Japanese · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "番号" in Japanese?

Q: How do you pronounce 番号 in Japanese?

番号 is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /baŋ.ɡoː/. It means “number.” ba-n-go-o, four beats — a nasal beat in second place and a long o at the end.

ba-n-go-o, four beats — a nasal beat in second place and a long o at the end.

番号 /baŋ.ɡoː/

bangou

Four beats for what English reads as two syllables, with the extra length split between a hum and a held vowel. This is one of the most common word shapes in Japanese, and delivering it in two beats is one of the most common learner errors.

Listen: 番号

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Sound it out

ba A simple b into a bright short a — straightforward, and the only fully ordinary mora in the word.

n A beat of pure nasal. With a g following, the back of the tongue rises to the soft palate, giving the "ng" variety of ん.

gou A hard g releasing into an o held for two full counts. The u in the romaji marks that length and is never pronounced.

Hear it in a sentence

電話番号を教えてください。

Denwa bangou o oshiete kudasai.

Please tell me your phone number.

Listen: 電話番号を教えてください。

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電話番号を教えてください builds the compound 電話番号 — de-n-wa-ba-n-go-o, seven morae with two moraic nasals and a long vowel. That single compound noun contains three beats that English would not count, which is why it comes out so much shorter in a beginner's mouth.

Where English speakers slip

"BAN-go" halves the word: nasal reduced to a consonant, long vowel shortened to one beat. Hum the ん for a full count and hold the closing o for two. English speakers also stress the first syllable heavily, which the word doesn't want at all.