Use Small ゃ ゅ ょ and their combinations to read useful Japanese words and sentences. Some words are written in kana here for practice even when kanji is common.

The idea

A small ゃ, ゅ or ょ combines with an i-row kana: きゃ is kya, しゅ is shu and ちょ is cho. The combination occupies one mora; a following long vowel adds another. Katakana works likewise, as in ジュース.

Patterns to compare
KanaReading (romaji)
きゃkya
きゅkyu
きょkyo
しゃsha
ちゃcha
ぎゅgyu
ジュju
きやkiya

Examples

  • 私わたしは家いえでおちゃを飲のみます。I drink tea at home.
  • きょうは雨あめが降ふります。It will rain today.
  • 駅えきにでんしゃが来きます。A train is arriving at the station.
  • 冷蔵庫れいぞうこにぎゅうにゅうがありません。There is no milk in the refrigerator.
  • ジュースを飲のみます。I drink juice.
  • 私わたしは日本語にほんごをべんきょうします。I study Japanese.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

きゃ (kya) is not きや (kiya): the full-sized や makes a separate beat. Keep the second character visibly small.

Try it yourself

  1. Fill the blank with one kana or mark: おち＿ (ocha).

    Show answer or example answer

    ゃ

    Compare the written parts and reading: ち + ゃ = ちゃ (cha).

  2. Fill the blank with one kana or mark: ぎ＿うにゅう (gyūnyū).

    Show answer or example answer

    ゅ

    Compare the written parts and reading: ぎ + ゅ = ぎゅ (gyu).

  3. Fill the blank with one kana or mark: き＿う (kyō).

    Show answer or example answer

    ょ

    Compare the written parts and reading: き + ょ = きょ (kyo).

Use it today

Cover the chart, read two examples aloud and write one target word from memory. Compare its spelling and timing with the original.