JAccent Dictionary Pitch Accent Guide

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Japanese Pitch Accent: patterns, rules, and how to hear them

Japanese words carry a pitch pattern — a rise and fall across their mora that is as much a part of the word as its sounds. This guide explains the four standard Tokyo-dialect patterns, how they are written, and how to train your ear, with interactive examples drawn from JAccent's dictionary.

The four patterns

平板型

Heiban — flat. Starts low on the first mora, rises, and stays high with no drop, even onto the following particle.

Pitch accent: あめあめ 飴（あめ）

頭高型

Atamadaka — head-high. The first mora is high, then it drops immediately and stays low.

Pitch accent: あめあめ 雨（あめ）

中高型

Nakadaka — middle-high. Low start, a high stretch in the middle, then a drop before the end.

Pitch accent: こしょうこしょう 胡椒（こしょう）

尾高型

Odaka — tail-high. Rises and stays high across the word, then drops on the following particle.

Pitch accent: はしはし 橋（はし）

How the notation works

Each mora sits on a high or low line. A step up or down between two mora is the pitch change you hear. A vertical drop at the end of the last mora marks a downstep onto the following particle — that word is "accented" on its last mora.

Why it matters: minimal pairs

Same sounds, different pitch, different word:

Explore

Check any word's pattern: browse the dictionary ・ by kana.