The Rhythmic Unit of Japanese

A mora (拍) is the fundamental rhythmic unit in Japanese. Think of it as a "beat" in the language. While English speakers think in syllables, Japanese speakers think in moras.

Each mora takes roughly the same amount of time to pronounce. This is why Japanese has such a distinctive rhythm compared to English.

Moras vs Syllables

In English, we count syllables. In Japanese, we count moras. They're often different:

Word	Reading	Syllables	Moras	Breakdown
東京	とうきょう	2	4	と・う・きょ・う
学校	がっこう	2	4	が・っ・こ・う
新聞	しんぶん	2	4	し・ん・ぶ・ん
ちょっと	ちょっと	2	3	ちょ・っ・と

Mora Counting Rules

1. Regular kana = 1 mora

あ, い, う, え, お, か, き, く... Each single kana is one mora.

2. Long vowels = 2 moras

おう, えい, ああ... The extended sound counts as an extra mora.
Example: お母さん = お・か・あ・さ・ん (5 moras)

3. Small っ (sokuon) = 1 mora

The small tsu creates a pause that counts as a full mora.
Example: きっと = き・っ・と (3 moras)

4. ん (n) = 1 mora

The nasal sound counts as its own mora.
Example: 日本 = に・ほ・ん (3 moras)

5. Combo kana = 1 mora

きょ, しゃ, ちゅ... Small kana combinations count as one mora.
Example: 今日 = きょ・う (2 moras, not 3)

Why Moras Matter for Pitch

Pitch accent is assigned per mora, not per syllable. Each mora gets either a HIGH or LOW pitch assignment.

This is why understanding moras is essential for mastering pitch accent. When we say a word has "accent on the 2nd mora," we mean the 2nd rhythmic unit, which might be in the middle of what English speakers consider a single syllable.

Next: Pitch Patterns →Try the Analyzer

Sources

Vance, Timothy J. (2008). The Sounds of Japanese. Cambridge University Press.
Labrune, Laurence (2012). The Phonology of Japanese. Oxford University Press.