all for Japanese speakers — pronunciation and common errors

Pronunciation

The Japanese vowel system lacks a direct equivalent to the open-mid back rounded vowel /ɔː/. Speakers typically substitute the mid-back vowel /o/, and since Japanese phonology prohibits terminal /l/ without a following vowel, it is realized as the moraic syllable /ɾɯ/, resulting in the pronunciation /oːɾɯ/ (オール).

Grammar

Japanese marks plurality through context rather than noun morphology, which leads to the omission of plural suffixes in 'all + [noun]' structures. Consequently, learners may produce 'all student' instead of 'all students' due to the lack of an equivalent to the English number agreement system.

Collocations

Japanese uses the quantifier 'zenbu' (全部) or 'subete' (全て) adverbially or with the particle 'no', often resulting in the over-application of 'all of' in contexts where a simple determiner is required, or placing 'all' incorrectly after the noun to mirror Japanese syntax.

Examples

• All the lights are on in the house.
• She spent all her money on a new coat for the winter.