Rendaku - any guidelines?

Most of my errors come from wrong rendaku.
Are there any rules for it?

Why is is DAItai (general) or koGoe (low voice)?

And how can I remember when to use Gatsu or Getsu
Or: Nichi or Jitsu?

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だいたい has no rendaku, だい is just one of the readings of 大

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I have been trying to look for similar guides and the only useful tip I have found is with げつ and がつ.
がつ is used when there is a number in front like 四月 and げつ is used in every other situation. (also 何月is the exception because 何 takes the place of a number still making it がつ.)

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Better mnemonics or more experience is the only way imo.

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Also apparently there’s this article from tofugu, maybe it can help you get better grasp at it, or just some words that you’re struggling with

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Just to note, that doesn’t really have anything to do with rendaku. That’s just due to different on readings being used in different situations.

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Does anyone else find rendaku kinda intuitive? Most of the time If I try to say a word aloud the rendaku comes naturally. For example I can’t really pronounce 仕草 or かき氷 without rendaku unless I say it in an unnatural sounding way.

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I think the OP is generally struggling with when to use voiced readings and called that rendaku, since rendaku features voiced readings.

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The same way you learn how to correctly pronounce cough, dough, rough, though, through, and bough in English: experience.

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I thought so too, and then I came across 心底. It just feels like it should be rendaku but, nope, it’s not. :confused:

I’ve been learning Japanese for a long time, and my experience has been that you get a feel for rendaku over time. I think it happens often enough that doing it is right more often than not. If you make a mistake, well, you are learning a foreign language and a devilishly complicated one at that. I wouldn’t obsess over it.

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がつ is used for the name of the month. しがつ is April. When speaking about a month in general then げつ is used. When asking ‘what month?’ you would always use がつ as in 何がつ

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