Narration and voiceover
Scripts heavy with kanji, the use our note points at. Readings come from context; tag the rare ones with Pronounce as.
Sakura, a Japanese voice with a clean reading of kanji and kana
Our note on Sakura is about accuracy: a clean reading of kanji and kana. Two recipes we kept start from her, both with Delaney, so her readings carry through a husky timbre or a lighter one.
JapaneseFemaleSynced captionsStandard voice
Hear it
Three samples, three registers
- Listen for the readings on 港 and 目, the kind of kanji our note says she gets clean.
- Listen for 三時間 in the middle of the hook, a number read the Japanese way rather than as digits.
- Listen for the break between the two sentences; the caption cue is cut at that pause.
About this voice
Clean readings, and what that buys
Kanji scripts live on their readings, and our note points her there: a clean reading of kanji and kana. Wrap a rare word in the Pronounce as tag and type the kana, and she follows it while the kanji stays on screen.
Our note, clean reading of kanji and kana, is about readings. It is why both Japanese recipes we kept start from her: the second voice changes the timbre while her readings stay put.
Length the engine likes. The published guidance puts the sweet spot at roughly 100 to 200 tokens, a few sentences per line.
Where we would use it
Narration where readings matter, and blends that keep them
Mixed Japanese and English
Product names in Latin letters are read in place by her, with a Japanese accent.
The base of two kept recipes
Husky Japanese and its lighter version both start from her. Try them before building your own.
Blends
Two kept recipes with Delaney, one dial between them
The Delaney card covers two recipes we listened to and kept; the others are pairings to try. Sakura reads every character in each.
DelaneyEnglish (US)
With Delaney
Husky Japanese at 80 percent Delaney, and a lighter version at an even split that keeps her clean kana, by our note.
80% or 50% Delaney
MayaEnglish (US)
With Maya
A pairing to try. Maya is warm and even by our note; listen for how 60 percent of her carries across languages behind Sakura.
60% Maya
YukikoJapanese
With Yukiko
A pairing to try, two Japanese voices: Yukiko is our story-excerpt voice by our note.
50% Yukiko
TakeshiJapanese
With Takeshi
A pairing to try with our Japanese male voice; our note gives him a slower cadence.
50% Takeshi
Recipes we kept with Sakura
Husky Japanese
Japanese reading, mostly husky timbre.
Sakura 20% + Delaney 80%
Husky Japanese · lighter
Even split, keeping Sakura's clean kana.
Sakura 50% + Delaney 50%
Blend Sakura with any second voice
A fixed sample at this mix, rendered once and cached. No credits used.
A cross-language blend: Sakura keeps the pronunciation, the second voice only lends its timbre.
Every blend works the same way: the first voice sets the pronunciation and pacing, the second voice lends only its timbre, and you choose the ratio between 10 and 90 percent. See the three steps on the voice library page
At a glance
Sakura in short
| Language | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Voice | Female |
| Captions | Synced captions |
| Cost | Up to 10 minutes of audio per credit |
| Formats | MP3, plus WAV on paid plans |
| Commercial use | Included on every plan |
| Preview | Free, no sign-up |
FAQ
Questions about Sakura
What is Sakura best at?
Accuracy, by our note: a clean reading of kanji and kana. It is why both Japanese recipes we kept start from her, with Delaney behind her.
What happens to English words in a Japanese script?
Read in place by Sakura with a Japanese accent, the way a presenter would say a product name, so nothing is skipped.
How do I correct a kanji reading?
Wrap the word in the Pronounce as tag and type the kana. The kanji stays on screen and in the subtitles; only the voice follows the kana.
How are Sakura's subtitles timed?
From her read: every cue sits on a real pause she makes, with lines of up to 16 characters, so each sentence lands on screen as she reaches it.
Similar voices
Other Japanese voices to compare
Generate with Sakura
Paste a script, keep Sakura or blend a second voice, and download the MP3 with subtitles.