Japanese · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "コーヒー" in Japanese?

Q: How do you pronounce コーヒー in Japanese?

コーヒー is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /koː.çiː/. It means “coffee.” ko-o-hi-i, four beats — two long vowels, and the h is palatal rather than throaty.

ko-o-hi-i, four beats — two long vowels, and the h is palatal rather than throaty.

コーヒー /koː.çiː/

koohii

Four slots for what English delivers in two syllables. Both halves of the word carry a long vowel, so the loanword is roughly twice the length of English "coffee" — a good illustration of how borrowing into Japanese systematically stretches words out.

Listen: コーヒー

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Sound it out

koo A softly released k opening onto an o sustained for two full counts. The katakana長音 mark ー is doing the same job as a doubled letter in romaji.

hii Japanese h before an i has its friction on the hard palate, like the start of English "hue," and the vowel then runs for two more counts. So this half of the word is one consonant and a very long vowel.

Hear it in a sentence

朝コーヒーを飲みます。

Asa koohii o nomimasu.

I have a coffee in the morning.

Listen: 朝コーヒーを飲みます。

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朝コーヒーを飲みます sets the loanword against 朝 (a-sa) and 飲みます, all of which are short, plain morae. That contrast makes コーヒー's four beats stand out clearly — if the sentence sounds evenly paced, you've probably shortened the two long vowels.

Where English speakers slip

Everyone says "COFFEE" with English rhythm: a stressed first syllable, a reduced second, and no length anywhere. Japanese has no stress, two genuine long vowels, and a palatal h. Say it as four equal, deliberate beats — ko, o, hi, i — and the word suddenly sounds Japanese.