pronouncing 'yen'

English as a Second Language Listening, speaking, pronunciation and accent
1

Hi,

I have a question on pronouncing ‘yen’, the Japanese currency.

Japanese people actually pronounce it like [en], without y[j] sound. So, is it okay pronounce it as [en] when you speak English? I’m just curious.

Thank you in advance,
sweetpumpkin

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I suspect it wouldn’t be widely and immediately understood if you were speaking to someone living in a Western country. If you were conversing in English with someone from Japan, then I imagine they would understand immediately.
I guess the answer is ‘it depends who you are speaking to’.

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Thank you for your attention, Beeesneees.

If someone says to you(as a person living in a Western country) that “You can pay with Japanese en(I mean, yen)”, then I think you can understand immediately. What do you think?

I think [en] sounds a bit weird to those from Western countries but I cannot say it is wrong because it is originally pronounced that way in Japan.

Thank you in advance,
sweetpumkin

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It’s all about understanding and making it clear for the listener.

5

‘Yen’ must be pronounced /jen/ in English.

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Wow, I’m surprised to get a reply to my question five years later! Actually I forgot what I asked… It’s somewhat pleasing. Thank you for your answer.

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