Shiragana Katakana Charts: Your Ultimate Guide to Japanese Scripts

Before you build sentences, you need to master the sounds—and that starts with hiragana and katakana.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Japanese Scripts

Japanese uses three scripts together: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. The first two are phonographic (sound-based) and map to morae (timing units), not English-style syllables.¹ A key point for pronunciation is the vowel /u/, typically realized as an unrounded [ɯ] in Tokyo Japanese—different from English /u/.²

“Japanese is often described as mora-timed: each mora occupies roughly equal time.”³

Why start with kana?

• Immediate access: Sound out menus, labels, and app UI—even without kanji.⁴
• Accurate pronunciation: Fixed five-vowel system /a i ɯ e o/.²
• Grammar visibility: Particles (は, を, に, へ), endings (食べる, 高い), and many function words appear in hiragana.
• Learning flow: Kana → core words → graded readers with furigana → kanji.

Micro-drill (60s): Read the five vowels aloud—あ, い, う, え, お / ア, イ, ウ, エ, オ—slow to fast, keeping vowel quality pure.

How to Read the Kana Grid (Gojūon)

The gojūon is a 10×5 grid: rows = consonants (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w, nasal), columns = vowels (a / i / u / e / o). Internalizing this map lets you reconstruct a kana you’ve forgotten by combining row sound + vowel.⁵

“Hiragana and katakana represent the same set of sounds, arranged by consonant rows and vowel columns.”⁴

Core grid & irregulars

• shi, chi, tsu, fu are the main romanization quirks; their sounds approximate [ɕi], [t͡ɕi], [t͡sɯ], [ɸɯ].²
• ん/ン stands alone (nasal mora) and coarticulates slightly before different consonants (don’t overthink yet).¹
• Historical kana ゐ/ヰ (wi) and ゑ/ヱ (we) are obsolete in modern spelling.⁴

Katakana small vowels

Katakana has ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, ォ to form foreign sounds (e.g., ティ, フォ, ウェ). You’ll meet these in brand names and tech terms.⁶

Try this: If you see キョ, think “k-row + o-column with small よ” → one mora kyo, not ki-yo.

What Is Hiragana?

“Shiragana” is a common misspelling—the correct term is hiragana (ひらがな).

Hiragana is the default script for native words and grammar. Expect it in:

• Particles: は (wa), を (o), に (ni), へ (e)
• Okurigana: verb/adjective endings after kanji (食べる, 高い)
• Function words: そして (and), でも (but), だから (so)

Examples in context

• わたしは 日本料理が 好きです。
  watashi wa nihon-ryōri ga suki desu.
• 本を 読みます。
  hon o yomimasu.

Quick starter list (hiragana only)

Practice: Copy the sentences by hand. Focus on stroke order and consistent size—legibility grows fast.

Basic Hiragana Chart (excerpt with audio)

What Is Katakana?

Katakana writes the same sounds but signals loanwords, foreign names, onomatopoeia, and emphasis (like italics in English). It also uses small vowels (ァィゥェォ) to approximate foreign clusters like ティ, ファ, ウィ.⁷⁶

“Train your eye to spot ッ and ー—they carry much of the rhythm in katakana loanwords.”⁸

Where katakana appears most

Mixing example:
コーヒー (coffee, katakana) の (of, hiragana) 価格 (price, kanji) → real-world text constantly mixes all three.⁴

Katakana Chart (excerpt with audio)

Voicing with Dakuten & Handakuten

Two tiny marks expand the sound system:

• Dakuten (゛): k→g, s→z, t→d, h→b
• Handakuten (゜): h→p (only the h-row)⁹

“Dakuten indicate that the consonant of a kana is voiced; handakuten mark the p-series.”⁹

Transformation table (hiragana shown; katakana analogous)

Usage notes:

• ぢ / づ appear mostly through rendaku (compound voicing): e.g., はなぢ (nosebleed).[^^rendaku]
• For loanwords, ji = ジ, zu = ズ are standard.
• “di/du” in katakana often appear as ディ / ドゥ (see Extended Katakana).⁶

Complete reference (Hiragana)

* ぢ/づ occur mainly via rendaku; loanwords typically use ジ/ズ.¹⁰

Complete reference (Katakana)

Yōon (Small ゃゅょ / ャュョ)

Attach small ゃ/ゅ/ょ (or ャ/ュ/ョ) to an i-column kana to blend: き + ゃ = きゃ (kya) (one mora). This convention is standard in both scripts and part of gojūon extensions.⁶

Common pairs (both scripts)

Sokuon (Small っ / ッ): Double Consonants

Small っ/ッ marks a geminate (doubled) consonant and counts as one mora.¹¹ You’ll hear a tiny pause before k, s, t, p (e.g., きっぷ, カップ). Before ch, it surfaces as っち (まっちゃ). Don’t use っ for n—use ん (みんな).¹¹

“The sokuon indicates a geminate consonant and occupies one mora.”¹¹

Meaning-changing pairs

• さか (saka, hill) vs さっか (sakka, author)
• まて (mate, wait) vs まって (matte, wait! imperative)

Quick mapping

Typing tip: On standard IMEs, double the consonant to produce っ (e.g., kitto → きっと).¹²

Katakana Long Vowels (ー)

In katakana, long vowels are written with ー (chōonpu) and count as one mora: コーヒー, スーパー, ゲーム, メール.⁸

“The chōonpu is used primarily with katakana to indicate a long vowel.”⁸

Long vowels in hiragana (spelled differently)

Style note: Some loanwords have variant spellings (コンピュータ vs コンピューター). Both appear; follow the brand/publication style.⁸

Extended Katakana for Foreign Sounds

To approximate non-native sounds, katakana uses combos with small vowels: ファ/フィ/フェ/フォ, ティ/ディ, ウィ/ウェ/ウォ, チェ/ジェ.⁶

“Small vowel kana in katakana help transcribe foreign sounds like ティ, ファ, ウィ.”⁶

Alternation: You’ll also see バイオリン instead of ヴァイオリン. Both are common; ヴ is more phonetic, バ/ビ/ブ/ベ/ボ is simpler to type.⁷

Common Look-Alikes (シ/ツ/ソ/ン, め/ぬ, る/ろ)

Visual confusion comes from stroke direction and tick angles. Even reference pages note シ/ツ/ソ/ン are similar in print; correct proportions and stroke order resolve most mix-ups.¹³

Katakana set

Hiragana set

Fix-it loop: Trace each pair slowly 10×, then read a 30-item mixed line for speed. Alternate hiragana and katakana to strengthen switching.

Stroke Order: Clear, Natural Handwriting

Good stroke order improves legibility, speed, and recognition—especially for similar shapes. The general rules—top→bottom, left→right; main strokes before finishing ticks—are standard across references.⁴

“Stroke order supports readability and faster recognition as shapes become consistent.” (paraphrased from standard pedagogy summaries)⁴

Three golden rules

1. Top → bottom, left → right
2. Long/main strokes before finishing ticks
3. Big shapes before small closures

Mini walk-throughs (print-style)

• あ: vertical (hook) → right curve → tiny diagonal finisher
• き: short top → long horizontal → vertical → sweeping curve (handwritten forms often connect the last two)
• カ: short diagonal → long diagonal
• タ: horizontal → vertical → diagonal

Practice grid (DIY)

• Draw a 3×3 box per kana.
• Row 1: trace printed model; Row 2: copy with guide dots; Row 3: freehand.
• Aim for consistent x-height and spacing.

How do I use the hiragana katakana chart to practice writing? （writing-practice-kana）

Learning kana sticks when you pair a hiragana katakana chart with guided handwriting. In this section you’ll use one-per-line widgets—each with a 3D demo and stroke-order practice—to turn recognition into muscle memory. Read the sound aloud, trace the strokes, then write from memory. Keep your lines light and consistent; speed comes last.

Mini routine (per character, ~30–45s):

1 Watch the 3D mouth + stroke order once.
2 Trace once, then write twice from memory.
3 Say the sound out loud (timing matters for small っ and long vowels ー you’ll meet later).

Your existing Writing widgets go here Example (keep the rest of your list exactly as you already have it): あ (a)

… (continue for い, う, え, お … and all katakana)

Hiragana — Basic 46

あ (a)

い (i)

う (u)

え (e)

お (o)

か (ka)

き (ki)

く (ku)

け (ke)

こ (ko)

さ (sa)

し (shi)

す (su)

せ (se)

そ (so)

た (ta)

ち (chi)

つ (tsu)

て (te)

と (to)

な (na)

に (ni)

ぬ (nu)

ね (ne)

の (no)

は (ha)

ひ (hi)

ふ (fu)

へ (he)

ほ (ho)

ま (ma)

み (mi)

む (mu)

め (me)

も (mo)

や (ya)

ゆ (yu)

よ (yo)

ら (ra)

り (ri)

る (ru)

れ (re)

ろ (ro)

わ (wa)

を (o)

ん (n)

Katakana — Basic 46

ア (a)

イ (i)

ウ (u)

エ (e)

オ (o)

カ (ka)

キ (ki)

ク (ku)

ケ (ke)

コ (ko)

サ (sa)

シ (shi)

ス (su)

セ (se)

ソ (so)

タ (ta)

チ (chi)

ツ (tsu)

テ (te)

ト (to)

ナ (na)

ニ (ni)

ヌ (nu)

ネ (ne)

ノ (no)

ハ (ha)

ヒ (hi)

フ (fu)

ヘ (he)

ホ (ho)

マ (ma)

ミ (mi)

ム (mu)

メ (me)

モ (mo)

ヤ (ya)

ユ (yu)

ヨ (yo)

ラ (ra)

リ (ri)

ル (ru)

レ (re)

ロ (ro)

ワ (wa)

ヲ (o)

ン (n)

Summary & next steps

• You just trained shape → stroke order → sound for every basic kana.
• If any shapes still feel “off,” slow down and check proportions (most mistakes are spacing/angle issues, not memory).
• Level up with: voiced rows (dakuten/handakuten), yōon blends (ゃゅょ / ャュョ), sokuon (small っ/ッ), and katakana long vowels (ー).
• Reinforce daily: write 5 kana from memory, type them with an IME, and read a short list of real words (loanwords for katakana work great).

Tip: Revisit stubborn pairs (シ/ツ/ソ/ン, め/ぬ, る/ろ) at the start of each session—10 slow traces beat 100 rushed ones.

Why You Need Both Charts

You can’t swap one for the other. Real text mixes scripts for function and style.

Mini showcase (mixed scripts):
コーヒー (katakana loanword) の (hiragana particle) 価格 (kanji) は (hiragana) 400円 です。
Even if you know kanji for 価格, you still need kana to read の/は and the katakana loanword コーヒー.⁴

Typical roles

• Hiragana: particles, endings, native function words.
• Katakana: foreign items, names, impact/emphasis.

Goal: Read kana-heavy environments (packaging, subway signs, app labels) without romaji.

Read the Chart Like a Pro (Mini Drills)

Short, frequent drills beat long crams.

8 rapid patterns (≈3 minutes)

1. Vowel column: あ→い→う→え→お / ア→イ→ウ→エ→オ
2. k-row: かきくけこ / カキクケコ
3. Mixed script: あ, イ, う, エ, お (alternate scripts each cell)
4. Yōon chain: きゃ→きゅ→きょ / キャ→キュ→キョ
5. Dakuten cascade: は→ば→ぱ, た→だ, さ→ざ
6. Sokuon timing: いっぽ, カップ, マット (clap per mora)
7. Long vowels: コー/ヒー/スーパー (hold the vowel)
8. Speed read (30s): Scan product labels; mark ッ and ー.

Track it: Log your words-per-minute (WPM) once daily; expect steady gains within a week.

Study Plans: Weekend or One-Week

Two structured schedules (weekend sprint vs one-week spaced) to move from the basic 46 to voicing marks, yōon, sokuon, chōonpu, extended combos. (In Japanese primary schooling, kana are covered first per MEXT-guided curricula.)¹⁴

Weekend Sprint (exposure-first)

• Sat AM: Hiragana Ø–t rows (read/write ×5)
• Sat PM: Hiragana n–w + ん; add dakuten/handakuten
• Sun AM: Katakana Ø–t rows
• Sun PM: Katakana n–w + ン; yōon/っ/ー drills
• Nightly: 15–20 min reading menus/packaging; 5 min handwriting; 10 min IME typing

One-Week Plan (stickier, spaced)

Self-test (Sun):

• Read both charts in ≤90 seconds.
• Dictation of 10 mixed words (teacher/friend/app audio).
• Zero confusion on シ/ツ/ソ/ン and る/ろ/ぬ/め.

Typing in Japanese (IME Cheat Sheet)

• Double consonant → っ; kya/sha/cha → きゃ/しゃ/ちゃ; - produces ー in katakana (ko-hi- → コーヒー).¹²
• ん → nn; を (object particle) → type wo.

“To type small っ, simply double the next consonant (e.g., kko).”¹²

Setup

• macOS: Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Japanese (Romaji)
• Windows: Time & Language → Language & Region → Add Japanese

Pro tips

• Small vowels: xa/xi/xu/xe/xo → ぁ/ぃ/ぅ/ぇ/ぉ
• Toggle between kana/romaji input with your IME hotkey (often ⌘/Alt + Space).
• Use conversion (spacebar) to pick the right kanji; hit F7 in some IMEs for katakana quickly.

Daily habit: Type your drills; recognition + handwriting + typing reinforce each other.

Printable Charts and Study Tools

Printing tips

• Landscape, large cells, high contrast.
• Put hiragana on one side, katakana on the other for quick flips.
• Color-code dakuten, yōon, and ッ/ー.

Study workflow

1. Read each row aloud (recognition).
2. Trace → copy → freehand (handwriting).
3. Type the same row (typing).
4. Shadow audio (timing & pitch).

“NHK News Web Easy offers news in simple Japanese with furigana, ideal for graded reading.”¹⁵

Best Apps for Practice

• Avatalks — Interactive kana with 3D mouth shapes and native audio; great for yōon + sokuon rhythm.
• Kana Town — Stroke order drills; handwriting recognition.
• Anki — SRS decks; add audio and tag look-alikes for targeted reviews.
• Write It! Japanese — Touchscreen writing, instant feedback.
• Duolingo — Light daily practice; pair with drills for depth.

How to choose: Prioritize audio fidelity, stroke-order guidance, and spaced repetition. Two 5-minute sessions beat one 10-minute block.

Common Mistakes Learners Make

FAQ (People also ask)

Q: Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
A: Learn hiragana first (core grammar, native words), then katakana for loanwords and emphasis. Many schools and guides recommend this order. oai_citation:0‡Japan Switch

Q: How many characters are in the hiragana and katakana charts?
A: Each has 46 basic characters (the gojūon), not counting diacritics and small kana. oai_citation:1‡Wikipedia

Q: What’s the difference between hiragana and katakana?
A: They map to the same sounds but serve different functions: hiragana for native words/grammar; katakana for loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. oai_citation:2‡Wikipedia

Q: What is the gojūon order in Japanese charts?
A: It’s the standard grid ordering by vowels (a-i-u-e-o) and consonant rows (k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w) with ん/ン alone. oai_citation:3‡Wikipedia

Q: How do I type hiragana/katakana on my keyboard (small っ, long vowels, etc.)?
A: Turn on a Japanese IME (macOS/Windows). Type double consonants for small っ (e.g., kitto → きっと) and use the hyphen to make katakana long vowels ー (ko-hi- → コーヒー). For a guided, hands-on walkthrough with bite-size drills and instant examples, try the Avatalks Kana Sprint—it includes IME setup tips and practice prompts you can follow step by step. Open Avatalks

Q: How are long vowels written in hiragana vs. katakana?
A: In hiragana, long vowels are usually written with another vowel (e.g., おう/おお, えい). In katakana, use the long vowel mark ー. oai_citation:5‡Tofugu

Q: What does the small tsu (っ / ッ) mean on the chart?
A: It marks a geminate (doubled) consonant—a short pause before the next sound (e.g., まって = matte). oai_citation:6‡Wikipedia

Q: What are yōon combinations like きゃ/キャ?
A: Add small ゃ/ュ/ョ to an i-column kana to blend sounds (kya, sha, cha, etc.). You’ll see them in both scripts. oai_citation:7‡Mezzofanti Guild

Q: Why are there two (actually three) Japanese “alphabets”?
A: Japanese uses three scripts: hiragana (grammar/native words), katakana (loanwords/emphasis), and kanji (meaning-bearing characters). oai_citation:8‡Wikipedia

Q: How is を pronounced—and why is it in the chart?
A: を is the object particle and is pronounced “o” in modern Japanese (historically “wo”); it mainly survives for orthographic clarity. oai_citation:9‡Wikipedia

Q: Can I learn hiragana/katakana in a week?
A: Yes—with focused daily drills, many learners cover the basic 46 in about a week. Pair short blocks of recognition → handwriting → IME typing for retention. For a guided track, try Avatalks Kana Sprint: a free 7-day plan with an interactive kana chart, audio + 3D mouth cues, stroke-order animations, and targeted drills for yōon/っ/ー. Start here.

Q: Where can I download printable hiragana/katakana charts?
A: Look for high-contrast, landscape PDFs that mark dakuten/handakuten, yōon (ゃゅょ), and ッ/ー. The Avatalks chart page provides printable-friendly tables plus interactive audio for quick checks—use them on paper or on-screen while you practice. Get charts on Avatalks

Final Word

A hiragana katakana chart gets you started; daily micro-practice gets you fluent. Read out loud, write a little, type a little—and keep katakana in the rotation. In a week, you’ll feel the difference on real-world text.

🔗 Related Reading

• How to Learn Japanese Words Fast: Proven Strategies for Success
• Chibi Japanese Meaning: What It Really Means in Anime and Pop Culture

References