The system is a compromise between Hepburn, which stresses conformity with English phonology, and Nippon-shiki, which stresses one-to-one coorespondence with the kana system. The major differences between the three systems are:
Kana | Hepburn | Kunrei-shiki | Nippon-shiki |
---|---|---|---|
し | shi | si | si |
じ | ji | zi | zi |
ぢ | ji | zi | di |
づ | zu | zu | du |
ふ | fu | hu | hu |
しゃ | sha | sya | sya |
しゅ | shu | syu | syu |
しょ | sho | syo | syo |
じゃ | ja | zya | zya |
じゅ | ju | zyu | zyu |
じょ | jo | zyo | zyo |
ぢゃ | ja | zya | dya |
ぢゅ | ju | zyu | dyu |
ぢょ | jo | zyo | dyo |
Long vowels are represented by a circumflex in the modern system, although the older Kunrei-shiki specification called for macrons.