The 3 Lies of the Gojuon Table

📢 How to Read This Article

This article uses IPA (the International Phonetic Alphabet): you'll see symbols like [ɕ], [tɕ], [ts], [ɸ], [ç]. You don't need to know how to read them — each section explains the sounds with plain English comparisons and mouth-position descriptions. To hear the actual sounds, check the YouTube video at the end of the article.

Introduction

Look at the gojuon table — the Japanese "alphabet." Everything looks neat and organized. The Sa-row is all S sounds. The Ta-row is all T sounds. The Ha-row is all H sounds.

Except... that's not true.

The gojuon table is hiding lies from you. Romanization (romaji) covers up what the sounds actually are. In this article, we expose 3 lies hidden in the table, plus a bonus. Once you know them, you'll immediately become more aware of your pronunciation.

Lie 1: Sa-row — し is NOT [si]

Audio from the video

Listen to the difference between す and し

30 seconds

A clip from a short YouTube video, explanation included.

Read the transcript

Japanese し is not “si.” It’s a completely different tongue position.

Try this. Say すし — sushi.

The す? Clean S sound. Tongue behind your teeth.

But し? Your tongue pulls back toward the roof of your mouth.

That shift is called palatalization.

English “see” — tongue stays forward.

Japanese し is closer to “she” without the long vowel.

Concept

In romaji, the Sa-row reads: Sa, Shi, Su, Se, So.

Wait — "Shi" already looks different, right?

さ, す, せ, そ use a normal S sound [s]. Your tongue tip sits behind your teeth.

But し is a completely different consonant. Your tongue pulls back toward the hard palate (the roof of your mouth). In phonetics, it's written as [ɕ] — a separate symbol from S. They are genuinely different consonants.

Here's what matters: Japanese し is NOT the same as English "see." It's closer to English "she" — softer, with the tongue further back.

Examples

寿司すし— sushi
- Inside this one word, there are two different consonants: す [s] and し [ɕ]
新しん幹かん線せん— shinkansen
- し and せ are both in the Sa-row, but they use different consonants
おさしみ — sashimi
- さ [sa] and し [ɕi]: when you say it slowly, you can feel your tongue shifting position

Common Mistakes

❌ NG	✅ OK	Why
Pronouncing し as [si] (like English "see")	Pronouncing し as [ɕi] (tongue toward palate)	Japanese し is palatalized — a different consonant from S
Using the "s" from "see"	Using a softer sound closer to "she"	The tongue position is further back

Quiz 1 Practice

Challenge: Say す and し alternating slowly.

す → tongue stays forward (normal S)

し → tongue pulls back (palatalized sound)

If you can feel your tongue moving, you've uncovered Lie 1.

Try more questions →

Lie 2: Ta-row — ち is NOT [ti], つ is NOT [tu]

Example sentences

ち and ティ

13 seconds

The example sentences, recorded one by one.

Read the transcript

ち。
the sound ち

ティ。
the sound ティ

チーズ。
cheese

ミルクティー。
milk tea

チーズをください。
Cheese, please.

ミルクティーをください。
Milk tea, please.

Example sentences

と and トゥ

6 seconds

The example sentences, recorded one by one.

Read the transcript

と。
the sound と

トゥ。
the sound トゥ

と。
the sound と

トゥ。
the sound トゥ

Audio from the video

Listen to why ち and つ are not T sounds

30 seconds

A clip from a short YouTube video, explanation included.

Read the transcript

Chi, tsu — they look like T-row sounds.

But your mouth is doing something completely different.

ち is not “ti.” It’s an affricate — like “ch” in “cheese.”

つ is not “tu.” It’s “ts” — like the end of “cats.”

Try ちず — map.

Say “tizu” — sounds wrong, right?

ち needs that “ch” sound.