つ
tsu
Hiragana つ (tsu)
- Reads astsu
- ScriptHiragana
- Katakana pair ツ
- Rowt
Remember it
A wave just starting to curl. The tsunami kana.
Words that use it
- つき tsuki moon 月
- くつ kutsu shoes 靴
Don't confuse it with
つ lies on its side; し stands up. They are the same hook rotated, and う is the one with a separate tick on top.
Watch out
A small っ is not a つ sound at all. It doubles the consonant that follows: きって is kit-te, not ki-tsu-te. Size is the only thing separating them, so watch it in handwriting.