Katakana · 12 min
Dakuten and small katakana
Read voiced sounds and contracted combinations in loanwords.
- Recognize the main idea in dakuten and small katakana.
- Use one clear example before you begin the quiz.
- Build confidence with a small, repeatable step.
Katakana uses dakuten, handakuten, and small vowels to represent sounds in foreign words.
Expanded sounds
ガ, ザ, ダ, バ, and パ are voiced or plosive versions of familiar rows. Small ャ, ュ, ョ create combinations.
Listen for the detail
A small vowel can change the rhythm and sound of a word, especially in imported vocabulary.
Study these forms
Read each character in order. These two-character drills practice sound decoding; some are sound sequences rather than vocabulary words. ガア (ga-a) · ギア (gi-a) · グア (gu-a) · ゲア (ge-a) · ゴア (go-a) · ザア (za-a) · ジア (ji-a) · ズア (zu-a) · ゼア (ze-a) · ゾア (zo-a) · ダア (da-a) · デア (de-a) · ドア (do-a) · バア (ba-a) · ビア (bi-a) · ブア (bu-a) · ベア (be-a) · ボア (bo-a) · パア (pa-a) · ピア (pi-a) · プア (pu-a) · ペア (pe-a) · ポア (po-a) · シャア (sha-a) · シュア (shu-a)
More reading practice
ショア (sho-a) · ガイ (ga-i) · ギイ (gi-i) · グイ (gu-i) · ゲイ (ge-i) · ゴイ (go-i) · ザイ (za-i) · ジイ (ji-i) · ズイ (zu-i) · ゼイ (ze-i) · ゾイ (zo-i) · ダイ (da-i) · デイ (de-i) · ドイ (do-i) · バイ (ba-i) · ビイ (bi-i) · ブイ (bu-i) · ベイ (be-i) · ボイ (bo-i) · パイ (pa-i) · ピイ (pi-i) · プイ (pu-i) · ペイ (pe-i) · ポイ (po-i) · シャイ (sha-i)
Put it together
Look at the examples once more. Notice the small detail that makes this katakana lesson different from the one before it.
Guided examples
Use this example while studying dakuten and small katakana.
Try to recognize it before you start the quiz.
Before the quiz, can you recognize the key form from dakuten and small katakana?
ga-a
Show the answer
ga-a · This is one of the forms introduced in the lesson. Say it aloud and connect it to the explanation above.
Remember the main pattern from dakuten and small katakana and use the examples as your first reference. A short review is useful learning, not a setback.