noun
contracted sound; palatalized sound
In Japanese phonology, refers to morae that combine a consonant with a small kana (ゃ, ゅ, ょ), such as きゃ (kya), しゅ (shu), ちょ (cho).
「きゃ」「しゅ」「ちょ」などは拗音と呼ばれる。
Sounds like 'kya', 'shu', and 'cho' are called yōon (contracted sounds).