Small っ, Long Vowels and は: Hiragana Flashcards Guide
Three hiragana spelling rules beginners miss: small っ, long vowels and the particles は, へ and を. Plain explanations with audio for every example.
You know the hiragana, but some words still don't read the way you expect. That's usually one of three spelling rules: small っ (tsu), long vowels, or the particles は (wa), へ (e) and を (o). This guide explains all three in plain words, with audio for every example.
Learn them once, practise them with hiragana flashcards and real words, and they stop catching you out.
What Are the Three Spelling Rules?
| Rule | Example | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Small っ (tsu) | きって (kitte) | A short pause before the next sound. |
| Long vowels | おかあさん (okaasan) | A vowel is held for two beats. |
| Particles | わたしは (watashi wa) | は (ha) is read wa when it's a grammar word. |
What Does a Small っ (tsu) Do?
A small っ (tsu) isn't read tsu at all. It's a tiny pause, one beat long, before the next sound. In romaji, the next letter is doubled: きって (kitte).
Make it clearly smaller than a normal つ (tsu) when you write it. Listen to how the pause changes these words:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
きて | kite | come (the te-form of くる) |
きって | kitte | postage stamp |
おと | oto | sound |
おっと | otto | husband |
さか | saka | slope |
さっか | sakka | author |
How Do Long Vowels Work in Hiragana?
A long vowel is held for two beats. Hiragana writes it by adding a vowel character after the syllable.
| Ends in | Add | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| あ column | あ | おかあさん (okaasan) | mother |
| い column | い | おにいさん (oniisan) | older brother |
| う column | う | くうき (kuuki) | air |
| え column | え | おねえさん (oneesan) | older sister |
| お column | う | おとうさん (otousan) | father |
The one to watch: a long o is usually written with う (u), not お (o). That's why Tokyo is とうきょう (toukyou), with two long o sounds.
Does length really change the word?
Yes. Listen to these pairs. The only difference is one held sound.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
おばさん | obasan | aunt; a middle-aged woman |
おばあさん | obaasan | grandmother; an old woman |
おじさん | ojisan | uncle; a middle-aged man |
おじいさん | ojiisan | grandfather; an old man |
ゆき | yuki | snow |
ゆうき | yuuki | courage |
What are the exceptions?
Japan's official spelling rules list two groups that break the pattern. A few long o words use お (o), like おおきい (ookii, big). And many long e words are written えい (ei), like えいが (eiga, film).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
おおきい | ookii | big: お column + お |
とおい | tooi | far: お column + お |
こおり | koori | ice: お column + お |
えいが | eiga | film: え column + い |
とけい | tokei | clock, watch: え column + い |
せんせい | sensei | teacher: え column + い |
Why Is は (ha) Sometimes Read Wa?
Three hiragana are read differently when they're particles, the small grammar words that follow a noun. The spelling stays the same, but the sound changes.
| Particle | Read as | Job |
|---|---|---|
| は (wa) | wa | Marks the topic, like "as for" |
| へ (e) | e | Direction, like "to" or "towards" |
| を (o) | o | Marks the object, the thing being acted on |
は (wa): the topic
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
わたしは がくせいです。 | Watashi wa gakusei desu. | I'm a student. |
きょうは あついです。 | Kyou wa atsui desu. | It's hot today. |
こんにちは | Konnichiwa | Hello / Good afternoon |
こんばんは | Konbanwa | Good evening |
When は (ha) is part of a word, not a particle, it keeps its normal sound:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
はな | hana | flower |
はし | hashi | chopsticks; bridge |
はは | haha | (my) mother |
へ (e): the direction
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
がっこうへ いきます。 | Gakkou e ikimasu. | I go to school. |
ようこそ にほんへ。 | Youkoso Nihon e. | Welcome to Japan. |
へや | heya | room (here へ is a normal he) |
を (o): the object
を (o) sounds exactly like お (o), and it's used almost only as this particle. In the flashcards and on a keyboard it's typed wo.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
みずを のみます。 | Mizu o nomimasu. | I drink water. |
ほんを よみます。 | Hon o yomimasu. | I read a book. |
てを あらいます。 | Te o araimasu. | I wash my hands. |
How Do You Practise These With Hiragana Flashcards?
Character flashcards drill single characters, so these rules are best practised with whole words. Here's how to fit them in:
- Make sure the basics are solid. Run a full round of the hiragana flashcards first.
- Read words with っ (tsu) and long vowels. The Hiragana Words flashcards are full of them.
- Clap the beats. がっこう (gakkou, school) is four claps: ga, pause, ko, o.
- Read short sentences. Spot each particle and say it the right way.
- Day 1: small っ (tsu). Read the pairs above out loud.
- Day 2: long vowels. Clap the beats in each word.
- Day 3: the particles は (wa), へ (e) and を (o).
- Every day: 10 minutes of Hiragana Words flashcards.
- Say every word out loud before you play the audio.
Any Tips to Remember These Rules?
- Think in beats, not letters. Every hiragana character is one beat, and so are っ (tsu) and the extra vowel in a long sound. Counting beats tells you exactly how long a word should be.
- Picture the pause. A small っ (tsu) is like holding your breath for a moment before the next sound, the way you might say "hot tea" quickly.
- Particles come after nouns. If は (ha), へ (he) or を (wo) sits right after a word like わたし (watashi) or がっこう (gakkou), it's a particle, so read it wa, e or o.
- Learn the exceptions as words. Don't try to memorise a rule for おおきい (ookii). Just learn the word.
What Mistakes Do Beginners Make?
- Reading っ (tsu) as tsu. It's a pause, not a sound.
- Rushing long vowels. おばあさん (obaasan, grandmother) and おばさん (obasan, aunt) are different people.
- Reading the particle は (wa) as ha. In こんにちは (konnichiwa), it's wa.
- Trusting English spellings. "Tokyo" hides two long vowels: とうきょう (toukyou).
What Comes Next?
- Lots of reading practice with these rules: Hiragana Reading Practice.
- Typing っ (tsu) and を (wo) on a keyboard: Typing Hiragana.
- Katakana writes long vowels with a dash instead: the katakana long vowel mark and small tsu.
Where Can You Practise for Free?
The hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com are free for all 46 basic characters and the dakuten sets, with audio and accuracy tracking. Once those are solid, the Hiragana Words flashcards give you real words to read.
Practise the Words
Tap a card to flip it.
Frequently asked questions
What does a small っ (tsu) do?
It adds a short pause before the next sound. きって (kitte) is ki, a tiny stop, then te. In romaji the next letter is doubled.
How do you write long vowels in hiragana?
Add a vowel after the syllable: おかあさん (okaasan, mother). For a long o you usually add う (u), as in とうきょう (toukyou, Tokyo).
Why is は (ha) read wa sometimes?
When は (wa) is the topic particle, it's read wa: わたしは (watashi wa). Everywhere else, like はな (hana, flower), it's read ha. Greetings like こんにちは (konnichiwa) end in the particle too.
Is を (wo) pronounced wo or o?
It's said o, the same as お (o). It's typed and often written wo in romaji to tell it apart.
How do I hear the difference between おばさん (obasan) and おばあさん (obaasan)?
Count the beats. おばさん (obasan) has four and おばあさん (obaasan) has five, because the long a is held for an extra beat. Play both and clap along.
Why is えいが (eiga) written with い (i) and not え (e)?
Japan's official spelling rules write many long e sounds as えい (ei). Many people say it with a long e, but you write い (i).
Make These Rules Automatic
Three rules, and you can read almost any hiragana word correctly. Learn them here, then practise with hiragana flashcards and real words until you stop noticing them.
Open the free hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com, warm up with a full round, then read ten words with っ (tsu) and long vowels.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō), Modern Kana Usage (Gendai kanazukai), Cabinet Notice No. 1, 1986: small っ (tsu) and long vowels. https://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/sisaku/joho/joho/kijun/naikaku/gendaikana/honbun_dai1.html
- Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō), Modern Kana Usage: the particles は (wa), へ (e) and を (o), long vowels with お (o) and え (e) sounds written えい (ei). https://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/sisaku/joho/joho/kijun/naikaku/gendaikana/honbun_dai2.html