Practice JLPTHiragana & Katakana Charts
The complete Japanese phonetic alphabets with romaji readings for every hiragana and katakana character.
Tap the pencil on any character to see its stroke order and trace it yourself.
Hiragana ひらがな
Hiragana spells native Japanese words, grammar endings, and particles — learn it first.
Basic syllables (gojūon)
| Consonant | a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vowels | あa | いi | うu | えe | おo |
| k | かka | きki | くku | けke | こko |
| s | さsa | しshi | すsu | せse | そso |
| t | たta | ちchi | つtsu | てte | とto |
| n | なna | にni | ぬnu | ねne | のno |
| h | はha | ひhi | ふfu | へhe | ほho |
| m | まma | みmi | むmu | めme | もmo |
| y | やya | ゆyu | よyo | ||
| r | らra | りri | るru | れre | ろro |
| w | わwa | をwo | |||
| n | んn |
Voiced & semi-voiced (dakuten / handakuten)
| Consonant | a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| g | がga | ぎgi | ぐgu | げge | ごgo |
| z | ざza | じji | ずzu | ぜze | ぞzo |
| d | だda | ぢji | づzu | でde | どdo |
| b | ばba | びbi | ぶbu | べbe | ぼbo |
| p | ぱpa | ぴpi | ぷpu | ぺpe | ぽpo |
Combinations (yōon)
| Consonant | ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|---|
| ky | きゃkya | きゅkyu | きょkyo |
| sh | しゃsha | しゅshu | しょsho |
| ch | ちゃcha | ちゅchu | ちょcho |
| ny | にゃnya | にゅnyu | にょnyo |
| hy | ひゃhya | ひゅhyu | ひょhyo |
| my | みゃmya | みゅmyu | みょmyo |
| ry | りゃrya | りゅryu | りょryo |
| gy | ぎゃgya | ぎゅgyu | ぎょgyo |
| j | じゃja | じゅju | じょjo |
| by | びゃbya | びゅbyu | びょbyo |
| py | ぴゃpya | ぴゅpyu | ぴょpyo |
Katakana カタカナ
Katakana spells loanwords, foreign names, onomatopoeia, and words written for emphasis.
Basic syllables (gojūon)
| Consonant | a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vowels | アa | イi | ウu | エe | オo |
| k | カka | キki | クku | ケke | コko |
| s | サsa | シshi | スsu | セse | ソso |
| t | タta | チchi | ツtsu | テte | トto |
| n | ナna | ニni | ヌnu | ネne | ノno |
| h | ハha | ヒhi | フfu | ヘhe | ホho |
| m | マma | ミmi | ムmu | メme | モmo |
| y | ヤya | ユyu | ヨyo | ||
| r | ラra | リri | ルru | レre | ロro |
| w | ワwa | ヲwo | |||
| n | ンn |
Voiced & semi-voiced (dakuten / handakuten)
| Consonant | a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| g | ガga | ギgi | グgu | ゲge | ゴgo |
| z | ザza | ジji | ズzu | ゼze | ゾzo |
| d | ダda | ヂji | ヅzu | デde | ドdo |
| b | バba | ビbi | ブbu | ベbe | ボbo |
| p | パpa | ピpi | プpu | ペpe | ポpo |
Combinations (yōon)
| Consonant | ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|---|
| ky | キャkya | キュkyu | キョkyo |
| sh | シャsha | シュshu | ショsho |
| ch | チャcha | チュchu | チョcho |
| ny | ニャnya | ニュnyu | ニョnyo |
| hy | ヒャhya | ヒュhyu | ヒョhyo |
| my | ミャmya | ミュmyu | ミョmyo |
| ry | リャrya | リュryu | リョryo |
| gy | ギャgya | ギュgyu | ギョgyo |
| j | ジャja | ジュju | ジョjo |
| by | ビャbya | ビュbyu | ビョbyo |
| py | ピャpya | ピュpyu | ピョpyo |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Both are Japanese phonetic syllabaries (kana) covering the same 46 basic sounds. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammar, while katakana is used for loanwords, foreign names, and onomatopoeia.
How many kana characters are there?
Each syllabary has 46 basic characters. Adding the voiced marks (dakuten / handakuten) and the small-y combinations (yōon) brings each script to just over 100 distinct readings.
Which kana should I learn first?
Start with hiragana — it underpins Japanese grammar and is used to write the reading of any word. Learn katakana next so you can read loanwords and foreign names.
What is romaji?
Romaji is the romanized spelling of Japanese sounds (for example か = ka). It appears under each character here so you can read the pronunciation before you have memorised the kana.
How do I practise writing the kana?
Every character in the charts has a pencil button. Tap it to open the stroke-order diagram, play the animation to see the order and direction, then switch to trace mode and draw each stroke on top of the guide.