The difference between ず and づ?

[Mordahl]

Hi guys,

There is something I have been encountering for a while that I just can't figure out. When reading anything with furigana I occasionally see ZU written as づ instead of ず.
Unfortunately the only example I can remember off the top of my head is the reading of the name おにづか （鬼塚）from GTO.
I know that 塚 is normally つか　is this the reason?

Any help with this would be most appreciated.
I am a beginner but I can read Kana, so please feel free to use it in your responses where possible. :-)
　

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Mordahl

Hi guys,

There is something I have been encountering for a while that I just can't figure out. When reading anything with furigana I occasionally see ZU written as づ instead of ず.
Unfortunately the only example I can remember off the top of my head is the reading of the name おにづか （鬼塚）from GTO.
I know that 塚 is normally つか　is this the reason?

Any help with this would be most appreciated.
I am a beginner but I can read Kana, so please feel free to use it in your responses where possible. :-)
　

You are correct.

1. づ and ず, in a majority of Japan, have merged in sound to "zu" instead of "dzu" and "zu." There are areas of Japan where they are pronounced differently, but Tokyo is not one of those places, and AFAIK, schools teach the standard accent of Tokyo.

2. つかー＞づか is an example of "rendaku." Other examples include 紙(かみ)ー＞手紙(~がみ) and はなれ＋はなれー＞はなればなれ.
Rendaku - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are sort-of linguistic rules for when to apply rendaku, but it's more something you learn by feel, like when to use on/in/at in English, where things can get confusing. "On Monday at 5:30 [in/at/on/within/inside] the library."

[Mordahl]

Ah, I see. Thanks for that.
I had my suspicions when I looked up the kunyomi for 塚.
The 手紙(~がみ) example was perfect. I only just managed to memorize the Kanji for it last week, heh.

So this is something you would normally only see in a compound Kanji?
Do you know if there are any local dialects/slang which would use this in any other manner?

I just want to be prepared in case I encounter it in any other situation.
Many thanks.