Japanese · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "ノート" in Japanese?

Q: How do you pronounce ノート in Japanese?

ノート is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /noː.to/. It means “notebook.” no-o-to, three beats — the first o is held for two of them.

no-o-to, three beats — the first o is held for two of them.

ノート /noː.to/

nooto

Three beats, with the length at the front and a short beat at the end. The ratio is 2:1 between the two o's, and that ratio is what makes the word recognisable — English "note" is one beat with a diphthong, which is a completely different shape.

Listen: ノート

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Sound it out

noo Tip against the ridge for the n, then an o sustained for two full counts. The katakana ー is the length mark, and the vowel must not glide during it.

to A quiet dental t, then a short o — audibly briefer than the held one before it.

Hear it in a sentence

ノートにメモを書きます。

Nooto ni memo o kakimasu.

I write notes in my notebook.

Listen: ノートにメモを書きます。

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ノートにメモを書きます contains メモ (me-mo), two short beats, and 書きます. So a word with a genuine long vowel sits directly beside one with none at all, which makes the length distinction easy to hear if you deliver both accurately.

Where English speakers slip

Saying "NOTE" with a Japanese accent gives one beat and an English diphthong. Hold a pure o for two counts — no lip movement — and then add a genuinely short third beat. Learners also aspirate the final t or drop its vowel entirely; it needs a full mora.