“u” as in youth “i” as in easy “a” as in father

3 2 1

う Hawa い “Open your mouth and say ‘Ah,’”

Ew! There’s a bug on your ear! the two “i’s” in Hawaii says the dentist.

“ka” as in car “o” as in oak “e” as in red

6 5 4

9
“Kah!” A crow cries as it flies
to a tree on the top of a cliff.

“ke” as in Kevin
お
8
Oh! A hole in one!

“ku” as in cuckoo
7
え
An elf is hanging ornaments
on a Christmas tree.

“ki” as in key

く
Kendo is a traditional Japanese
sport using wooden swords. a cuckoo’s beak a key

さ
“shi” as in she “sa” as in saw “ko” as in koala
12 11 10

し
She has a ponytail.
He saw something
that made him smile.
こ
A koala is climbing a tree.
 “so” as in “se” as in set “su” as in super
15 sewing machine
14 13

そ せ It’s another perfect dive

Fix the rip by sewing a zigzag stitch. Mother sets Baby on her lap. by Super Diver.

“tsu” as in tsunami “chi” as in cheer “ta” as in talk

18 17 16

つ
Tsunami waves can be
very destructive.
ち a cheerleader
た “t” and “a” spell “ta”

と
“na” as in to gnaw “to” as in toe “te” as in ten
21 20 19

て
The shape of “te” is in the palm of
your right hand, and the word for
A beaver is gnawing on a tree. Ouch! There’s a thorn in my toe! “hand” in Japanese is “te.”

“ne” as in nest “nu” as in new “ni” as in knee

24 23 22

ねa nest in a tree
ぬ a new bicycle a knee
 “hi” as in he “ha” as in hall “no” as in no
27 26 25

の
He has a big smile on his face. a hockey player “No parking!”

ɒ
“ho” as in hold “he” as in heaven “fu” as in who
30 29 28 (except the lips are
less rounded, and more
air escapes from the mouth)

ほ
Holding the hockey stick
with two hands he is ready to play!
an arrow pointing to heaven
ふ
Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano.
(Pronounce “fu” without touching
the upper teeth and lower lip.)

“mu” as in moo “mi” as in me “ma” as in mop

33 32 31

む Moo!
み
Who is number 21? Me!
ま
He will mop the floor.

やも
“ya” as in yarn “mo” as in more “me” as in Mexico
36 35 34

100% wool yarn

You can catch more fish
with more bait.
め This bicycle needs a mechanic.
 よ ゆ
“ra” as in Rah! Rah! Rah! “yo” as in yo-yo “yu” as in you
39 38 37

ら
Using a megaphone the fan cheered
for the team: Rah! Rah! Rah! a yo-yo You stabbed the fish!

る
“re” as in radio “ru” as in ruby “ri” as in ring
42 41 40

れ The radio tower was

struck by lightning. three (3) rubies
り
a ring on your finger

“o” as in old “wa” as in water “ro” as in roll

45 44 43

わ
(same pronunciation as お)

を
“Whoa!” calls the cowboy
to his horse. (the “w” is dropped
in modern Japanese) A waterfall is rushing past a tree. The three (3) rubies rolled away!

“n”as in ink
46 (pronounced by touching
the back of the tongue
to the roof of the mouth)

The single consonant syllable

“n” looks and sounds a little like
the English letter “n.”