Yōon (拗音)
A kana from the i column plus a small ゃ・ゅ・ょ, read together as one syllable.
きゃ キャkya
きゅ キュkyu
きょ キョkyo
しゃ シャsha
しゅ シュshu
しょ ショsho
ちゃ チャcha
ちゅ チュchu
ちょ チョcho
にゃ ニャnya
にゅ ニュnyu
にょ ニョnyo
ひゃ ヒャhya
ひゅ ヒュhyu
ひょ ヒョhyo
みゃ ミャmya
みゅ ミュmyu
みょ ミョmyo
りゃ リャrya
りゅ リュryu
りょ リョryo
ぎゃ ギャgya
ぎゅ ギュgyu
ぎょ ギョgyo
じゃ ジャja
じゅ ジュju
じょ ジョjo
びゃ ビャbya
びゅ ビュbyu
びょ ビョbyo
ぴゃ ピャpya
ぴゅ ピュpyu
ぴょ ピョpyo
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.