Japanese pitch accent rules

This article is an non-exhaustive list of rules that govern the Japanese pitch accent as spoken in Tokyo.

Particles and auxiliaries

When a noun, verb or adjective precedes a or an , they may form together a minor phrase. Each particle/auxiliary or group of particles/auxiliaries has its own accentual behavior that can be classified as follows:

• Behavior type:
  • Recessive: The particle or auxiliary does not alter the accent of the preceding word. The word determines the accent of the entire phrase, and if it is accented, the particle either has a low contour or forms its own minor phrase.
  • Dominant: The particle or auxiliary determines the accent of the phrase, overriding whatever accent the preceding word has.
  • : The auxiliary combines with a conjugational verbal form, typically the . This form is a bound morpheme, incapable of existing on its own, much less having accent. An auxiliary combining with it preserves the underlying accent type of the original verb.
• Accent type:
  • Unaccented: The particle or auxiliary has no accent of its own.
  • Accented: The particle or auxiliary has accent which surfaces only if it is dominant, or if it is recessive and the preceding word is unaccented.

An accented recessive particle or particle sequence can form its own downstepped minor phrase after an accented word, although this is less likely if the word is final-accented and the particle is initial-accented:

More details on the interactions between particles or auxiliaries and nouns, verbs and adjectives are listed below.

Particle + particle

In general, when a particle follows another particle, they form together a single accented minor phrase, as exemplifed in the table above. The first particle's last mora becomes the nucleus. Some of these have become idiomatic conjunctions: etc. Some more examples:

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The particles to, kiri, shika and dake alternatively does not add accent to their preceding particle:

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The accent of the particles kurai / gurai, dokoro and bakari can alternatively surface:

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Auxiliary + particle

Verb-like and adjective-like auxiliaries simply follow the rules of verb and adjective accent before particles:

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The particle to can remove accent from hortatives:

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Particle + auxiliary

In general, when an auxiliary follows another particle, they form together a single accented minor phrase. The particle's last mora becomes the nucleus. Some of these have become idiomatic conjunctions: etc. Some more examples:

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The accent of the auxiliaries yō (da), rashī and gotoshi can alternatively surface:

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Auxiliary + auxiliary

Verb-like and adjective-like auxiliaries simply follow the rules of verb and adjective accent before auxiliaries:

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Nouns

Here are some rough percentage ratios in correspondence with the mora counts of nouns (0 means unaccented, +1 initial-accented, −1 final-accented, −2 penultimate-accented, −3 antepenultimate-accented and −4 preantepenultimate-accented):

1. Unimorae: +1:0 → 70:30
2. Bimorae: +1:−1:0 → 60:20:20
3. Trimorae: +1:−2:−1:0 → 40:10:10:50 (10% is either 0 or +1)
4. Quadrimorae: +1:−3:−2:0 → 10:10:10:70
5. Quinquemorae: −4:−3:−2:0 → 10:50:10:30
6. Sexamorae: −4:−3:−2:0 → 35:35:10:20

One of the principal rules that govern nouns is known as the "antepenultimate rule," which dictates a "default" location for the accent nucleus, which is either the actual antepenultimate mora (−3), or the preantepenultimate mora (−4) due to a leftward shift away from the deficient antepenultimate mora (see Japanese pitch accent § Accent shifts). Even native speakers rely on this rule, among others, to guess how to pronounce newly borrowed or unfamiliar simplex or compound nouns, even completely made-up ones such as . As the above statistics show, the antepenultimate rule accounts for the high number of quinquemoraic or longer (pre)antepenultimate-accented nouns. It is also highly productive among recent loanwords of any length (although unimorae and bimorae do not have room for an antepenultimate mora and are thus necessarily initial-accented) and will continue to be so as more words are imported into the Japanese language.

Quadrimoraic nouns are predominantly (70%) unaccented. Unaccentedness is also typical in high-frequency words, and even a normally accented word can be deaccentuated by an individual if they use it frequently enough; for example, the word can be pronounced unaccented as by a guitar lover, instead of accented as . Quadrimoraic clippings are overwhelmingly unaccented and their number is on the increase.

Older speakers are more likely to have final-accented quinquemorae, and penultimate-accented sexamorae ending in special morae, both of which younger speakers are making (pre)antepenultimate-accented (the dagger Template:Dag marks obsolete or obsolescent accent):

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Simplex Sino-Japanese nouns

Over half of simplex Sino-Japanese nouns (spelt with a single kanji), especially infrequent ones, are initial-accented. The following are rough percentages in correspondence with mora counts, as well as some representative examples. Note that there are items with variant patterns, some of which may be used for different meanings:

	Initial-accented	Final-accented	Unaccented
Unimorae	68%	0%	32%
	, , etc.		, , etc.
Bimorae	77%	23%
	, , , , , , , , , , etc.	, , , etc.	, , , , , , , , , , , etc.

Modifier–head compound nouns

This subsection deals with modifier–head compound nouns, with the modifier being the first component and the head being the second. Henceforth:

• A "short" component:
  • If native, is bimoraic or shorter: , , etc.
  • If Sino-Japanese, has one kanji (monomorphematic): , etc.
• A "long" component:
  • If native, is trimoraic or longer: , , etc.
  • If Sino-Japanese, has two or more kanji (dimorphematic or longer): , , , etc.
• A short compound consists of only short components, and a long compound contains at least one long component. Note that a short compound can become a long component in a long compound.

Short compounds

Short compound nouns are accentually difficult to predict, as their accent correlates with either the modifiers and/or the heads, in terms of mora counts and/or original accent.

Native heads

Unimoraic modifier + native head

The compound tends to have the same accent type as the modifier and retain its nucleus:

• Originally unaccented modifiers:
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• Originally accented modifiers:
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Some compounds retain the bimoraic head's accent instead or in addition:

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Bimoraic modifier + native head

The compound tends to have the same accent type as the modifier, but the compound's nucleus tends to be the modifier's last mora regardless of the modifier's original nucleus:

• Originally unaccented modifiers:
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• Originally accented modifiers:
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If the modifier's last mora is special, it's penultimate mora is accented instead:

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If the head is bimoraic, the compound may also be unaccented:

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Some compounds retain the modifier's initial accent, or delete its final accent:

• Originally initial-accented modifiers:
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• Originally final-accented modifiers:
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Some compounds retain the bimoraic head's initial accent instead or in addition:

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Sino-Japanese heads

Unimoraic modifier + unimoraic Sino-Japanese head

Almost 80% of these compounds are initial-accented: , , , , , , , , , , etc.

A devoiced nucleus may cause a rightward shift: , (基地; 'an operational base'), , , , , , etc.

Some older compounds are unaccented or final-accented:

• Unaccented: , , , (棕梠; 'windmill palm'), , , , , , , , , , (被布; 'a hifu'), , etc.
• Final-accented: , , , , , , etc.

Bimoraic modifier + unimoraic Sino-Japanese head

Most of these compounds are initial-accented or unaccented. Semantically nominal compounds are mostly initial-accented, while semantically verbal compounds are mostly unaccented:

• Semantically nominal: , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.
• Semantically verbal: , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.

Note that some of the unaccented semantically verbal compounds above are not really modifier–head compounds, but rather verb–object compounds as per Chinese syntax (see Chinese grammar §§ Noun phrases​ and Sentence structure). For example, comes from in ("drinks") and shu ("booze"), hence "drinking booze."

A devoiced nucleus may cause a rightward shift: , , , , , , etc.

Some old trimoraic compounds may be final- or penultimate-accented:

• Final-accented: , , , , , , , , etc.
• Penultimate-accented: , , etc.

Some originally accented native modifiers may make its own last mora the nucleus, as they would if the head were also native:

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The suffixal head often results in final-accented compounds: , , etc.

Unimoraic modifier + bimoraic Sino-Japanese head

Some 74% of these compounds are unaccented. Semantically nominal ones are mostly initial-accented, and while semantically verbal ones mostly unaccented: , , , etc.

A devoiced nucleus may cause a rightward shift: , , , , , etc.

Some older compounds are final- or penultimate-accented:

• Final-accented: , , etc.
• Penultimate-accented:
  • , , , , , , , , , , , etc.
  • , , , etc.

Bimoraic modifier + bimoraic Sino-Japanese head

Some 85% of these compounds, which are quadrimoraic, are unaccented. Some used to be initial-accented, but have become unaccented (the Template:Dag marks obsolete or obsolescent accent)ː

• , , , , etc.
• , , , (襲名; 'succession to a name'), etc.
• , , , , , , , etc.
• , ,

Some older compounds remain initial-accented: , , , , , , , , (人類; 'humankind'), , , etc.

Some Sino-Japanese and most native modifiers make their own last mora the nucleus:

• , , , etc.
• , , , (組員; 'a yakuza member'), , , , , , , , etc.

Long compounds

Long compounds are more predictable, in that their accent largely correlates with their heads.

Short heads

The head can be preaccenting, deaccenting or retain its original accent.

• Preaccenting short heads:
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• Deaccenting short heads:
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• Other short heads can be either preaccenting or deaccenting:
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• Some short initial-accented native words retain their accent as heads:
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Some exceptional short heads

tends to be deaccenting or final-accented, but sometimes also initial-accented:

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The suffixal head can be deaccenting, preaccenting or sometimes final-accented. When it is preaccenting, the accent does not usually shift even if it is on a special mora (see Japanese pitch accent § Accent shifts for more details):

• Deaccenting: , , , , , (苛めっ子; 'a bully'), etc.
• Preaccenting and accenting autonomous morae: , , , , , etc.
• Preaccenting and accenting special morae: , , , , etc.
• Deaccenting or preaccenting:
  • , , , , (甘えっ子; 'a clinging child'), , etc.
• Final-accented: , (小僧っ子; 'a youngster'), etc.
• Deaccenting, preaccenting or final-accented: , etc.

The suffixal heads and tend to be deaccenting or final-accented:

• , , , , , , , , etc.
• , , etc.
• , , , , , etc.
• , , , etc.
• , , , , , etc.
• But:
  • , ,
  • ,
  • , ,

The suffixal head may be deaccenting or final-accented, but the modifier, which would be a temple's actual name, may also bear accent:

• , , etc.
• , , , , , , , , , , etc.
• , , , etc.
• , etc.
• , etc.
• , , etc.

The suffixal head is usually preaccenting, but the modifier, which would be a mountain's actual name, may also bear accent:

• , , , , etc.
• , , etc.

The suffixal head is usually preaccenting, but sometimes also initial-accented after :

• , , , , , , etc.
• , , , , , , , , etc.
• But:
  • , , , ,

Long heads

If the head is originally unaccented, or final- or initial-accented, or medially penultimate-accented with a special final mora, its first syllable tend to be accented in the compound:

• Originally unaccented long heads:
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• Originally final-accented long heads:
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• Originally medially penultimate-accented long heads with a special final mora:
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• Originally initial-accented long heads:
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Other originally medial-accented long heads tend to retain their accent:

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Some penultimate-accented long heads retain their accent despite ending in a special mora:

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Some exceptional long heads

Some heads become, or used to used to become, final-accented in long compounds. They have been regularized by later generations of speakers (the dagger Template:Dag marks obsolete or obsolescent accent):

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Some bimoraic Sino-Japanese heads are deaccenting when combining with short modifiers. When they combine with long modifiers, however, they tend to be preaccenting or regularly initial-accented instead:

Head	Deaccenting with a short modifier	Preaccenting or regularly initial-accented with a long modifier	Exceptions
	, , , etc. ,	, , , etc. , , , , etc. , etc.
	, , , , , ,	, , ,
	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.	, , , , , etc. , , , , , , , , , , etc.	, , , , , , ,
	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,	, , , , , , etc. , , , , , , etc. , , , , , , , , , etc.	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

is preaccenting in several compounds:

• , , , , , ,
• But: ,

Ambiguous boundaries

In some cases, the boundary between the modifier and head is difficult to parse, or can be parsed in two ways without altering the resulting accentuation:

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Non-compoundified compounds

The above compounds can be termed , the , or . Accentually, they are single words and exist in single minor phrases; the original accent of the components does not surface. These are not the only type of compound; there exist compounds whose components are loosely connected as separable minor phrases; these can be termed , the , or . The following are examples where the same heads result in different types of compound nouns:

Head	Compoundified	Non-compoundified

A few proverbial examples with compoundified and non-compoundified variants:

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In some cases, the compoundified accent has a more static meaning, while the non-compoundified accent has a more dynamic meaning:

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  • : 'a state in which the population's declining'
  • : 'a dynamic decline in population'
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  • : 'a state in which power's being concentrated'
  • : 'a dynamic concentration of power'

And there are cases in which the compoundified accent is more limited in use. In the following example, the compoundified accent only applies to traffic stops, while the non-compoundified accent can be used more generally:

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Compounds with long-compound-derived heads

A long compound can become a head for an even longer compound which is still compoundified as a single accentual word. The long-compound-derived head simply retains its own original accent:

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Non-compoundified compounds need correct placement of minor breaks for the intended meanings:

• : (it is "the regional observatory in Osaka," not "the observatory in the Osaka region")
• : (it is "the headquarters in the third region," not "the third regional headquarters" as the English translation suggests)

Verb-derived nouns

Nouns derived from the of simplex verbs tend to be either accented or unaccented accordingly to the original verbs' accent; however, while verbal infinitives are minimally penultimate-accented, their derived nouns tend to be final-accented.

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In some cases, the final mora may be considered special, so the penultimate mora is accented instead, making the nouns sound identical to the infinitives.

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Some quadrimoraic nouns can alternatively be penultimate-accented or, among younger speakers, unaccented, despite the original infinitives.

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Some nouns have strayed semantically from their original verbs and become irregular.

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Short verbal-infinitive–verbal-infinitive compounds

Nouns derived from two short verbal infinitives tend to be unaccented, regardless of the original verbs' accent.

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Short noun–verbal-infinitive compounds

These compound nouns are formed with a short noun and a short verbal infinitive.

If the compound is trimoraic:

• If the noun is originally unaccented, the compound tends to be unaccented as well:
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• If the noun is originally accented, the compound tends to be final-accented:
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If the compound is quadrimoraic:

• If the noun is originally unaccented, the compound tends to be unaccented, or sometimes final- or penultimate-accented:
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• If the noun is originally final-accented, the compound tends to be final- or penultimate-accented:
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• If the noun is originally initial-accented, the compound tends to be antepenultimate- or penultimate-accented:
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Long noun–verbal-infinitive compounds

Either the noun or the verbal infinitive can be long in these compounds.

If the infinitive is short:

• If the noun functions as an adverbial to the infinitive, the compound tends to be unaccented, and rendaku often applies:
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    • But: :
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    • But: :
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• If the noun functions as a direct object to the infinitive, the compound tends to be accented on the noun's last mora, and rendaku does not often apply:
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If the infintive is long, it tends to become initial-accented with rendaku in the compound. This coincides with the rules for modifier–long-head compounds as shown above; as previously mentioned, verbal-infinitive-derived nouns tend to be either unaccented or final-accented, which means that the infinitive/noun in this case tends to become initial-accented. However, not all infinitives have derived nouns; in the following, infinitive-derived nouns are not parenthesized, while mere infinitives are:

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Simplex-verbal-infinitive–short-noun compounds

These compound nouns are formed with a simplex verbal infinitive and a short noun.

If the infinitive is originally unaccented, the compound tends to be unaccented as well:

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If the infinitive is originally accented, its last mora tends to become the compound's nucleus:

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Adjective-derived nouns

Nouns derived from unaccented adjectival infinitives tend to be final-accented, while those from accented ones keep the original accent:

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The accent of nouns derived from classical Japanese imperfect correlates to their own mora counts: final-accented if bimoraic, unaccented if trimoraic.

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Bimoraic nouns that are also adjectival stems are initial-accented: , , , , , , , etc.

Short adjectival-stem–adjectival-stem compounds

These compounds, which consist of two short adjectival , tend to be unaccented: , , , etc.

Noun–adjectival-stem compounds

Compounds with a short noun/verbal infinitive and an adjectival stem tend to be unaccented:

• Short adjectival stems: , , , , , , , , etc.
• Long adjectival stems: , , etc.

Short adjectival-stem–noun compounds

While these compounds consist of a short adjectival stem and a short noun, their accent actually correlates with the imperfect attributive realization of the stem. As noted above, when stems become nouns, they tend to be uniformly accented; their corresponding attributives, however, can be either unaccented or accented.

If the attributive is originally unaccented, the compound tends to be unaccented:

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If the attributive is originally accented, the tri- or quadrimoraic compound tends to be accented on the stem's last mora. The quadrimoraic compound can also be unaccented:

• Trimoraic:
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• Quadrimoraic:
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Short adjectival-stem–verbal-infinitive and long verbal-infinitive−adjectival-stem compounds

These compounds tend to be unaccented:

• Short adjectival-stem–verbal-infinitive: , , , , , , (太巻き; 'thick rolling'), etc.
• Long verbal-infinitive−adjectival-stem: , (気乗り薄; 'unenthusiastic'), etc.

Dvandva compound nouns

Unlike modifier–head compounds whose components are connected by attribution, the components of dvandvas are connected by coordination. Dvandvas generally block rendaku.

Double dvandvas

The accent of a double dvandva tends to correlate with its first component. If the first component is originally unaccented, the compound tends to be (verbal infinitives, as well as verbal and adjectival forms with no derived nouns, are parenthesized):

• Unaccented:
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• Accented on the first component's last mora, especially if both components are originally verbal infinitives:
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If the first component is originally accented, it tends to keep that accent:

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• Originally final-accented first component:
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  • But: :
• Originally initial-accented first component:
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• Long dvandvas are more likely to behave as though they were modifier–head compounds:
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• Dvandvas of two verbs or adjectives, or a verb and an adjective, can also be accented on the first component's last mora:
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  • But:
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Short Sino-Japanese dvandvas are generally initial-accented. Some of them work like the compounds with originally initial-accented first components listed above, but others only contain bound morphemes with no accent to speak of.

• With bound morphemes:
  • , , , , , , etc.
  • But: , , , , etc.
• With free morphemes:
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Dvandvas of western loanwords behave like modifier–head compounds:

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Triple or longer dvandvas

Triple or longer dvandvas, especially quinquemoraic or longer ones, tend to be follow the antepenultimate rule:

• , etc.
• , , etc.
• , etc.
• , etc.

Some quadrimoraic or shorter dvandvas are unaccented: , , , , etc.

Some dvandvas are non-compoundified or determined by the first component:

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Recent loanwords

Most conform to the antepenultimate rule, and if they are trimoraic or shorter, they tend to be initial-accented:

• , , , , , , , , , , etc.
• , , etc.
• , , , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.
• , , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.
• , , , etc.

Some words retain their accent locations in English, especially if they are tri- or quadrimoraic, and/or end in or , and/or have been freshly borrowed. These words reflect the awareness of English accent among Japanese speakers, but it is not known why only some words but not others behave this way. In some cases where there are more than one acceptable pattern, the one based on the antepenultimate rule tends to be more common among older speakers, while the one based on the original English accent more common among younger speakers.

• Japan →
• machine →
• onion →
• champion →
• accordion →
• production →
• fry / fly →
• poster →
• helicopter →
• instructor →
• ski →
• free →
• calorie →
• comedy →
• symphony →
• majority →
• vitality →
• technology →
• taboo →
• blue →
• review →
• interview →
• grey →
• challenge →
• message →
• Cambridge →
• garlic →
• living →
• cycling →
• stocking →
• dressing →
• pickles →
• business →
• guidance →
• licence →
• cocktail →
• capsule →
• terminal →
• tropical →
• text →
• unit →
• accent →
• present →
• project →
• assessment →
• consultant →
• England →

Some old or high-frequency words, especially quadrimoraic ones, are unaccented. The deaccentuation of high-frequency recent loanwords has been dubbed "specialist accent" (専門家アクセント, senmonka akusento):

• , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , etc.
• , , , , , , , , etc.

Compounds with recent-loanword heads

Recent loanwords generally behave like long heads in modifier–head compounds:

• Originally unaccented heads:
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• Originally initial-accented heads:
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• Originally medial-accented heads:
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Bimoraic heads with a special final mora may behave like preaccenting short heads instead:

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Old or high-frequency borrowings may be unaccented:

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Quadrimoraic or shorter compounds with non-loanword modifiers may be unaccented:

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Some compounds retain the original the original English accent, especially by those familiar with English, or if the compound is quadrimoraic or shorter:

• necktie →
• one-man →
• pen pal →
• guardsman →
• salesman →
• hitchhike →
• earring →

Initialisms may be:

• Unaccented:
  • SF →
  • LL →
• Penultimate-accented if the last mora is lengthening or offglide, which happens to be the same location for the primary accent in English:
  • OB →
  • CD →
  • cc →
  • PTA →
  • YMCA →
  • GI →
• Also: ppm →

Noun + particle

Particles following nouns can be classified into the following groups (asterisked particles belong to more than one group):

• Special: no / n
• Recessive and preaccenting (RecPre): shika*
• Recessive and unaccented (Rec0): ka, ga, sa, de, to / to shite / tte, ni, , e, mo, ya, yo, o, kara, kiri, shika*, dake*, hodo
• Recessive and final-accented (Rec−1): ne, ka na (doubt) / ka ne, yue*
• Recessive and initial-accented (Rec+1): ka i / ka na (exclamation) / ka mo, koso, sae, shika*, shimo, sura, da to / da no / da tte, / de mo, to ka / to te / / to mo, nado / na no de / na no ni / na n ka / na n te, nara(ba), nari, / ni mo, nē, nomi, / e mo, made, yara, yue*, yori / yori ka / yori mo, kashira, kurai* / gurai*, dokoro*, bakari*
• Dominant and initial-accented (Dom+1): gatera, kurai* / gurai*, dokoro*, bakari*
• Dominant and deaccenting (DomDe): dake*

Noun type				Special	RecPre	Rec0	Rec−1	Rec+1	Dom+1	DomDe
Unaccented
Final-accented
	Medially penultimate-accented with a special final mora
Medial-accented
Initial-accented

No

As shown above, the particle no, as well as its reduced variant n, can deaccent many final-accented nouns, as well as some medially penultimate-accented nouns whose last mora is special. It is not conclusive how many medially penultimate-accented nouns no can deaccent, although it has been suggested that deaccentable nouns are not as common as undeaccentable ones.

The following list includes sample nouns that do not get deaccented:

• Nouns that express numerical quantity or order:
  • , , , , , etc.
  • , , , , etc.
• Province names: , , , , , etc.
• Art names: , , etc.
• Nouns that become final-accented due to rightward shifts away from devoiced vowels:
  • , , , , , etc.
  • , , etc.
• Exceptions of medially penultimate-accented nouns with a special final mora:
  • : , , , , etc.
    • Nouns that become medially penultimate-accented due to rightward shifts away from devoiced vowels: , , , etc.
  • : , , , , etc.
  • : , , etc.
  • : , etc.
• Other exceptions: , , etc.

In order for deaccentuation to be realized, the noun phrase before no must be in the same minor phrase as the noun phrase after it. If there is a break between the noun phrases, deaccentuation is blocked:

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If there is no noun phrase after no as a result of ellipsis, deaccentuation does not obtain:

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→ :

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→ :

But the elliptical phrase can still be deaccented before the particle ne ('right?'):

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Deaccentuation is also blocked by an attributive expression that directly modifies the final-accented noun. If the noun belongs to a larger phrase, however, deaccentuation applies as normal:

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Here is a non-exhaustive list of irregularly accented idiomatic and collocational compounds with no, with:

• No expected deaccentuation of the pre-no noun:
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• Unexpected deaccentuation of the pre-no noun:
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• Unexpected accent patterns for the whole compounds:
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Noun + auxiliary

Auxiliaries following nouns can be classified into the following groups:

• Recessive and unaccented (Rec0): da
• Recessive and initial-accented (Rec+1): na no (da) / na n da, mitai (da)
• Recessive and penultimate-accented (Rec−2):
  • Modern: darō, desu / deshō, rashī ("seems like")
  • Classical: nari, rashi
• Dominant and penultimate-accented (Dom−2): rashī ("is typical of")
• Recessive or dominant, antepenultimate-accented, classical: gotoshi

Noun type			Rec0	Rec+1	Rec−2	Dom−2	gotoshi
Unaccented
Final-accented
Medial-accented
Initial-accented

Rashī

The adjectival suffix rashī has one accent type but two different behavior types depending on meaning:

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Hi, ue, shita, uchi, hito and tokoro

The unaccented nouns , , , , and become final-accented when they follow a non-compoundifying attributive and precede a recessive and unaccented particle (wa, ga, ni, de, etc) or a copula (de aru → da, de arimasu → desu). If that attributive is accented, the noun and the particle or copula can break away into their own separate minor phrase.

• Unaccented modifier:
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• Accented modifier:
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Clippings

Clipped simplexes

Trimoraic or shorter clippings tend to be initial-accented:

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Most quadrimoraic clippings are unaccented recent loanwords:

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Clipped compounds

Bimoraic clippings, trimoraic Sino-Japanese clippings, and new recent-loanword clippings tend to be initial-accented:

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Compound-derived clippings with tend to be unaccented:

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Quadrimoraic clippings tend to be unaccented:

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Quinquemoraic or longer clippings tend to be antepenultimate-accented:

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Non-common nouns

Main article: Japanese pitch accent rules (non-common nouns)

Numerals and counters

Main article: Japanese pitch accent rules (numerals and counters)

Verbs and adjectives

Main article: Japanese pitch accent rules (verbs and adjectives)

Affixes

Main article: Japanese pitch accent rules (affixes)

Bibliography

• Hayata, Teruhiro (28 February 1986). "The prosodic unit of Japanese, especially on the bearer of accent" アクセントの単位―特にその担い手について (PDF). Studies in Literature (in 日本語). Faculty of Literature, Kyushu University. 83: 115–147. doi:10.15017/2332627.

External links

• Online Japanese Accent Dictionary

This article "Japanese pitch accent rules" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Japanese pitch accent rules. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

📰 Article(s) of the same category(ies)

• Japanese pitch accent rules (verbs and adjectives)
• Japanese pitch accent rules (non-common nouns)
• Japanese pitch accent rules (numerals and counters)
• Japanese pitch accent rules (affixes)

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