Japanese text-to-speech online — listen to real pronunciation

Japanese — free text-to-speech & real native pronunciation

A free online Japanese text-to-speech tool and AI voice generator that reads any text aloud. Use this Japanese text reader to hear text spoken in natural-sounding native voices, view phonetic transcription (IPA), and improve your pronunciation with karaoke-style word highlighting.

Try Japanese now →

No account Unlimited use Works offline

Text

Speech time: 0:00 0 words 0 chars

Speed

1×

Pitch

1×

Pause between sentences/lines

0.0 s

Pause between paragraphs

0.5 s

Voice

Loading voices...

Japanese Sounds Missing in English

r [ɾ]

English speakers typically substitute the English 'r' or 'l' sound; instead flap the tongue quickly against the roof of the mouth like a very light 'd' between vowels.

u [ɯ̥]

English speakers usually round their lips for 'oo'; keep the lips unrounded and relax the tongue while whispering the sound, especially between voiceless consonants.

ch [tɕ]

English speakers often use the 'ch' in 'church'; instead place the tongue farther forward and add a slight 'y' glide right after the stop.

n [ɴ]

English speakers typically pronounce a full 'n' or 'ng'; let the sound resonate in the back of the throat without a clear tongue position before a pause or consonant.

Japanese Words That Trip People Up

The 'fu' is not like English 'foo' but uses a bilabial 'f' (φ), and 'ro' uses the Japanese r [ɾ].

The 'ko' is straightforward but 'domo' devoices the 'o' after 'd', making it sound almost like 'kodo-m'.

The kanji suggest 'big person' but it is read as 'otona' with an unexpected 'o' vowel shift, not 'dai jin'.

The 'hito' changes to 'i' sound and the counter 'ri' is read as 'ri', making it 'hitori' instead of 'ichi nin'.

The 'ni' counter is read as 'ri' here, so it becomes 'futari' rather than the expected 'ni nin'.

The 'san' is normal but the counter 'nin' is read as 'nin', yet the whole word flows as 'san-nin' with geminated n.

The 'shi' for four combines with 'nin' to make 'yo-nin', skipping the expected 'shi-nin' reading.

The 'go' for five is read normally but the counter becomes 'nin' as 'go-nin' with a clear 'n' sound.

The 'roku' shortens to 'ro' and the counter 'nin' makes it 'roku-nin', but the 'ku' often devoices.

The 'shichi' for seven is read 'shichi' but the counter 'nin' creates 'shichi-nin' with a strong 'ch' [tɕ].

The 'hachi' for eight shortens and the counter makes it 'hachi-nin', where 'chi' uses [tɕ] not English 'ch'.

The 'kyuu' for nine is read 'kyuu' but the counter 'nin' produces 'kyuu-nin' with a palatal 'ky'.

Hear the Difference

The short 'a' versus long 'aa' vowel; English speakers often ignore length and merge them, but the long version holds the vowel roughly twice as long.

The single 't' versus geminated 'tt'; English speakers tend to skip the pause, but the double 't' adds a clear stop and slight delay.

The 'byoo' (long 'oo') versus 'bi yo' (two separate short vowels); English speakers merge the rhythms, but the first has a long vowel and the second has an extra syllable.

The unvoiced 'k' versus voiced 'g'; English speakers often devoice final g, but here the 'g' must be fully voiced like in 'go'.

The unvoiced 's' versus voiced 'z'; English speakers may weaken the 'z', but it must buzz clearly from the start like in 'zoo'.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Speecher.org

Can Speecher read mixed Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji text aloud?

Yes — paste any combination of hiragana (ひらがな), katakana (カタカナ), and kanji (漢字). Voices automatically read kanji with the correct reading based on context.

Are male and female Japanese voices available?

Yes — both genders are available across browser and Universal voice options. Microsoft Edge usually has the most variety.

Does it handle Japanese pitch accent for natural prosody?

Modern neural voices (Microsoft Online, Universal) model Japanese pitch accent well. Older robotic voices may flatten it.

Can I download Japanese audio as MP3?

Yes — for Universal voices, use the MP3 button. Browser voices play in real time only.

How do I turn text into speech?

Paste or type your text in the box above and press play — Speecher reads it aloud with natural AI voices. It is free, runs in your browser, and you can download the result as an MP3.

Does Speecher.org have an on-screen keyboard for Japanese?

Yes. On the Speak page, click the keyboard button next to the Karaoke toggle and the Japanese keyboard opens below the text box. You can type with your mouse or finger without switching your device's layout. Speecher's on-screen keyboard supports 29 languages — including Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese (pinyin and cangjie), Hangul and kana — and on phones it doesn't cover the screen with the system keyboard.

Can I dictate Japanese text by voice?

Yes. Speecher's Speech-to-Text turns your spoken Japanese into editable text: open the Speech-to-Text section and tap the microphone. In Google Chrome the words are recognized in real time as you speak, and it also works in other modern browsers. Over 40 dictation languages are supported.