Page 43 - Basic Japanese

In final position, English p, t, and k may be either

aspirated or unaspirated, or not released at all.
Now in Japanese, the consonants p, t, ch, and k are

usually somewhat aspirated as in English, but the aspiration

is not so heavy. The Japanese consonants are UNASPIRATED
when they are double (that is, long). Since the
corresponding En glish double consonants are aspirated as in

hip pocket, part-time, night chief, and bookkeepers, you
should give special attention to suppressing the puff of

breath when you make the Japanese double consonants.
Another characteristic of Japanese double consonants,

including ss, ssh, as well as pp, tt, tch, kk—is the special
TENSENESS with which they are pronounced. It is as if the

Japanese speaker tightened up his throat in order to hold on
and get in that extra syllable represented by the first of the

consonants.
Listen to the difference between the single and double

consonants in the following examples, then imitate them,
being very careful to hold the first of the double consonants

for a full syllable’s duration and then release it tight and
clear with no puff of air.