Lesson 4 of 16
T row
Two irregular sounds here: ち is chi and つ is tsu. Learn them as they are and the rest of the row is regular.
Pronunciation
How it sounds
た, て, と use a soft t with the tip of your tongue just behind your upper teeth. ち is chi (like cheese) and つ is tsu: the ts of cats followed by u. Don't say ti or tu.
Reading tips
Easy to mix up
つ and し are easy to swap. つ is wide and flat; し is a tall hook.
ち and ら (lesson 9) look alike. ち has a full bar on top; ら has just a small tick.
ta
The kana looks like the letters t and a next to each other: ta.
chi
"Cheep, cheep," says the chick.
tsu
A Tsunami wave rolling in.
te
A Telescope held up to the eye.
to
A Toaster with a slice popping out.
Real vocabulary
Words you can read now
たこ
tako
octopus
つき
tsuki
moon
うち
uchi
home
いたい
itai
painful
こたえ
kotae
answer
て
te
hand