Quote:
Originally Posted by maintenance
I could be way off, I don't remember!
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You remember quite well. Elongations are more important than some of the Japanese learners I've encountered seem to think. They can
change the meanings of many words completely if not used properly.
音（おと） = short お + short と = a sound
嘔吐（おうと） = elongated お + short と = vomiting
応答（おうとう） = elongated お + elongated と = a response, a reply
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Many English-speaking Japanese-learners mispronounce おう. They use the long vowel in a word like "poke" and "joke". They should learn that elongated Japanese vowels have NOTHING to do with long vowels in English. おう is an elongated お, not a combination of お and う.