Pronunciation of は
“We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dear-bought experience.” – George Washington
Let’s get right to it, prepare for your mind to be blown. The pronunciation of は isn’t how you’d think.
Normally, は is pronounced “ha.” When は is a particle, though (we’ll go over how to figure out if the は is indeed a particle or not), it’s pronounced like “wa.”
a When pronouncing the particle は, it is pronounced わ (wa)
Seriously, just as you were getting your hiragana down, why would the Japanese language do this to you? Sadly for you, this is one of many crazy nonsensical surprises that the Japanese language will throw at you (don’t worry, at least it’s not as messed up as English!).
You might want to take a note of this. When used as a particle, は is pronounced “wa,” not “ha.” By finishing this page, you’ve learned how to pronounce the particle は! Now let’s learn what a particle is, and how to use it.