Writing system · Foundation
Small ゃ・ゅ・ょ combinations
Read combinations such as きゃ, しゅ and ちょ as joined sounds.
In short
A small ゃ, ゅ or ょ combines with a preceding i-row kana to form a new syllable-like sound such as kya, shu or cho.
How it works
Keep the second kana visibly small: きゃ is kya, while きや is kiya. The same pattern works in katakana, for example キャ, シュ and チョ.
Useful contrast
These combinations are spelling units, not two independent full-size kana read separately.
Examples
きょう
today
しゅくだい
homework
Common pitfall
Size matters. A full-size や/ゆ/よ changes the reading and may create a different word or an invalid spelling.