LingoDrop
Japanese · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "虫" in Japanese?
mu-shi, two beats — an unrounded u and a final vowel that usually whispers.
mushi
Two beats, matched in length, with the pitch high on the first. Compare it with 牛 (ushi): same second mora, same devoicing, different opening — the pair is useful for hearing how much of a short word's identity sits in its first beat.
Listen: 虫
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
部屋に虫がいます。
Heya ni mushi ga imasu.
There is a bug in the room.
Listen: 部屋に虫がいます。
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部屋に虫がいます has 部屋 (he-ya), where ya is a single mora, and います with its closing nasal. The whole line is short, so the moraic ん at the end is easy to clip — it needs a full beat of hum.
Where English speakers slip
"MOO-shee" rounds the u, stresses the first beat, and fully voices a lengthened final vowel. Spread the lips, let the i devoice, and keep both beats matched. English speakers also push more air through the sh than Japanese does, which makes the word sound emphatic.