SH
シャシュショ — The SH Row
01
Read “sha, shu, sho”
The SH set is a full-size シ (shi) plus a small ャ, ュ, or ョ, each a single syllable: シ + ャ = シャ (sha), シ + ュ = シュ (shu), シ + ョ = ショ (sho). Because the base kana is シ (not “si”), the readings are “sha / shu / sho.” These are some of the most common combined kana in all of katakana.
One syllable: シャ is “sha,” one beat — not “si-ya” or “sya.” The small ャ ュ ョ sit at about half height in the lower right. Keep シ's two left marks distinct from the small kana beside it.
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Pronunciation at a glance
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Loanwords with the SH kana
The SH kana open a wide field of everyday loanwords. Here are two for each.
シャツshatsushirt
シャワーshawāshower
シュートshūtoshoot (sports)
シュガーshugāsugar
ショッピングshoppingushopping
ショーshōshow
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What's next
Next is the CH set (チャ チュ チョ) — built on チ, and read “cha, chu, cho.”