often used as an eNding sound.
Kana Combinations (hiragana • katakana)
| KYA きゃ・キャ | KYU きゅ・キュ | KYO きょ・キョ |
| SHA しゃ・シャ | SHU しゅ・シュ | SHO しょ・ショ |
| CHA ちゃ・チャ | CHU ちゅ・チュ | CHO ちょ・チョ |
| NYA にゃ・ニャ | NYU にゅ・ニュ | NYO にょ・ニョ |
| HYA ひゃ・ヒャ | HYU ひゅ・ヒュ | HYO ひょ・ヒョ |
| MYA みゃ・ミャ | MYU みゅ・ミュ | MYO みょ・ミョ |
| RYA りゃ・リャ | RYU りゅ・リュ | RYO りょ・リョ |
カタカナ KATAKANA
A
ア looks like a dArt.
I
イ is one of many pEople you will see in this book.
U
ウ is like a tOOl that could be used to lOOsen a nut.
E
エ looks like an “H” on its side and is pronounced with the beginning sound of this letter (EHch).
O
オ has an (Opening at the bottom that could close soon.
KA
カ wields lots of power just like the kanji 力.
KI
キ looks like it could go on a KEY ring along with the hiragana き.
KU
ク is shaped like a quiz (KUizu in Japanese) paper that has just been graded.
KE
ケ is like KElp, a seaweed eaten quite often by Japanese.
KO
コ looks like a COmb that’s missing its teeth.
SA
サ is the American English pronunciation for the first part of the word sock (“ SAck”).
SHI
シ has marks similar to a capital letter “ E”.
SU
ス is for the SUit that goes with this bowtie.
SE
セ, like the hiragana せ, could have a small letter “e” CEntered on it almost perfectly.
SO
ソ is like a SOft cushion.
TA
タ looks like it’s time (タイ ム or TAimu in katakana) for the moon to come out from behind the clouds.
CHI
チ is like a CHEErleader performing.
TSU
ツ is a series of downward “OO” sounds written in romaji as u and U.
TE
テ is a table (read TEble), similar to the hiragana て.
TO
ト is the shape of a divining rod and in ancient China, TOrtoise shells were used to divine the future.
NA
ナ is like a nice (NAice) girl in the middle of a curtsey.
NI
ニ is the same as the kanji for 2 and shares its the pronunciation.
