All vowels are short and pronounced as follows:

"a" as in "father"
"i" as in "teen" except shorter
"u" as in "boot" except shorter
"e" as in "bet"
"o" as in "boat" except shorter and without the off-glide

Longer vowel sounds are the same sounds as above, but given more time.

"aa," a longer "a"
"ii," a longer "i"
"uu," a longer "u"
"ei," a longer "e"
"oh," a longer "o"

Except for the above, if you see two or more vowels in a row, they are each pronounced clearly without becoming a single diphthong. An apostrophe is used where a glottal stop occurs (like between the "n" and the second "a" when pronouncing "an apple").

Consonants always take their "hard" sounds. So "gi" is pronounced with a hard "g" (i.e., not "ji"). "Ch" is always as in "cheese."

The hyphens don't mean anything but serve to distinguish separate syllables when it might be ambiguous, or to separate a word into two semantic parts. There shouldn't be a pause for hyphens.

Parentheses are used whenever a word might be omitted by some people, or if the translation could mean more than one thing. For example, "nukite," literally only means "spear hand," which is just the name of the "weapon" you form with your hand, but it is also often used to mean the attack, "spear-hand thrust." So "thrust" is in parentheses.

Quotation marks are used on the English side to distinguish between literal translations of the Japanese terms from their more figurative meanings (quotes indicate literal translation).

When counting for class, just pronounce the first syllable of bisyllabic numbers (i.e., ich, rok, shich, hach), for shorter, sharper counting.

Also note that 4 and 9 have alternative pronunciations. The reasoning behind the alternative for number 4 is that shi is also how once pronounces the kanji for death. Japanese seem to avoid saying that number for that reason.

Stances
musubi-dachi -- connected stance / attention / feet together at heels
heisoku-dachi -- closed feet stance / closed leg stance / feet completely together
hachinoji-dachi -- figure 8 stance / ready stance
zenkutsu-dachi -- front stance
koh-kutsu-dachi -- back stance
kiba-dachi -- horse riding stance / saddle stance
neko-ashi-dachi -- cat foot/leg stance
sochin-dachi / fudoh-dachi -- sochin stance / "immovable" stance
sanchin-dachi -- "hourglass" stance
hangetsu-dachi -- "half moon" stance

Arm attacks
tsuki -- punch
oi-zuki -- stepping punch
jun-zuki -- straight punch (front leg side in a stance)
choku-zuki -- straight punch (no rotation)
gyaku-zuki -- reverse punch
kizami-zuki -- jab punch
nukite -- spear-hand (thrust)
ura-ken -- back hand / back fist (strike)
enpi (hiji) -- elbow (strike)

Leg attacks
keri -- a kick
mae-geri -- front (snap) kick
mawashi-geri -- round house kick
yoko kekomi (geri) -- side thrust kick
yoko keage (geri) -- side snap kick
ushiro-geri -- back (thrust) kick

Attacking levels
joh-dan -- "upper level" / face
chuudan -- "middle level" / stomach / solar plexus
gedan -- "lower level" / groin

Blocks
age-uke -- rising block
ude-uke -- "arm block", often used to mean outside block
soto-uke -- outside block (see above)
uchi-uke -- inside block
gedan barai -- down block / "lower level sweep"
shuto-uke -- knife-hand block
nagashi-uke -- "flushing block" / piping block / deflecting block
kakiwake-uke -- two-handed "separating" block / wedge block
juuji-uke -- two-handed "cross" block / X block

Kumite
kumite -- sparring
(kihon) gohon kumite -- (basic) five-step sparring
(kihon) sanbon kumite -- (basic) three-step sparring
(kihon) ippon kumite -- (basic) one-step sparring
jiyuu ippon kumite -- semi-free one-step sparring
(jiyuu) kumite -- free sparring
shiai kumite -- tournament style sparring

Other words
kihon -- basic(s) / fundamentals
ki-ai -- a yell
kime -- "decision" / focus
rei -- bow
yoh-i -- "get ready" / often a command to stand in hachinoji-dachi
yame -- stop / lit. "the finish"
naotte -- recover / relax
yasume -- rest, relax
maware / mawatte -- turn
hajime -- begin
mokusoh -- "quiet meditation"
dojo [doh-joh] -- "way place," the place where you train
dojo kun -- dojo desiderata
seiza -- "proper sitting" / kneeling
seiretsu -- line up
senpai -- senior student
koh-hai -- junior student

-- Thanks to Yale University Shotokan Karate Club toyama@cs.yale.edu - Kentaro Toyama.

The supposed origins of the word are in the term Ohayo Gozaimasu. This greeting literally means it's early, but is not used that way any longer. The expression has become an idiom meaning good morning or I greet you for the first time today. One uses this expression primarily toward one's in-group, not people that one is not familiar with. The expression is very polite, but connotes intimacy.

One linguist claims that the word becomes contracted in order to sound more familiar and casual, or more familiar, tough, and manly. The following are legitimate contractions of the expression ohayo gozaimasu.

Ohayo - more familiar and intimate; casual usage towards friends and neighbors
Ohayossu - more athletic, jock-ish sounding. You might here this from a neighbor you don't know well if you greet him while he is jogging past you.
Ossu - very tough, rough expression of masculinity. Used primarily by young boys and others engaged in athletic activities together. It is generally aimed toward one's colleagues, not the coach, instructor, or other seniors. The expression is avoided by women, unless the particular culture of the athletic activity has become one in which the ladies use this word regularly.

The word is generally written with two kanji. The first one is "osu" - to push. The one on the right is the nin character from ninja. It can also be read as oshi or shinobu, and it means endure, bear, put up with, conceal, secrete, spy, sneak.' Ossu, by this way of creating the word, means "grin and bear it."

The expression is seen as rude by many Japanese when used in particular situations. Who can use this word? Usually only young men ever utter this sound when they are involved in some sort of extremely team oriented sport. It is a locker room type of expression, very manly, and masculinity and machismo. Women generally refuse to say the word unless they are trying to participate in a male controlled arena. You would never use this word towards a non-team member, whether or not they play your sport. It expresses intimacy. Adults shy away from it.

Some karate instructors encourage the use of the word, while others disparage it.

Some karate instructors who are Japanese will have you using this word as you greet them, simply because they want you to have fun and project toughness and sincerity. Others will get angry if you "ossu" them, although this is less likely outside of Japan, since the instructors here are fairly used to non-Japanese slaughtering their language for fun. The word does not generally mean I understand, yes sir, yes, no, ok, etc. The expression is purposefully a greeting.