Does it matter whether you drop vowels in spoken Japanese?


(This question started as a dual question about when to drop vowels and
whether it matters. The first question is well answered at [What are the rules
regarding "mute vowels" ("u" after "s" and "i" after
"sh")?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1095/what-are-the-rules-
regarding-mute-vowels-u-after-s-and-i-after-sh).)

I'm just starting to learn Japanese, and one thing I've noticed is that vowel
sounds--in particular, i and u--are often dropped by Japanese speakers. For
example, "suki" is usually pronounced like the English word "ski", "desu"
usually has the final "u" dropped, and I sometimes--but not always--hear
"ichi" pronounced without the final "i" sound.

My question is: how much does it matter whether you drop vowel sounds or not?
Will native speakers notice either way?




I think I can speak to this because I used to have (maybe still do) trouble
getting vowel pronunciation right, and have struggled a lot with it.

Japanese may have situations when they drop vowels, such as the ones you name.

This is not an indication that it's simply generally applicable, though. There
is a feel to when it is right that is the kind of thing a native speaker can
do without knowing any particular rule.

As a non-native speaker, though, it's harder to plug into what that rhythm is,
and when it's right and when it's wrong to do so.

For me personally, one of my main issues is that I have some trouble with two
vowel sounds in a row, such as `青{あお}い (blue)`. In the English accent that I
speak natively, the tendency is to compress vowel sounds. So, before much
deliberation and practice, I would pronounce `青{あお}い` as a two syllable "ow-
ii" (something like that, not sure how to spell phonetics). Japanese speakers
would not understand me.

In summary, to answer your question, yes, it does matter a lot whether or not
you drop a vowel sound, and you will in fact very likely be not understood if
you drop, or change, a vowel sound. Native speakers definitely do notice.

My recommendation is to try and emulate pronunciation of all vowel sounds as
clearly accurately as you can for now, and then slowly introduce dropped
sounds and other variations by copying them as you hear them on a case by case
basis.




I think I can speak to this because I used to have (maybe still do) trouble
getting vowel pronunciation right, and have struggled a lot with it.

Japanese may have situations when they drop vowels, such as the ones you name.

This is not an indication that it's simply generally applicable, though. There
is a feel to when it is right that is the kind of thing a native speaker can
do without knowing any particular rule.

As a non-native speaker, though, it's harder to plug into what that rhythm is,
and when it's right and when it's wrong to do so.

For me personally, one of my main issues is that I have some trouble with two
vowel sounds in a row, such as `青{あお}い (blue)`. In the English accent that I
speak natively, the tendency is to compress vowel sounds. So, before much
deliberation and practice, I would pronounce `青{あお}い` as a two syllable "ow-
ii" (something like that, not sure how to spell phonetics). Japanese speakers
would not understand me.

In summary, to answer your question, yes, it does matter a lot whether or not
you drop a vowel sound, and you will in fact very likely be not understood if
you drop, or change, a vowel sound. Native speakers definitely do notice.

My recommendation is to try and emulate pronunciation of all vowel sounds as
clearly accurately as you can for now, and then slowly introduce dropped
sounds and other variations by copying them as you hear them on a case by case
basis.

