Japanese double consonants and small っ

The idea

Small っ represents a mora of consonant length: prepare the following consonant and hold the closure or friction briefly. Compare きて with きって; the latter has an extra mora and a different meaning.

Examples

• 切符きっぷを買かいます。I buy a ticket.
• 学校がっこうへ行いきます。I go to school.
• 雑誌ざっしを読よみます。I read a magazine.
• 切手きってを買かいます。I buy a postage stamp.
• 今いまここに来きてください。Please come here now.
• このケーキを切きってください。Please cut this cake.

Watch out

Do not pronounce っ as a full つ, and do not insert an extra vowel. In katakana the small form is ッ.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading in hiragana: 切符

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   きっぷ

   切符 is きっぷ; the small っ adds a beat before ぷ.

2. Write the reading in hiragana: 学校

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   がっこう

   学校 is がっこう; the small っ adds a beat before こ.

3. Write the reading in hiragana: 切って

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   きって

   切って is きって, with small っ; きて is a different form.

Use it today

Tap き・て and き・っ・て, then say the two forms and listen for the difference. For listening, use the Japan Foundation recordings 01-35 linked in the sources.