Yōon (拗音)
A kana from the i column plus a small ゃ・ゅ・ょ, read together as one syllable.
Tap a character to hear it
How it works
- Take a kana that ends in "i" (き し ち に ひ み り ぎ じ び ぴ) and add a small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu) or ょ (yo).
- き + ゃ → きゃ (kya)
- し + ゅ → しゅ (shu)
- ち + ょ → ちょ (cho)
- It is two characters but only one syllable (one beat).
Write it small
- The ゃ・ゅ・ょ must be small — at full size it becomes a different word.
- きゃ (kya, one beat) ↔ きや (kiya, two beats)
- In horizontal writing, write it about half size in the lower left of its square.
- When you compare your writing with the answer, check the size and position of the small kana too.
See also
- Katakana works the same way: キャ, シュ, チョ
- The small っ (sokuon) is not a yōon — it doubles the next consonant, as in きって (kitte, stamp). You can practice it in the Sokuon section.