Is English Harder Than Japanese?

If you’ve ever wondered whether English is harder to learn than Japanese, you’re not alone. The answer? It depends on your native language and learning background.

For native Japanese speakers, learning English comes with a completely different alphabet, tricky pronunciation, and an unfamiliar sentence structure. On the other hand, for native English speakers, Japanese can be overwhelming because of Kanji, multiple writing systems, and honorific speech levels.

AmazingTalker (英会話 個人レッスン) offers personalized English lessons with native English teachers who understand the challenges Japanese learners face.

So, which one is truly harder? Let’s break it down.

The Challenges of Learning English for Japanese Speakers

For a Japanese speaker, learning English can feel like stepping into an entirely new world. The two languages share almost no similarities, making English one of the most difficult languages for Japanese learners.

1. The Alphabet & Spelling Nightmare

Japanese has three writing systems—Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. None of them use the Latin alphabet. This makes learning English letters, pronunciation, and spelling a huge challenge for Japanese learners.

• No Silent Letters in Japanese: In Japanese, words are pronounced exactly as they are written. But in English? Words like “knife,” “thought,” and “colonel” make no sense to a Japanese learner.
• Spelling Rules Are Inconsistent: “Receive” but “believe”? The spelling rules in English often contradict each other.

Japanese learners must memorize thousands of English words while also dealing with confusing pronunciation rules.

2. English Has Too Many Sounds

English has around 44 phonemes (individual sounds), while Japanese only has about 15 vowel and consonant sounds combined.

This means Japanese speakers struggle with certain English sounds that don’t exist in their language, like:

• L vs. R (e.g., “light” vs. “right”)
• Th sounds (e.g., “this” vs. “dis”)
• V sounds (e.g., “very” vs. “berry”)

Because Japanese syllables are mostly CV (consonant + vowel) patterns, English’s consonant clusters are also difficult. Words like “strength” or “crisps” are nearly impossible for new learners.

3. Grammar Differences Are Extreme

English and Japanese follow completely different grammatical structures.

• Sentence Order Is Opposite:
  • English: I ate sushi yesterday.
  • Japanese: 昨日寿司を食べました。(Yesterday sushi ate.)
• No Articles in Japanese: The words “a,” “an,” and “the” do not exist in Japanese, making it confusing to use them properly in English.
• Verb Tenses Are Simpler in Japanese:
  • English has past perfect, future progressive, and conditional tenses.
  • Japanese relies more on context, using just a few verb tenses instead.

All of this makes English grammar incredibly difficult for native Japanese speakers.

4. Cultural Barriers in Communication

Japanese communication relies heavily on context and indirect speech. In contrast, English speakers value directness and clarity.

For example, in Japan, saying “Maybe it’s difficult” could mean “No, I won’t do it.” But in English, “maybe” actually means there’s still a possibility. This difference often leads to misunderstandings in professional and social settings.

Why Japanese Is Hard for English Speakers

While English is tough for Japanese learners, the struggle goes both ways. For an English speaker, Japanese is one of the hardest languages to master.

1. The Writing System Is Insanely Complex

English has just 26 letters in the alphabet. Japanese? Over 2,000 Kanji characters, plus Hiragana and Katakana.

• Kanji: Some characters have multiple readings depending on the context. For example, the Kanji 生 can be read as sei, shou, nama, ikiru, umareru, and more.
• Multiple Scripts: English learners must master Hiragana (for native words), Katakana (for foreign words), and Kanji (for complex vocabulary).

It takes years of study to read and write fluently in Japanese, making it much harder for English speakers compared to learning an alphabet-based language like Spanish or French.

2. Japanese Has No Spaces Between Words

Imagine reading a sentence with no spaces between words. That’s what Japanese writing looks like. Beginners often struggle with figuring out where one word ends and the next begins.

3. Honorifics and Formal Speech Levels Are Complicated

English has formal and informal tones, but Japanese takes politeness to another level.

• Casual (友達と話す – Talking to friends)
• Polite (先生に話す – Talking to a teacher)
• Business Formal (職場で話す – Talking at work)
• Super Honorific (社長と話す – Talking to a company CEO)

Each level requires different vocabulary and verb conjugations, making it a huge challenge for English speakers to use Japanese naturally in professional settings.

4. Japanese Has No Plurals, Genders, or Articles

Japanese learners don’t have to deal with “a” vs. “the” or “he” vs. “she”, but this also makes learning English more confusing for them.

For example:

• “I saw a deer” vs. “I saw deer” (Singular vs. plural)
• “He went to the store” vs. “She went to the store” (Gendered pronouns)

English speakers, on the other hand, struggle with how Japanese doesn’t specify these details, relying instead on context and implication.

Which Language Is Harder?

It depends on who’s learning it.

• For Japanese speakers, English is harder because of pronunciation, spelling, and grammar differences.
• For English speakers, Japanese is harder because of the writing system, honorifics, and sentence structure.

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI):

• English speakers need 2,200 hours to reach proficiency in Japanese.
• Japanese speakers need 1,500 hours to reach proficiency in English.

That means English is slightly easier for Japanese learners than Japanese is for English speakers—but both are among the hardest languages to learn.

Final Thoughts

Is English harder than Japanese? It depends on where you start.

• If you’re a native Japanese speaker, English feels harder because of pronunciation, spelling, and grammar.
• If you’re a native English speaker, Japanese feels harder because of Kanji, sentence structure, and honorifics.

But here’s the good news: With the right approach, anyone can learn either language.

If you’re a Japanese speaker looking to improve your English, one-on-one lessons with a professional tutor can make the process easier and faster. Platforms like AmazingTalker connect learners with experienced English teachers (英語 家庭教師) who can help with fluency, pronunciation, and confidence.

So, what do you think? Which language do you find harder? Let us know in the comments!