Japanese Pitch Accent Tool
Visualize pitch patterns, hear native pronunciations, and test your knowledge.
Common Pitch Accent Patterns
One word from each accent type. The number is the standard dictionary accent number: the mora after which the pitch drops, or 0 for heiban (no drop).
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Accent number | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 弟 | おとうと | younger brother | 【3】 | Nakadaka |
| 箸 | はし | chopsticks | 【2】 | Odaka |
| 雨 | あめ | rain | 【2】 | Odaka |
| 花 | はな | flower | 【1】 | Atamadaka |
| 今日 | きょう | today | 【2】 | Odaka |
| 私 | わたし | I, me | 【0】 | Heiban |
What is the pitch accent pattern of 弟 (otouto)?
おとうと (younger brother) is nakadaka, accent number 3: the pitch rises after the first mora, stays high through the second and third moras, then drops before the fourth. It is not odaka (pitch would stay high through the whole word, dropping only on a following particle) and not heiban (no drop at all).
How do I read the accent number in a Japanese dictionary?
The number is the mora after which the pitch drops. 0 means heiban: no drop, pitch stays high once it rises. A number equal to the word's last mora means odaka: the drop happens on the particle right after the word, not inside it. Any number in between means nakadaka: the drop happens mid-word. 1 means atamadaka: the first mora is the only high one.
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