0 – Japanese
1. Hiragana (ひらがな) – The phonetic script used mainly for native Japanese words and grammar.
2. Kana (かな) – A general word for both hiragana and katakana.
3. Gojuon (五十音) – Literally “50 sounds,” the basic ordering of kana (あいうえお, かきくけこ, etc.).
4. Vowel (母音 ぼいん) – The five vowels:
あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o).
5. Consonant (子音 しいん) – The sound paired with vowels to form syllables, e.g. “k” + “a” = か (ka).
6. Row / Column terminology
- Gyō (行 ぎょう) – “Row” (horizontal), e.g. あ行 (the “a” row: あいうえお).
- Dan (段 だん) – “Column” (vertical), e.g. あ段 (the “-a” column: あかさたな…).
7. Dakuten (濁点 だくてん) – The two small dots that make a consonant voiced (か → が, さ → ざ).
8. Handakuten (半濁点 はんだくてん) – The small circle that changes “h” sounds to “p” sounds (は → ぱ).
9. Yōon (拗音 ようおん) – Contracted sounds using small や, ゆ, よ (きゃ, きゅ, きょ).
10. Sokuon (促音 そくおん) – The small っ (っ), showing a doubled consonant or pause (e.g. きって “stamp”).
11. Chōon (長音 ちょうおん) – Long vowel sounds, usually written with extra vowels in hiragana (おかあさん → “okāsan”).
12. Special morae
- ん (n) – The only consonant that can stand alone.
- Small vowels (ぁぃぅぇぉ) – Used in loanwords or extended sounds.
What is 拗音（ようおん）?
拗音 (ようおん / youon) refers to contracted sounds in Japanese — combinations of a consonant + a small や (ya), ゆ (yu), or よ (yo).
They create syllables like:
- きゃ (kya)
- しゅ (shu)
- ちょ (cho)
- ひゅ (hyu)
- りょ (ryo)
How are 拗音 formed?
They’re made by combining:
- A consonant + the “い” vowel kana (like き / し / ち / に / ひ / み / り etc.)
- With a small version of や (ゃ), ゆ (ゅ), or よ (ょ).
✅ Examples:
- き + ゃ → きゃ (kya)
- し + ゅ → しゅ (shu)
- ひ + ょ → ひょ (hyo)
⚠️ The second kana must be small (ゃゅょ). If you use the big one (やゆよ), it becomes two separate syllables:
- きや (ki-ya) ≠ きゃ (kya)
Why are 拗音 important?
They’re very common in Japanese words and names, like:
- しゃしん（写真 / shashin）= photo
- りゅう（竜 / ryuu）= dragon
- びょういん（病院 / byouin）= hospital
How do you read them?
You pronounce them as a single, blended sound — not two sounds. For example:
- きゃ = “kya” (not “ki-ya”)
- ちゅ = “chu” (not “chi-yu”)
- にょ = “nyo” (not “ni-yo”)
What is 促音（そくおん）?
促音 (sokuon) refers to the small つ — written as っ — used in the middle of some Japanese words to indicate a brief pause or double consonant sound.
It’s not a full syllable. It represents a glottal stop or consonant “hold” before certain consonants like K, S, T, and P.
What does っ do?
It creates a “sharp” or “strong” sound by doubling the next consonant.
For example:
| Without っ | With っ |
| こと (koto) = thing | こっと (not a real word) |
| さか (saka) = slope | さっか (sakka) = writer |
| はな (hana) = flower | はっぴょう (happyou) = announcement |
✅ Real example:
- きて（kite）= come (imperative form)
- きって（kitte）= stamp
How is it pronounced?
You make a slight pause before the next consonant:
- がっこう (gakkou) = school
→ Not “ga-kou” but “gak-kou” (hold the K briefly before saying “kou”)
When do we use っ?
It often appears:
- Before K, S, T, P sounds
- In casual expressions like:
- まって！(matte!) = Wait!
- いってきます (ittekimasu) = I’m leaving (see you later!)
- ざっし (zasshi) = magazine
- まって！(matte!) = Wait!
Important Notes
❌ Don’t confuse the small っ with the full-size つ:
- つて (tsute) → wrong
- って (tte) → correct for indicating the doubled sound