Hiragana and katakana are the two phonetic alphabets of Japanese. Every learner starts here — mastering kana unlocks your ability to read, write, and pronounce Japanese correctly.
Start Here: Hiragana
Hiragana (ひらがな) is used for native Japanese words, grammatical endings, and words without kanji. It has 46 base characters and is the first alphabet you should learn.
| Row | Characters | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | あ い う え お | a, i, u, e, o |
| K-row | か き く け こ | ka, ki, ku, ke, ko |
| S-row | さ し す せ そ | sa, shi, su, se, so |
| T-row | た ち つ て と | ta, chi, tsu, te, to |
| N-row | な に ぬ ね の | na, ni, nu, ne, no |
| H-row | は ひ ふ へ ほ | ha, hi, fu, he, ho |
| M-row | ま み む め も | ma, mi, mu, me, mo |
| Y-row | や ゆ よ | ya, yu, yo |
| R-row | ら り る れ ろ | ra, ri, ru, re, ro |
| W-row + N | わ を ん | wa, wo, n |
Next: Katakana
Katakana (カタカナ) is used for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. It mirrors hiragana exactly in sound — only the shapes differ.
| Row | Characters |
|---|---|
| Vowels | ア イ ウ エ オ |
| K-row | カ キ ク ケ コ |
| S-row | サ シ ス セ ソ |
| T-row | タ チ ツ テ ト |
| N-row | ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ |
Common Kana Confusion Points
Some hiragana characters look similar and trip up beginners. Watch out for these pairs:
- め (me) vs ぬ (nu) — the loop direction differs
- わ (wa) vs ね (ne) — ね has a loop at the bottom
- る (ru) vs ろ (ro) — る has an extra tail
- ソ (so) vs ン (n) — orientation is the key in katakana
- シ (shi) vs ツ (tsu) — stroke direction, not just shape
How to Practice Kana
The most effective approach: learn hiragana first (1–2 weeks), then katakana (1 week). Use spaced repetition, write each character by hand repeatedly, and immediately start reading simple hiragana text to reinforce recognition.
- Write each character 5–10 times per study session
- Use flashcard apps (Anki, Quizlet) with audio
- Read hiragana-only children’s books or NHK Web Easy
- Practice reading katakana on food packaging and menus
Explore More
Once you can read kana, the rest of Japanese opens up. Continue your learning journey:
📖 Grammar Hub — Learn particles, verb forms, and sentence patterns
📝 Vocabulary Hub — Build your word bank from N5 to N1
📊 Kanji Hub — Start kanji after mastering kana
🎯 JLPT Prep — Use your kana knowledge in JLPT study
💬 Conversation Phrases — Put kana to use in real speech
Explore All Japanese Learning Hubs
Start Learning Japanese — Where to begin
Hiragana & Katakana — Master kana first
Kanji — 909 kanji articles from N5 to N2
Grammar — Particles, verb forms, sentence patterns
Vocabulary — Word lists from N5 to N1
Conversation Phrases — 360 practical daily phrases
JLPT Prep — Exam strategy and practice
Reading & Listening — Go beyond textbook Japanese
Common Mistakes — What English speakers get wrong
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