Understanding Pitch Drop
Japanese pitch accent is defined by where the pitch drops. We use a number to indicate which mora has the drop:
- 0 = No drop (Heiban - flat)
- 1 = Drop after 1st mora (Atamadaka - head-high)
- 2, 3... = Drop after a middle mora (Nakadaka - middle-high)
- Last mora = Drop after final mora (Odaka - tail-high)
Note: Patterns shown are for standard Tokyo dialect (標準語). Regional dialects may differ significantly.
平板型 Heiban
"Flat" pattern - no drop
LH H H...
Starts low, rises, stays high (including particles)
Key: Heiban words stay high even when followed by particles. Say 桜が (sakura-ga) with the "ga" still high.
頭高型 Atamadaka
"Head-high" pattern - drop after 1st
HL L L...
Starts high, immediately drops, stays low
Key: Atamadaka is distinctive - the first mora is HIGH and everything after is LOW. Easy to recognize!
中高型 Nakadaka
"Middle-high" pattern - drop before last mora
LH HL L...
Rises, peaks somewhere in the middle, then drops
Key: The number indicates the accented mora. 卵² means the pitch drops AFTER the 2nd mora (3 morae total, so middle).
尾高型 Odaka
"Tail-high" pattern - drop after last
LH H H[+が]L
Like Heiban, but drops when followed by a particle
Key: Odaka sounds identical to Heiban when alone! The difference only appears with particles. This is why 橋 vs 箸 requires context.
Quick Reference
| Type | Name | Drop | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 平板 Heiban | Never | さ↗くら― (cherry) |
| 1 | 頭高 Atamadaka | After 1st | ね↘こ (cat) |
| 2, 3... | 中高 Nakadaka | Middle | た↗ま↘ご (egg) |
| =morae | 尾高 Odaka | On particle | は↗し↘が (bridge) |
Sources
- NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 - Standard reference for Tokyo dialect pitch accent
- Vance, Timothy J. (2008). The Sounds of Japanese. Cambridge University Press.
- Pitch data from Kanjium dictionary project.