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Old 07-21-2009, 06:48 AM   #9
Josh Reyer
 
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Location: Aichi-ken, Nagoya-shi
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Re: pronunciation... kokyuho

Quote:
Michael Varin wrote: View Post
Simple, but wrong.

The syllables are misrepresented.

Kokyu: koh-cue

Kokyu ho: koh-cue-ho

To be completely accurate, the "u" sound in Japanese is made without rounding the lips. Of course, my Japanese is terrible, but most Americans won't know the difference!
To be even more accurate, the "ko" is a short, clipped sound, not as long in duration as the usual English "oh". Meanwhile, the "ho" is a longer sound, roughly two beats' worth of the first "ko". So the "ko" is a little shorter than normal English "oh", and the "ho" a little longer than the normal English "oh". The "u" of "kyu", incidentally, is also two beats long. Just a smidgen longer than, say, the letter "Q".

Josh Reyer

The lyf so short, the crafte so longe to lerne,
Th'assay so harde, so sharpe the conquerynge...
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