The consonant for this column is S, so all five members of this group will be S followed by one of the five vowels, in order.
- さ [SA]
- し [SHI]
- す [SU]
- せ [SE]
- そ [SO]
Of note here is that the second character in this column, し, is pronounced as SHI (like in “sheet”), and typically written this way in Romanized Japanese for this reason. However, it is not unheard of for it to be written as SI, especially for materials intended for Japanese audiences.
How to Write
For reference, here is a quick review of the general rules for stroke order:
- All characters should fill a square of about the same size
- Top to bottom, left to right
- Horizontal strokes before vertical strokes that intersect them
With せ [SE], note that even though the second stroke is furthest to the right, it is also the highest stroke remaining after the horizontal stroke has been drawn.
Vocabulary Practice
The following words can be written using only the characters we have covered so far. Once you’ve practiced reading them a couple of times, try writing them on a piece of paper without looking and see how well you do.
- すし [su shi] sushi
- さす [sa su] to point at
- せい [se i] height
- そこ [so ko] there (near the listener)
Onward!
When you’re ready, click here to move on to Group 4: T!
