Japanese 'L' Sound Explained

Have you ever wondered what the letter “L” looks like in Japanese? Generally, this letter is represented by the hiragana family of “ル”. Contrary to what some may think, the Japanese language does not natively have the letter “L”, so they replace the L with “R”.

In other words, that unfunny joke that Brazilians often make with Asians about “chicken pastel” only works with Chinese people. The Chinese who cannot pronounce “R”, while native Japanese would say “PASUTERU DE FURANGO”.

In the Japanese alphabet, there is no letter that corresponds to the “L” sound. This happens because Japanese, which uses the writing systems of hiragana, katakana, and kanji, does not have a sound that exactly represents “L”.

To adapt foreign words that contain “L”, the Japanese generally substitute this sound with “R”, which is the closest sound available in the Japanese language.

In this article, we will examine how the “L” sound is integrated into Japanese, the phonetic adaptation, examples of modified foreign terms, and other curiosities related to the language.

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The Letter “L” in Japanese

In Japanese, it is not just the katakana “ル” that is used to represent the “L” sound in foreign words; the entire kana family of the “R” line (ラ行) is used for this adaptation. The Japanese syllabary is composed of syllables, not isolated sounds like in some other languages. This means that each kana represents a combination of consonant + vowel, and not just a single consonantal sound.

For example, to adapt foreign words with the “L” sound, the Japanese use kana such as “ラ” (ra), “リ” (ri), “ル” (ru), “レ” (re), and “ロ” (ro), replacing “L” with “R”. This adaptation is necessary because Japanese does not have isolated sounds equivalent to “L”, and the syllabic structure of the language requires that these sounds be integrated within the existing phonetic rules. Therefore, a word like “Light” becomes “ライト” (Raito), using the “ラ行” to imitate the “L” sound.

Converting “L” to “R”

Generally, the transformation of syllables with “L” in Japanese works as follows:

LA > RA (ラ)
LI > RI (リ)
LU > RU (ル)
LE > RE (レ)
LO > RO (ロ)
L > RU (ル)

The Pronunciation of “L” or “R” in Japanese

The pronunciation of the Japanese “R” is an intermediate sound between “L” and “R”. It is produced with the tongue lightly touching the roof of the mouth, near the front teeth, similar to the sound of “d” or “l” slightly rolled.

This pronunciation is softer and less vibrant than the Portuguese “R”. For example, in words like “ラーメン” (Rāmen), the pronunciation of “ラ” is something between “ra” and “la”, which may sound different to speakers of languages that clearly distinguish between the “R” and “L” sounds.

Words with “L” in Japanese

The best way to understand the letter “L” in Japanese is through examples of foreign words that are written with “L”. Let’s see how these words have been adapted to Japanese writing:

エレベーター (Erebētā) – Elevator
コントロール (Kontorōru) – Control
バレーボール (Barēbōru) – Volleyball
フィルム (Firumu) – Film
ゴール (Gōru) – Goal
パネル (Paneru) – Panel
オリジナル (Orijinaru) – Original
エレクトリック (Erekutorikku) – Electric
ガール (Gāru) – Girl
ラベル (Raberu) – Label
メタル (Metaru) – Metal
モジュール (Mojūru) – Module

Most of the words above were derived from English, note that the letter “L” was replaced by the katakana “ル”.

Ball in Japanese is ボール (Ball)

Japanese Names with L

Another way to understand how to adapt the letter “L” to Japanese is through the adaptations of names, let’s see some foreign names with “L” written in Japanese:

レオナルド (Reonarudo) – Leonardo
エリザベス (Erizabesu) – Elizabeth
アレックス (Arekkusu) – Alex
ルーカス (Rūkasu) – Lucas
ミカエラ (Mikaera) – Michaela
カルロス (Karurosu) – Carlos
アリス (Arisu) – Alice
オリバー (Oribā) – Oliver
ラウラ (Raura) – Laura
ダニエル (Danieru) – Daniel
ローレンス (Rōrensu) – Lawrence
サミュエル (Samyueru) – Samuel
ヘレン (Heren) – Helen
ローラ (Rōra) – Lola
ガブリエル (Gaburieru) – Gabriel

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no letter “L” in Japanese?

In the Japanese writing system, there is no letter equivalent to “L” because the Japanese language uses syllables instead of isolated letters. The sound closest to “L” in Japanese is represented by the syllable ‘ra’, which can vary in pronunciation between ‘r’ and ‘l’ depending on the context.

Is it difficult for Japanese people to learn to pronounce “L”?

Yes, many Japanese people find it difficult to pronounce “L”, especially because the sound is not part of the Japanese phonetic system. Since the ‘L’ sound does not exist in their native language, many Japanese substitute ‘L’ with ‘R’ when speaking foreign words.

Are there other letters that also do not exist in Japanese?

Yes, in addition to “L”, other sounds like ‘V’ and ‘F’ also do not have direct equivalents in Japanese. For example, the ‘V’ sound is generally replaced by ‘B’, and the ‘F’ sound can be adapted to a sound close to ‘fu’.

How do Japanese people learn foreign words with “L”?

Japanese children generally learn to deal with foreign words that have “L” through practice and continuous exposure to the foreign language, especially English. In schools, teachers teach the difference between ‘L’ and ‘R’ using examples and pronunciation activities, although the distinction remains a challenge for many.

Is it common to see foreign words in daily Japanese life?

Yes, it is very common to see foreign words, especially from English, in daily Japanese life. These words are often adapted to the Japanese phonetic system and used in modern contexts, from technology to fashion and food.

I hope this article has answered all your questions regarding the letter “L” in Japanese! If you liked it, don’t forget to share and check out our Japanese course at Suki Desu.

The letter “L” in Japanese? It doesn’t exist?