light novel

Questions

What does light novel mean?

A Japanese novel primarily targeting young adults, typically illustrated (in an anime/manga style) and containing not more than 50,000 words.

Where does light novel come from?

Phono-semantic matching of Japanese ライトノベル (raito noberu), itself a wasei eigo (和製英語; pseudo-anglicism) derived from light + novel.

How to pronounce light novel

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “light novel”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “light novel”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “light novel” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.