Hiragana & Katakana– category –
Master hiragana and katakana, the two phonetic alphabets that unlock all of Japanese. Takes 2-4 weeks. See /japanese-kana-guide/ for a complete learning guide.
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Hiragana & Katakana
Hiragana K, S, T, N Rows: Full Guide with Examples and Memory Tricks
【The Core Consonant Rows of Hiragana】 After the five vowels (あいうえお), the K, S, T, and N rows form the most essential consonant sounds in Japanese. Combined, these 20 characters give you the building blocks for hundreds of common w... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Hiragana vs Katakana: Combined Review and Study Strategy
【You've Learned Both — Now What?】 Many learners reach a frustrating plateau: they know hiragana well, katakana less well, and mixing both in real text feels overwhelming. This article shows you how to bridge the gap and start reading n... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Japanese Kana Reading Practice: 50 Exercises from Beginner to Intermediate
【How to Use This Practice Guide】 This article gives you 50 kana reading exercises across four levels. Cover the answers, attempt to read each word or sentence aloud, then check. Work at your own pace — the goal is zero hesitation, not ... -
Hiragana & Katakana
The Katakana Long Vowel Mark (ー): How and When to Use It
【What Is the Long Vowel Mark?】 The horizontal line ー (called the choonpu, 長音符) appears constantly in katakana text. It simply means: extend the previous vowel for one extra beat. Examples: コーヒー = ko-o-hi-i = "koohii" (coffee) —... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Katakana for English Speakers: The Complete Learning Guide
【Why Katakana Is Easier Than You Think】 Many English-speaking learners dread katakana because it looks "spiky" and foreign. But here's the good news: once you know what katakana is used for, your English knowledge becomes a huge asset.... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Hiragana H, M, Y, R, W Rows: Full Guide with Stroke Order and Examples
【Overview: The Final Rows of Hiragana】 After mastering the A, K, S, T, and N rows, these five rows complete the hiragana syllabary. They include some of the trickiest characters for beginners — especially the R-row (which has no Englis... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Katakana Loanwords: 100 Essential Words Every Japanese Learner Should Know
【Why Katakana Loanwords Are Your Secret Weapon】 Here's a fact that often surprises beginners: as an English speaker learning Japanese, you already "know" thousands of Japanese words. Japanese has borrowed extensively from English, and ... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Kana Reading Speed: How to Stop Sounding Out Every Character
【The "Sounding Out" Problem】 When most learners first read hiragana or katakana, they go character by character: "That's... き... and that's... ょ... and that's... う...". This is normal at first, but it stalls reading comprehension an... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Japanese Yoon: How Compound Kana Sounds Work (きゃ, しゅ, にょ…)
【What Is Yoon (拗音)?】 Yoon (拗音) are compound sounds formed by combining a consonant kana with a small や, ゆ, or よ. The small kana is written at half-size and is pronounced together with the preceding kana in a single beat (one mor... -
Hiragana & Katakana
Confusing Kana Pairs: A Complete Guide to Similar-Looking Hiragana and Katakana
【Why So Many Characters Look Alike?】 Hiragana and katakana were both derived from Chinese characters (kanji), which means some ended up looking remarkably similar. For beginners, certain pairs cause constant confusion — you read one, b...
