Basic hiragana and katakana chart for starters
Here is a basic hiragana and katakana chart for starters, showing the 46 fundamental characters of each alphabet with their romaji (Romanized pronunciation):
Hiragana Chart
Hiragana is the native Japanese syllabary used for grammar endings, common words, children’s books, and everyday writing. The 46 basic hiragana are arranged in a traditional gojūon order, which groups sounds by vowel and consonant rows.
| Line | Characters (Hiragana) | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | あ い う え お | a i u e o |
| K | か き く け こ | ka ki ku ke ko |
| S | さ し す せ そ | sa shi su se so |
| T | た ち つ て と | ta chi tsu te to |
| N | な に ぬ ね の | na ni nu ne no |
| H | は ひ ふ へ ほ | ha hi fu he ho |
| M | ま み む め も | ma mi mu me mo |
| Y | や ゆ よ | ya yu yo |
| R | ら り る れ ろ | ra ri ru re ro |
| W | わ を | wa (wo) |
| N | ん | n |
A few sounds deserve special attention. し is pronounced shi, ち is chi, つ is tsu, and ふ is closest to fu, not the English hu or foo. The character を is usually pronounced o in modern speech, even though wo is still often used in romaji tables for clarity.
Katakana Chart
Katakana uses the same 46 basic sounds as hiragana, but the characters look different and are used in different contexts. Katakana is most often used for foreign loanwords, brand names, scientific terms, emphasis, and many animal or machine sounds written as onomatopoeia.
| Line | Characters (Katakana) | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | ア イ ウ エ オ | a i u e o |
| K | カ キ ク ケ コ | ka ki ku ke ko |
| S | サ シ ス セ ソ | sa shi su se so |
| T | タ チ ツ テ ト | ta chi tsu te to |
| N | ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ | na ni nu ne no |
| H | ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ | ha hi fu he ho |
| M | マ ミ ム メ モ | ma mi mu me mo |
| Y | ヤ ユ ヨ | ya yu yo |
| R | ラ リ ル レ ロ | ra ri ru re ro |
| W | ワ ヲ | wa (wo) |
| N | ン | n |
Katakana is especially useful for reading signs, menus, menus in Japanese-language apps, and product names. A word like コーヒー is immediately recognizable as kōhī (“coffee”), while テレビ is terebi (“television”). Long vowel marks in katakana, such as the line in コーヒー, are a separate symbol and are common in borrowed words.
How to use the chart
Japanese writing works best when the sounds are learned as units, not as isolated letters. Each kana represents a syllable or sound pattern, so か is read as ka, not as a single consonant plus a separate vowel.
A practical learning order is:
- Learn the five vowels first: あ い う え お / ア イ ウ エ オ.
- Add the K, S, T, N, and H rows.
- Practice Y, M, R, W, and the standalone ん/ン.
- Move on to voiced, semi-voiced, and small kana after the basics feel automatic.
Frequent confusion usually comes from similar-looking pairs such as し/シ and つ/ツ, or from mixing up the rounded hiragana shapes with the sharper katakana forms. Reading both scripts side by side helps build fast recognition.
These kana charts are fundamental for reading and writing Japanese, and mastering them is the first step in learning the language. 1, 2, 3
Memorization tips that actually help
Kana becomes easier when it is tied to pronunciation and repeated in short, mixed practice rather than copied line by line for hours. Reading aloud strengthens the link between sound and symbol, which is especially useful because Japanese spelling is highly regular compared with English.
Useful practice methods include:
- Flashcards with one kana on the front and romaji plus a sample word on the back.
- Writing each row from memory after tracing it a few times.
- Grouping look-alikes together, such as ぬ/め, さ/ち, or シ/ツ.
- Reading simple words out loud instead of only reciting the chart.
For spoken Japanese, active conversation practice helps lock in kana recognition because words are heard, read, and produced in context rather than memorized in isolation.
Common beginner mistakes
One common mistake is reading every symbol with English-style consonants. Japanese kana are syllables, so か is ka and ち is chi, not separate pieces that can be split the way English spelling often works.
Another frequent error is assuming hiragana and katakana are different sound systems. They represent the same basic sounds; the difference is function and appearance. Hiragana is used for native Japanese grammar and everyday words, while katakana signals borrowed or specialized vocabulary.
A third mistake is ignoring the long vowel mark in katakana. The word コンピューター is not read as separate clipped syllables, but as a longer borrowed pronunciation: konpyūtā.
Quick reference: what each script is for
- Hiragana: grammar endings, native Japanese words, and words that are commonly written in kana.
- Katakana: loanwords, foreign names, emphasis, technical terms, and many sound effects.
- Both scripts: the same basic sounds, arranged in parallel charts for easier learning.
Once the 46 basic kana are comfortable, the next step is usually the voiced sounds with dakuten, such as が, ざ, だ, and ば, plus the small kana used in combinations like きゃ and しゅ.