Pronounce Japanese Without Guessing - Level N5.2 (Paperback)

Take the Next Step in Japanese—Without Guessing

つぎの いっぽ: Pronounce Japanese Without Guessing — Level N5.2 picks up where Book 1a ends and carries you through the second half of the JLPT N5 foundation.

Read complete Japanese with easy English pronunciation shown directly above each word or phrase, then check the meaning, reread in clean Japanese, review key vocabulary, and practice aloud. No IPA. No theory. No audio. No guessing.

Same method. New words. One big new step.

What You Will Learn

Book 1b focuses on practical daily life in Japan and introduces a major new step: talking about the past.

• Body parts and simple health
• Clothing and getting dressed
• Places in town and asking the way
• Trains, buses, tickets, and stops
• Months, dates, birthdays, and seasons
• Ages and numbers up to 100
• Hobbies, restaurants, and phone calls
• Past tense with ～ました and ～でした

By the end, you will have practiced approximately 195+ Japanese words and phrases. Together with Book 1a, this completes a full N5 foundation of roughly 400+ words and phrases.

Read Japanese Aloud from Day One

You do not need to master hiragana or katakana before starting. Pronunciation is shown in easy English letters, so you can look, speak, and keep moving.

ありがとうございます
ah-ree-gah-tohh goh-zah-ee-mahs

でんしゃに のります。
dehn-shah nee noh-ree-mahs.

きのう ラーメンを たべました。
kee-nohh rahh-mehn oh tah-beh-mahsh-tah.

Key features remain visible and simple: long vowels, the little っ, particles such as は, へ, and を, and natural forms such as dehs, mahs, and mahsh-tah.

How Every Chapter Works

1. Read with Pronunciation and Meaning

Read each paragraph first with easy English pronunciation, then with English meanings directly below it. Key vocabulary is highlighted.

2. Read Clean Japanese

Reread the same story without pronunciation or English support. The Japanese is gently spaced for easier reading.

3. Review Key Vocabulary

Study important story words with concise pronunciation and meanings.

4. Practice with Focused Exercises

Each chapter includes comprehension, writing the pronunciation, and reading aloud without support. Extra drills practice long and short vowels, the little っ, and tricky particles.

The Big New Step: Talking About the Past

In Book 1a, most sentences happen in the present. Here you begin reading and saying what happened yesterday.

たべます tah-beh-mahs → たべました tah-beh-mahsh-tah
いきます ee-kee-mahs → いきました ee-kee-mahsh-tah
です dehs → でした deh-shtah

No long grammar lecture is needed. The book shows how words are pronounced and gives repeated practice in context.

Built for Real Beginners

Best for learners who finished Book 1a or know basic greetings, introductions, numbers to ten, です／ます sentences, and questions with か.

• Learn through reading and visual support
• Build confidence speaking Japanese aloud
• Prepare for the JLPT N5, the J-Test, travel, or everyday communication
• Prefer practical pronunciation over perfection

Book 1b is written entirely in hiragana and katakana—no kanji. Kanji begins in Book 2a at the N4 level.

Read aloud. Keep going. Do not wait for perfection.
Consistent practice builds the confidence and rhythm needed to keep progressing.

Ready for the Next Step?

じゅんびは いいですか。
joon-bee wah eeh dehs kah.

Turn the page, speak out loud, and take your next step in Japanese.

がんばって、たのしんで ください！
Do your best—and enjoy learning!