Allophones are variations of phonemes that maintain the same word meaning. Phonemes are discrete sounds that distinguish words in a language. Mind stores phonemes in categories, but not all sounds are identical
Word stress is the emphasis on certain syllables in English pronunciation. A syllable contains one vowel sound and can vary from one to twelve syllables. Native speakers stress syllables with longer vowels, higher pitch, and clearer pronunciation
Connected speech is continuous spoken language with words merging together. It differs from clear pronunciation by reducing, contracting, and merging words. It's considered advanced language learning topic, not suitable for beginners
Japanese verbs come in three main types: godan, ichidan, and irregular. Godan verbs end in う-line characters and change through five vowel sounds. Ichidan verbs end in る-line characters and remain on single hiragana line. Irregular verbs include する (do) and 来る (come)
Assimilation occurs when sounds become similar to surrounding ones. Helps ease pronunciation, especially in fast speech. Example: /handbag/ becomes /hæmbæg/ due to /d/ and /b/ sounds
Possession is marked with -nın/-nin/-nun/-nün ending for owner. Consonant-ending owners drop first "n" to -ın/-in/-un/-ün. Compound nouns use -sı/-si/-su/-sü ending. First person pronouns "ben" and "biz" use -im ending