Welcome to Phontron

This site has a number of useful (or maybe not so useful?) tips, tools, and toys about language, especially English and Japanese.

Translation Whitepaper

A page for tips and tools to help you with translation, learning Japanese, or learning English.

Vocabulary Tests

There are two vocabulary tests. The first one is called "vocabtron," and allows you to estimate how large your vocabulary is by picking which words you know. It is currently available in English, Japanese, and French

The second is Dictionary Challenge. If you've played Balderdash before, you'll know the idea. A word pops up on the screen, and you need to pick which of the four definitions is right. Give it a whirl!

The Sake of Nada

This is a page full of information about Japanese Sake created in the Nada District of Kobe. The Nada District is the largest sake producing district in Japan, and boasts some of the oldest breweries in all of Japan. If you like sake, or would like to learn a little bit more, click here!

Information Processing Notes

Notes on information processing in general, speech and language processing in particular. They are mainly for personal use but I'm putting them online on the off chance that someone else might find them useful.