1) The Japanese /r/ and the clusters rya–ryu–ryo: a very brief tap that confuses learners

The Japanese “r” is neither the strong Spanish rr (carro) nor exactly the soft r (cara); it’s a single, very brief tap of the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge. To a Spanish-speaking ear it can resemble a quick “l”, but the key is to avoid multiple vibration. The challenge grows when r combines with /j/ (the “y” in ya/yu/yo) and with long vowels, because our brain tends to “fill” with extra sound. The remedy is to train that single tap, relax the tongue, break the word into moras, and practice syllables before long words. If you notice a rolled r sneaking in, lower the energy: less air, less tension, and think tiny tap, like a quick click.

ありがとう (arigatō)

This everyday word often gets stretched or shuffled into arri-ga-tó or ari-ga-ró. In Japanese it’s divided into moras: a-ri-ga-tō (あ・り・が・とう), and that rhythmic detail forces each sound into place. The /r/ is a quick tap; if it helps, say “ali” very fast and swap the l for the tap r: a-ri-ga-tō. Also, the final long vowel ō (おう/おー) deserves extra time, like keeping a candle lit for half a beat more. Practice with a metronome at 60–70 BPM, tapping each mora with your fingers so it doesn’t shrink into arigató; this trains your ear to measure time rather than pile on stress.

りょうり (ryōri – “cuisine, cooking”)

Two challenges meet here: the りょ (ryo) cluster and the long vowel ō. Start with りょ in isolation: shape your lips as for a Spanish y (yo), but get the tongue ready for the r tap immediately after. Then add the lengthening u (ryō), making sure it doesn’t turn into rio: think “ryo-o” as a single time-extended syllable. Close with ri, again with a fleeting r. Drill ryō-ri (りょう・り) in two clear beats and avoid splitting it into ri-o-ri. If an unwanted i slips in, lower the jaw just enough and let the gesture happen with less tension.

りゅうがく (ryūgaku – “to study abroad”)

The りゅ (ryu) cluster asks you to coordinate slightly rounded lips for /yu/ while the tongue is primed for the r tap. Keep yū long (ゆう) without letting a ghost i appear; instead of ri-ú, conceive /ry/ as one articulatory block. Practice ryū-ga-ku (りゅう・が・く) in three beats, ensuring the first unit feels spacious because of the long vowel. Pro tip: say ryu short, then repeat it lengthening u without increasing volume; length is heard through time, not loudness.

2) The sounds shi/chi/ji and the combinations sha–shu–sho / cha–chu–cho / ja–ju–jo

Spanish speakers often “Hispanicize” these: /shi/ is usually fine, but /chi/ turns into “tshi” with extra explosion, and /ji/ drifts toward “yí” or “llí.” In Japanese, the release is softer, with less burst and no glide into a wide y. When gemination (double consonants) or small ya/yu/yo (ゃゅょ) show up, the rhythm and duration change noticeably—and that tiny difference can separate a natural word from one that sounds stiff. In practice, imagine you’re “sanding down” the edges of chi/ji: less punch, more controlled friction, continuous air, and short transitions.

ちょっと (chotto – “a bit,” “hold on a sec”)

A common mistake is choto or chotoo without a pause. Here っ (small tsu) inserts a micro-pause before to, so you should produce cho-(pause)-tto. It’s not long—just a brief block that sets up a firmer t. Split it into two beats: cho + tto, and practice holding your tongue in t position for a tiny silent moment. That minuscule suspension adds clarity and naturalness, and prevents confusion with other forms.

出身 しゅっしん (shusshin – “place of origin”)

Again, gemination appears in っし, which shouldn’t sound like plain shushin. Think shu-(pause)-sshin, feeling how the articulators contain the sound before the double s. Avoid a strong Spanish-style stress on “shú”; Japanese melody is flatter, and what matters is the pause and the duration of each segment. As training, say shu…shin first with an exaggerated pause, then reduce it until it’s micro yet audible.

神社 じんじゃ (jinja – “Shinto shrine”)

We tend to say yinja or yin-ya by inserting an overly open y. Japanese じ /ji/ is a voiced fricative, somewhere between Spanish y and the English j in jeans, without fully becoming either. Practice ji-nja (じ・ん・じゃ), marking the n clearly before ja, so it doesn’t all collapse into a wide y. If you catch yinja, move the tongue slightly back and aim for a more central friction; think light yet defined, without dragging vowels.

3) Long vowels and double consonants: small timing shifts that change meaning

In Japanese, lengthening a vowel or doubling a consonant can change the word. Spanish often solves contrasts with stress; Japanese does it with time. A ō/ū/ā/ī/ē lasts a bit longer, and っ adds a silent articulatory hold that prepares the next consonant. If you think “hit harder,” you’ll likely produce Spanish stress; if you think “measure the instant,” you’ll start sounding Japanese. Practice with a metronome and hand-claps: each mora is a step, and long vowels take a step and a half.

おばあさん vs おばさん (obāsan vs obasan)

Obāsan (おばあさん) means grandmother; obasan (おばさん) is ma’am/auntie. The main audible difference is the long ああ in obāsan. Train by saying o-ba-a-san, as if you added half a beat to the second a. A visual trick: write oba—san with an em dash to remind yourself there’s extra time. This sensitivity to vowel timing is essential to avoid mix-ups in kinship terms, titles, and everyday vocabulary.

きって (kitte – “postage stamp”)

Not kite (“come”). The っ halts the flow before te, so you must produce ki-(pause)-tte. If you say kite, you’re issuing an imperative of 来る (to come). For practice, block the air briefly with your tongue in t position, then release the geminated tte with a crisper closure. That tiny pause turns a verb into a noun—and accustoms you to feel what the small tsu does.

学校 がっこう (gakkō – “school”)

Here we get both gemination (っ) and a long ō. Split it into ga-(pause)-kkō, making sure to hold a moment before the double k and to sustain the final ō without raising volume. Avoid gakó with Spanish-style stress; instead, focus on how long each segment lasts. A useful drill is to tap your foot on each mora and stretch the last one by half a step; your body learns the pattern before your mind overthinks it.

4) Other frequent hurdles: つ (tsu), ふ (fu ≈ [ɸɯ]), and the moraic ん

These three sounds concentrate typical errors. つ (tsu) often becomes su due to articulatory laziness; Japanese ふ (fu) isn’t the explosive Spanish fu, but a soft frication with the vowel /ɯ/ (a close back unrounded “u”); and ん is a full rhythmic unit that may surface as m, n, or ŋ depending on context, but must not disappear. Strategy: isolate each sound, over-practice it gently, then integrate it naturally into real words.

つくえ (tsukue – “desk”)

Avoid sukue or tukue. The tsu cluster begins with a very brief t followed by s, coordinated as a single t-su gesture. Train in front of a mirror: touch just behind the teeth with the tongue tip for t, release for s airflow, then cut promptly with a tight u. Repeat tsu in isolation, then tsu-ku-e (つ・く・え) marking each mora; over time, the gesture becomes automatic and the urge to “simplify” to su vanishes.

富士山 ふじさん (Fujisan – “Mount Fuji”)

Japanese ふ is made by bringing the lower lip close to the upper teeth without pressing them together, letting a gentle breath pass while articulating a very close /ɯ/. It’s not the Spanish fu; there’s less friction and a slightly darker timbre. Practice ふ as if fogging a window, with steady air and no burst. Then assemble fu-ji-san, keeping the u discreet and focusing on smoothness rather than force.

しんぶん (shinbun – “newspaper”)

Before b/p/m, ん naturally assimilates toward m, so shimbun sounds perfectly normal. The crucial point is not to omit the mora ん, because it counts as time in the word. Split shi-n-bun (し・ん・ぶん) and feel that n has its own beat. A good drill is to hold n slightly—without adding a vowel—so the ear clearly perceives it, while you preserve the overall pulse of the word.

Learn Japanese Online with Nihongo Online School

If you want your pronunciation to truly improve in a short time, the roadmap is clear: think in timing and moras, not in heavy stress; train the /r/ tap, practice the っ pauses, sustain long vowels with control, and keep shi/chi/ji/tsu/fu/ɴ crisp and light. At Nihongo Online School you can enroll online for lessons tailored to you, taught by Japanese instructors who also speak Spanish and English. You’ll work with guided exercises, immediate feedback, reference audio, and study plans that fit your schedule. Ready to sound more natural in Japanese and boost your speaking confidence? Sign up today and take the next step with us—your best pronunciation is waiting.