hiragana ta-chi-tsu-te-to

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/beginners/hiragana/chapter_4

た　ta - looks like a "ta"
たこ　tako octopus
うた uta song
けいたい keitai cellphone

ち　chi - It looks like a CHEAp version of the number 5
ちち　chi chi - father
くち　kuchi - mouth

つ　tsu - It looks like a wave from a TSUnami (tidal wave) ***
あつい　[熱い] atsui - hot
いつ　itsu - when?
Note: small つ　means a pause between syllables
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/beginners/hiragana/SmallTsu
ちょっと　chotto little　(cho == chi+yo combined http://www.thejapanesepage.com/beginners/hiragana/Combinationstwo)
ざっし　zasshi magazine

て　te - It looks like a TErrible seven (two strokes)
すてき　suteki - nice
手　te - hands

と to - It looks like someone's big TOE
そと　soto - outside
あと　ato - later