1.
the number of sound units (morae) in a word, phrase, or line of verse
A linguistic and prosodic term meaning the count of 拍 (morae) — the rhythmic units that make up Japanese pronunciation. Used especially in discussions of poetic meter (haiku, tanka), word length, and phonology. Each kana normally counts as one 音, with small kana like ゃ/ゅ/ょ combining with the previous kana and the long vowel mark ー and geminate っ each counting as one.
俳句は十七音だ。
A haiku has seventeen morae.
短歌の音数は五・七・五・七・七だ。
The mora counts of a tanka are 5-7-5-7-7.
日本語では単語の音数が韻律に大きく関係する。
In Japanese, the mora count of words has a strong bearing on prosody.
A technical term used in linguistics, phonology, and traditional verse composition. In Japanese, the relevant sound unit is the mora (拍), not the syllable, so 'mora count' is the more accurate translation.
USAGE:
- Central to discussions of haiku, tanka, senryu, and other syllabic verse, where line lengths are defined by 音数.
- Also used in linguistics to describe word-length constraints, loanword shortening, and speech rhythm.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 音数を数える: to count morae
- 音数が合う: the mora count fits (e.g., the verse scans correctly)
- 音数を揃える: to match the mora count
- 音数律: mora-count meter (as opposed to stress- or tone-based meter)
- 五音・七音: five morae / seven morae (basic building blocks of waka and haiku)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 拍: mora — the underlying phonological unit that 音数 counts.
- 音節: syllable — a larger unit that groups morae; less often used in counting Japanese verse.
- 字数: character count — the number of written characters, which may differ from the mora count (e.g., small ゃ is not a separate mora).
REGISTER:
Formal/technical. Common in education (Japanese literature, linguistics courses) and in poetry circles; not used in casual conversation.