Comprehensive Guide to Japanese Syllabaries: Hiragana and Katakana

Fundamentals of the Japanese Writing System (Suku Kata Jepang)

• The Japanese phonetic script is composed of two parallel syllabic alphabets known collectively as Kana: Hiragana (平仮名) and Katakana (片仮名).

• Both syllabaries represent the exact same inventory of sounds (morae), each containing $46$ basic base characters (Gojūon), which can be systematic modified using diacritical marks to form voiced and semi-voiced sounds, as well as combined to produce contracted sounds.

• Structural Division of the Writing Systems:

  • Hiragana (平仮名): Characterized by curved, flowing, cursive brush strokes. Primarily utilized for native Japanese vocabulary, grammatical particles, verb and adjective inflections (okurigana), and phonetic reading aids (furigana).

  • Katakana (片仮名): Characterized by sharp, straight lines and angular corners. Primarily utilized for loanwords of foreign origin (gairaigo), foreign personal and place names, scientific nomenclature, onomatopoeia, and visual emphasis in media and advertising.

• Phonetic Grid Organization (Gojūon - 五十音):

  • Organized into a grid of 5 primary vowel columns: a (あ/ア), i (い/イ), u (う/ウ), e (え/エ), and o (お/オ).

  • Consonant rows intersect these vowels: k-row, s-row, t-row, n-row, h-row, m-row, y-row (defective: ya, yu, yo), r-row, w-row (defective: wa, o), and the standalone syllabic nasal consonant n (ん/ン).

• Sound Mutation Paradigms:

  • Dakuon (濁音 - Voiced Sounds): Formed by appending a double diagonal stroke known as dakuten or tenten (゛) to the upper right of characters in the k-, s-, t-, and h-rows, transforming unvoiced consonants into voiced equivalents ($k \rightarrow g$, $s \rightarrow z$, $t \rightarrow d$, $h \rightarrow b$).

  • Handakuon (半濁音 - Semi-Voiced Sounds): Formed by appending a small circle mark known as handakuten or maru (゜) to the upper right of characters in the h-row, transforming them into bilabial plosives ($h \rightarrow p$).

  • Yōon (拗音 - Contracted Sounds): Palatalized syllables formed by pairing a base consonant from the i-vowel tier (e.g., ki, shi, chi, ni, hi, mi, ri, gi, ji, bi, pi) with a half-sized, subscripted version of the y-row kana: small ya (ゃ/ャ), small yu (ゅ/ュ), or small yo (ょ/ョ).

Hiragana Syllabary: Gojūon (Basic Syllables)

• Vowel Row (あ行 - A-gyō):

  • あ (a): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal line from left to right; Stroke 2 is a downward vertical curving stroke cutting through the center; Stroke 3 begins looped around the lower right, forming an expansive circular loop.

  • い (i): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 curves downward on the left with an upward release/hook at the base; Stroke 2 is a shorter, slightly curved downward stroke on the right.

  • う (u): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short diagonal dot/dash pointing downward to the right; Stroke 2 is a large rounded hook curving downward.

  • え (e): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short diagonal slant at top; Stroke 2 is a continuous multi-segment line that traces horizontally, slants down diagonally left, traces back up diagonally right, and forms a wave resting on the baseline.

  • お (o): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short horizontal line; Stroke 2 drops vertically, loops upward to the left, circles across to the right, and finishes with a broad curve; Stroke 3 is a separate detached accent mark placed at the upper right.

• K-Row (か行 - Ka-gyō):

  • か (ka): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 descends and curves with a hook upward to the left; Stroke 2 cuts downward as a long slant; Stroke 3 is a small drop mark placed to the upper right.

  • き (ki): Written in $4$ strokes. Strokes 1 and 2 are parallel horizontal lines slanting upward; Stroke 3 is a diagonal slash downward to the right; Stroke 4 is a detached, curved lower crescent stroke.

  • く (ku): Written in $1$ single continuous stroke. Begins upper right, angles sharply down and left, then bends downward back to the right, resembling an acute angled bracket ($<$).

  • け (ke): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a vertical left boundary curving down with a slight terminal hook; Stroke 2 is a horizontal crossbar; Stroke 3 curves downward through Stroke 2 to the right.

  • こ (ko): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is an upper horizontal stroke curving slightly down at its end; Stroke 2 is a lower horizontal stroke curving upward, mirroring Stroke 1.

• S-Row (さ行 - Sa-gyō):

  • さ (sa): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a rising horizontal line; Stroke 2 cuts down diagonally; Stroke 3 is a detached lower crescent curving underneath.

  • し (shi): Written in $1$ single stroke. Drops straight down and curves broadly upward to the right, resembling a fishhook.

  • す (su): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a long horizontal line; Stroke 2 drops through it, performs a tight circular loop in the upper quadrant, and extends down into a tapering tail.

  • せ (se): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a long horizontal line; Stroke 2 is a vertical stroke on the right that turns inward horizontally; Stroke 3 drops vertically on the left and sweeps rightward along the bottom.

  • そ (so): Written in $1$ single continuous stroke. Begins horizontal, angles diagonally down left, traverses horizontally right, and sweeps into a broad curved base resembling a "C".

• T-Row (た行 - Ta-gyō):

  • た (ta): Written in $4$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal dash; Stroke 2 is a diagonal slash downward; Strokes 3 and 4 form a miniature ko (こ) shape nestled in the right quadrant.

  • ち (chi): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal crossbar; Stroke 2 cuts down through it and swings out into a rounded, expansive bottom loop.

  • つ (tsu): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Sweeps from left to right, arches upward, and plunges back down leftward in a broad crescent curve.

  • て (te): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Runs horizontally from left to right, then loops backward and sweeps around into a large smooth bowl curve.

  • と (to): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short diagonal downward slant; Stroke 2 begins higher on the right, curves inward toward Stroke 1, and sweeps out into a wide open circular base.

• N-Row (な行 - Na-gyō):

  • な (na): Written in $4$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal line; Stroke 2 slants through it diagonally; Stroke 3 is a small upper-right dash; Stroke 4 loops down into a knotted tail.

  • に (ni): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a vertical curving line on the left; Strokes 2 and 3 form two parallel horizontal strokes on the right.

  • ぬ (nu): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down to the right; Stroke 2 loops broadly across it, encircles the base, and terminates in a closed loop/knot on the lower right.

  • ね (ne): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a vertical line; Stroke 2 traces a z-shaped zigzag intersecting Stroke 1, crosses upward, forms a rounded stomach, and knots into a small loop at the bottom right.

  • の (no): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Begins with a downward diagonal slant, loops up around the top, and traces a sweeping, almost complete oval.

• H-Row (は行 - Ha-gyō):

  • は (ha): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a vertical line on the left; Stroke 2 is a horizontal bar; Stroke 3 drops through Stroke 2, loops to the left, and completes a closed round knot.

  • ひ (hi): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Begins with a horizontal start, dips into a deep rounded valley, and rises up before curving outward to the right.

  • ふ (fu): Written in $4$ strokes. Stroke 1 is an upper hook/dash; Stroke 2 is a central curving descending spine; Stroke 3 is a small side dot on the left; Stroke 4 is a small side dot on the right.

  • へ (he): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Ascends diagonally at a shallow angle and descends diagonally at a broader angle, forming an asymmetrical roof peak.

  • ほ (ho): Written in $4$ strokes. Similar to は, but features an additional horizontal stroke above the middle bar that does not pierce Stroke 3.

• M-Row (ま行 - Ma-gyō):

  • ま (ma): Written in $3$ strokes. Two parallel horizontal strokes crossed by a central vertical stroke that terminates in a looped knot.

  • み (mi): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontal, drops down diagonally, loops back up, and extends across horizontally; Stroke 2 slants down through the right tail.

  • む (mu): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is horizontal; Stroke 2 drops vertically, loops upward, sweeps out rightward and hooks up; Stroke 3 is an independent accent dot at the upper right.

  • め (me): Written in $2$ strokes. Resembles ぬ, but lacks the final terminating loop/knot at the lower right.

  • も (mo): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 begins vertically, plunges down, and curves into a wide bottom hook; Strokes 2 and 3 are parallel horizontal crossbars cutting through the stem.

• Y-Row (や行 - Ya-gyō):

  • や (ya): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 curves up and loops rightward; Stroke 2 is a top slash; Stroke 3 is a vertical diagonal cutting through the main stroke.

  • ゆ (yu): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 traces a downward line that loops into a broad open basin; Stroke 2 drops straight through the center.

  • よ (yo): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short horizontal line; Stroke 2 descends vertically, loops to the left, and sweeps horizontally past the stem.

• R-Row (ら行 - Ra-gyō):

  • ら (ra): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is an upper accent mark; Stroke 2 sweeps down and forms a broad, rounded lower curve.

  • り (ri): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short curving vertical on the left; Stroke 2 is a taller vertical on the right that sweeps downward and flares gently left.

  • る (ru): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Traces an initial horizontal, zigs diagonally, sweeps into a 3-shape, and concludes with a small tight closed loop.

  • れ (re): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a vertical line; Stroke 2 forms an intersecting zigzag, curves down, and flicks outward sharply to the right.

  • ろ (ro): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Identical in form to る, but terminates cleanly in an open sweeping curve without a closed loop.

• W-Row & Nasal Consonant (わ行・ん - Wa-gyō and N):

  • わ (wa): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is vertical; Stroke 2 zigs and sweeps into a large, simple open rounded arc (distinguished from ね and れ by having no loop or outer flick).

  • を (o / wo): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is horizontal; Stroke 2 cuts down and forms a rounded shelf; Stroke 3 sweeps through the lower segment, functioning strictly as the grammatical direct-object particle.

  • ん (n): Written in $1$ continuous stroke. Traces a descending diagonal, rises into an arch, and curves out, resembling a cursive Latin "n". The sole Japanese kana representing a standalone moraic consonant without a vowel.

Hiragana Diacritics: Dakuon and Handakuon

• G-Row (が行 - Ga-gyō): Formed by applying dakuten (゛) to the ka-row characters:

  • が (ga): か with dakuten ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ぎ (gi): き with dakuten ($4 + 2 = 6$ strokes).

  • ぐ (gu): く with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

  • げ (ge): け with dakuten ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ご (go): こ with dakuten ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

• Z-Row (ざ行 - Za-gyō): Formed by applying dakuten (゛) to the sa-row characters:

  • ざ (za): さ with dakuten ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • じ (ji): し with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes). Represents the voiced postalveolar affricate/fricative [dʑ]/[ʑ].

  • ず (zu): す with dakuten ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ぜ (ze): せ with dakuten ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ぞ (zo): そ with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

• D-Row (だ行 - Da-gyō): Formed by applying dakuten (゛) to the ta-row characters:

  • だ (da): た with dakuten ($4 + 2 = 6$ strokes).

  • ぢ (ji): ち with dakuten ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes). Homophonous with じ in modern standard Japanese (Yotsugana merger).

  • づ (zu): つ with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes). Homophonous with ず in modern standard Japanese.

  • で (de): て with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

  • ど (do): と with dakuten ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

• B-Row (ば行 - Ba-gyō): Formed by applying dakuten (゛) to the ha-row characters:

  • ば (ba): は with dakuten ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • び (bi): ひ with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

  • ぶ (bu): ふ with dakuten ($4 + 2 = 6$ strokes).

  • べ (be): へ with dakuten ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

  • ぼ (bo): ほ with dakuten ($4 + 2 = 6$ strokes).

• P-Row (ぱ行 - Pa-gyō): Formed by applying handakuten (゜) to the ha-row characters:

  • ぱ (pa): は with handakuten ($3 + 1 = 4$ strokes).

  • ぴ (pi): ひ with handakuten ($1 + 1 = 2$ strokes).

  • ぷ (pu): ふ with handakuten ($4 + 1 = 5$ strokes).

  • ぺ (pe): へ with handakuten ($1 + 1 = 2$ strokes).

  • ぽ (po): ほ with handakuten ($4 + 1 = 5$ strokes).

Hiragana Contracted Sounds (Yōon - 拗音)

• Contracted sounds merge an i-tier consonant with small ya, yu, or yo into a single monosyllabic mora.

• Full inventory of Hiragana Yōon combinations ($33$ distinct morae):

  • Kya, Kyu, Kyo: きゃ (kya), きゅ (kyu), きょ (kyo)

  • Gya, Gyu, Gyo: ぎゃ (gya), ぎゅ (gyu), ぎょ (gyo)

  • Sha, Shu, Sho: しゃ (sha), しゅ (shu), しょ (sho) — Note: phonetically pronounced [ɕa], [ɕɯ], [ɕo] rather than [sja].

  • Ja, Ju, Jo: じゃ (ja), じゅ (ju), じょ (jo) — Voiced equivalents of sha, shu, sho.

  • Cha, Chu, Cho: ちゃ (cha), ちゅ (chu), ちょ (cho) — Pronounced [tɕa], [tɕɯ], [tɕo].

  • Nya, Nyu, Nyo: にゃ (nya), にゅ (nyu), にょ (nyo)

  • Hya, Hyu, Hyo: ひゃ (hya), ひゅ (hyu), ひょ (hyo)

  • Bya, Byu, Byo: びゃ (bya), びゅ (byu), びょ (byo)

  • Pya, Pyu, Pyo: ぴゃ (pya), ぴゅ (pyu), ぴょ (pyo)

  • Mya, Myu, Myo: みゃ (mya), みゅ (myu), みょ (myo)

  • Rya, Ryu, Ryo: りゃ (rya), りゅ (ryu), りょ (ryo)

Katakana Syllabary: Gojūon (Basic Syllables)

• Vowel Row (ア行 - A-gyō):

  • ア (a): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontal and bends down-left; Stroke 2 is a downward left-curving diagonal slash.

  • イ (i): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down to the left; Stroke 2 drops straight vertically from its midpoint.

  • ウ (u): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a top vertical dot; Stroke 2 is a left downward vertical; Stroke 3 moves horizontal and swoops down diagonally left.

  • エ (e): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is an upper horizontal; Stroke 2 is a central vertical; Stroke 3 is a wider base horizontal.

  • オ (o): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is horizontal; Stroke 2 drops vertically with a hooked or straight base; Stroke 3 slants down-left from the intersection.

• K-Row (カ行 - Ka-gyō):

  • カ (ka): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontally, turns and sweeps down-left; Stroke 2 is a vertical diagonal cutting through.

  • キ (ki): Written in $3$ strokes. Strokes 1 and 2 are parallel horizontal bars; Stroke 3 is a diagonal line cutting through both from top right to bottom left.

  • ク (ku): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down-left; Stroke 2 begins at its midpoint, moves horizontal, and sweeps down-left.

  • ケ (ke): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down-left; Stroke 2 is a horizontal crossbar; Stroke 3 sweeps downward through the bar.

  • コ (ko): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontally and turns down vertically; Stroke 2 closes the bottom horizontally.

• S-Row (サ行 - Sa-gyō):

  • サ (sa): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal line; Strokes 2 and 3 are two descending verticals cutting through it, Stroke 2 curving slightly inwards.

  • シ (shi): Written in $3$ strokes. Strokes 1 and 2 are short diagonal dots stacked nearly vertically on the left; Stroke 3 begins at the lower left and sweeps upward to the right.

  • ス (su): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 traces a horizontal that bends sharply down-left; Stroke 2 slants down-right, intersecting Stroke 1.

  • セ (se): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontally and angles sharply down-left; Stroke 2 drops vertically, turning horizontally to form the base.

  • ソ (so): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a downward-pointing dot on the left; Stroke 2 sweeps from top-right downward to the left.

• T-Row (タ行 - Ta-gyō):

  • タ (ta): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down-left; Stroke 2 moves horizontal and loops down-left; Stroke 3 is a short cross slash inside.

  • チ (chi): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down-left at the top; Stroke 2 is a long horizontal line; Stroke 3 drops through and curves left.

  • ツ (tsu): Written in $3$ strokes. Strokes 1 and 2 are side-by-side downward slashes along the top; Stroke 3 sweeps from the upper-right downward to the left.

  • テ (te): Written in $3$ strokes. Strokes 1 and 2 are horizontal lines (lower one longer); Stroke 3 cuts down through the center and sweeps left.

  • ト (to): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a straight vertical line; Stroke 2 is a diagonal branch slanting down to the right.

• N-Row (ナ行 - Na-gyō):

  • ナ (na): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal bar; Stroke 2 is a sweeping vertical diagonal descending from its center.

  • ニ (ni): Written in $2$ strokes. Two parallel horizontal strokes (lower stroke is longer).

  • ヌ (nu): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 runs horizontal and cuts down-left; Stroke 2 slants down-right through the bend.

  • ネ (ne): Written in $4$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a top vertical dot; Stroke 2 is an angled bar; Stroke 3 is a vertical central stem; Stroke 4 is a right-side slash dot.

  • ノ (no): Written in $1$ single stroke. A smooth, simple curve sweeping from the upper right down to the lower left.

• H-Row (ハ行 - Ha-gyō):

  • ハ (ha): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down to the left; Stroke 2 slants down to the right, forming an inverted "V".

  • ヒ (hi): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal slash; Stroke 2 drops down on the left, moves across horizontally, and forms a broad flat base.

  • フ (fu): Written in $1$ single stroke. Moves horizontally and bends downward into a left-curving diagonal.

  • ヘ (he): Written in $1$ single stroke. Identical in form to Hiragana へ, with sharper, straighter diagonals.

  • ホ (ho): Written in $4$ strokes. Stroke 1 is an upper horizontal; Stroke 2 is a vertical through-line; Strokes 3 and 4 are flanking slashes on the left and right.

• M-Row (マ行 - Ma-gyō):

  • マ (ma): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontal, turns sharply down-left; Stroke 2 is a short diagonal dot under the apex.

  • ミ (mi): Written in $3$ strokes. Three parallel diagonal strokes slanting down to the right, stacked vertically.

  • ム (mu): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 sweeps down-left and traces horizontally to the right; Stroke 2 is a downward slash on the right.

  • メ (me): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 sweeps down-left; Stroke 2 cuts down-right across it near the center.

  • モ (mo): Written in $3$ strokes. Two parallel horizontal strokes crossed by a central vertical stroke that turns horizontally to the right.

• Y-Row (ヤ行 - Ya-gyō):

  • ヤ (ya): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a horizontal line bending into a downward flick; Stroke 2 is a vertical stroke cutting through it.

  • ユ (yu): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 moves horizontal, turns down vertically; Stroke 2 extends along the bottom horizontally to form a base.

  • ヨ (yo): Written in $3$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a top horizontal and right vertical; Strokes 2 and 3 are middle and bottom horizontal bars.

• R-Row (ラ行 - Ra-gyō):

  • ラ (ra): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a top horizontal line; Stroke 2 moves horizontal and loops into a downward-left crescent.

  • リ (ri): Written in $2$ strokes. Two vertical lines side by side; the right line is longer and sweeps down-left.

  • ル (ru): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 slants down-left; Stroke 2 drops vertically, loops rightward, and curls upward.

  • レ (re): Written in $1$ single stroke. Drops down vertically and angles sharply upward to the right.

  • ロ (ro): Written in $3$ strokes. Forms a clean, hollow square box.

• W-Row & Nasal Consonant (ワ行・ン - Wa-gyō and N):

  • ワ (wa): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a short vertical stroke on the left; Stroke 2 begins at its top, moves horizontal, and sweeps down-left.

  • ヲ (o / wo): Written in $3$ strokes. Two horizontal strokes connected to a downward-curving spine.

  • ン (n): Written in $2$ strokes. Stroke 1 is a diagonal dot pointing downward-right; Stroke 2 starts low at the left and sweeps upward to the right.

• Critical Katakana Visual Distinctions:

  • シ (shi) versus ツ (tsu): In シ (shi), the dots and stroke align along a horizontal baseline, and the final sweeping stroke ascends from bottom-left to top-right ($\nearrow$). In ツ (tsu), the dots align across a horizontal top line, and the final stroke descends from top-right to bottom-left ($\swarrow$).

  • ソ (so) versus ン (n): In ソ (so), the first dot is downward-slanting and the second stroke sweeps down from the top right ($\swarrow$). In ン (n), the first dot is flat/horizontal, and the second stroke sweeps up from the bottom left ($\nearrow$).

Katakana Diacritics: Dakuon and Handakuon

• G-Row (ガ行 - Ga-gyō): カ-row with dakuten (゛):

  • ガ (ga): カ + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ギ (gi): キ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • グ (gu): ク + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ゲ (ge): ケ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ゴ (go): コ + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

• Z-Row (ザ行 - Za-gyō): サ-row with dakuten (゛):

  • ザ (za): サ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ジ (ji): シ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ズ (zu): ス + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ゼ (ze): セ + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ゾ (zo): ソ + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

• D-Row (ダ行 - Da-gyō): タ-row with dakuten (゛):

  • ダ (da): タ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ヂ (ji): チ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ヅ (zu): ツ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • デ (de): テ + ゛ ($3 + 2 = 5$ strokes).

  • ド (do): ト + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

• B-Row (バ行 - Ba-gyō): ハ-row with dakuten (゛):

  • バ (ba): ハ + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ビ (bi): ヒ + ゛ ($2 + 2 = 4$ strokes).

  • ブ (bu): フ + ゛ ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

  • ベ (be): ヘ + ゛ ($1 + 2 = 3$ strokes).

  • ボ (bo): ホ + ゛ ($4 + 2 = 6$ strokes).

• P-Row (パ行 - Pa-gyō): ハ-row with handakuten (゜):

  • パ (pa): ハ + ゜ ($2 + 1 = 3$ strokes).

  • ピ (pi): ヒ + ゜ ($2 + 1 = 3$ strokes).

  • プ (pu): フ + ゜ ($1 + 1 = 2$ strokes).

  • ペ (pe): ヘ + ゜ ($1 + 1 = 2$ strokes).

  • ポ (po): ホ + ゜ ($4 + 1 = 5$ strokes).

Katakana Contracted Sounds (Yōon - 拗音)

• Full inventory of Katakana Yōon combinations ($33$ distinct morae formed by pairing an i-tier Katakana with small ャ, ュ, ョ):

  • Kya, Kyu, Kyo: キャ (kya), キュ (kyu), キョ (kyo)

  • Gya, Gyu, Gyo: ギャ (gya), ギュ (gyu), ギョ (gyo)

  • Sha, Shu, Sho: シャ (sha), シュ (shu), ショ (sho)

  • Ja, Ju, Jo: ジャ (ja), ジュ (ju), ジョ (jo)

  • Cha, Chu, Cho: チャ (cha), チュ (chu), チョ (cho)

  • Nya, Nyu, Nyo: ニャ (nya), ニュ (nyu), ニョ (nyo)

  • Hya, Hyu, Hyo: ヒャ (hya), ヒュ (hyu), ヒョ (hyo)

  • Bya, Byu, Byo: ビャ (bya), ビュ (byu), ビョ (byo)

  • Pya, Pyu, Pyo: ピャ (pya), ピュ (pyu), ピョ (pyo)

  • Mya, Myu, Myo: ミャ (mya), ミュ (myu), ミョ (myo)

  • Rya, Ryu, Ryo: リャ (rya), リュ (ryu), リョ (ryo)

Practical Linguistic Context: Katakana in Commercial Environments

• Katakana functions prominently in retail, technical descriptions, and marketing signage, as illustrated by a consumer evaluating electronics/hair appliances in a retail store.

• Linguistic Analysis of Commercial In-Store Signage:

  • セール!! (sēru!!):

  • English loanword denoting "Sale!!".

  • Utilizes the chōonpu (ー), a horizontal lengthening bar indicating that the preceding vowel sound is elongated by one mora (se + ー + ru = sēru).

  • ツヤツヤ (tsuyatsuya):

  • Japanese mimetic word/phenomime (gitaigo) describing a glossy, lustrous, shiny appearance.

  • Frequently deployed on hair dryers and beauty products to denote smooth, lustrous hair.

  • サラサラ (sarasara):

  • Japanese mimetic word (gitaigo) denoting a smooth, silky, non-sticky, free-flowing state.

  • In cosmetic marketing, it indicates hair that flows without tangling or friction.

Reference Portals and Educational Indices

• Official digital audio references and pedagogical pronunciation resources developed by NHK WORLD-JAPAN:

  • Hiragana Pronunciation Guide: https://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/lesson/id/letters/hiragana.html

  • Katakana Pronunciation Guide: https://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/lesson/id/letters/katakana.html

• Source Pagination Index:

  • Page 156: Basic Hiragana syllabary chart (Gojūon, Dakuon, Handakuon)

  • Page 157: Hiragana Contracted Sounds (Yōon) reference table

  • Page 158: Basic Katakana syllabary chart (Gojūon, Dakuon, Handakuon)

  • Page 159: Katakana Contracted Sounds (Yōon) table and commercial visual application guide