拗音(ようおん)

A phonetics term composed of 拗(よう) (twisted, bent) and 音(おん) (sound). The name reflects the idea that these sounds are 'bent' or modified versions of the base syllable.

The kana system

拗音(ようおん) is one of several categories of Japanese sounds:

• 直音(ちょくおん): straight sounds — the basic single kana (か, き, く, etc.)
• 拗音(ようおん): contracted sounds — combinations like きゃ, しゅ, ちょ
• 促音(そくおん): double consonant — the small っ (e.g., きって)
• 撥音(はつおん): nasal sound — the syllabic ん
• 長音(ちょうおん): long vowel — extended vowel sounds

Common collocations

• 拗音(ようおん)の発音(はつおん): pronunciation of contracted sounds
• 拗音(ようおん)の書(か)き方(かた): how to write contracted sounds
• 拗音(ようおん)を含(ふく)む言葉(ことば): words containing contracted sounds

Usage

In writing, the small kana (ゃ, ゅ, ょ) must be written smaller than regular kana. In horizontal writing, they sit at the bottom left of the character space. Mixing up large and small ya/yu/yo changes the meaning entirely: きょう (今日(きょう), today) vs. きよう (器用(きよう), skillful).