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When you see small 「ゃ・ゅ・ょ」, blend it with the kana before it. This is called yōon.

Lesson notes · Beginner 1

拗音（きゃ・きゅ・きょ）youon (kya~kyu~kyo)

Blended sounds with small ゃゅょ

With 「拗音」, blend small 「ゃ・ゅ・ょ」 with the kana before them into one beat; then check for a long vowel or pause.

How it works

When you see small 「ゃ・ゅ・ょ」, blend it with the kana before it. This is called yōon.
Clap along with the dots: 「きや」 with a full-size 「や」 takes two beats; 「きゃ」 with a small 「ゃ」 takes one.
For 「きゃ」, do not finish 「き」 and then say 「や」. Blend them without a pause.
「客（きゃく）」 means “guest.” Blend 「きゃ」 into one sound; the whole word takes two beats.
「宿題（しゅくだい）」 means “homework.” Blend 「しゅ」; do not split it into 「し・ゆ」.

This course writes 「しゃ」 as sha and 「ちゃ」 as cha in romaji. Match these spellings to the sounds.

Kana with voicing marks can form yōon too, as in 「ぎゃ・じゃ・びょ」. Each still blends into one beat.

「ぴゃ・ぴゅ・ぴょ」 start with a p sound. Look carefully at both the small circle and the small kana.

「じゃ・じゅ・じょ」 are common. 「じゃんけん」, “rock-paper-scissors,” starts with 「じゃ」.

You can also find 「じゅ・じょ」 in 「じゅぎょう」, “class,” and 「じょうず」, “good at something.”

Katakana also uses small 「ャ・ュ・ョ」. Blend 「キャ・シュ・チョ」 in the same way.

A long vowel can follow yōon. In 「きゅう・しょう・ちゅう」, hold the vowel for one extra beat.

「病院（びょういん）」 means “hospital.” A long vowel follows 「びょ」, so do not cut it short.

In 「中国（ちゅうごく）」, “China,” blend 「ちゅ」, then lengthen it by one beat. Do not skip 「う」.

A small 「っ」 can also follow yōon. In 「ちょっと」, pause for one beat after 「ちょ」, then say 「と」.

Follow the dots: each box is one beat. Lengthening and pauses each take a beat; keep every beat.

When reading a new word, first find small 「ゃ・ゅ・ょ」, then check for a long vowel or small 「っ」 after it.