Compare both scripts in the chart, then find the patterns in complete Japanese sentences.

The idea

The chart pairs the 46 basic hiragana and katakana: each pair represents the same sound. Read the rows across a, i, u, e, o; the y and w rows have gaps, and ん／ン stands alone. Notice し／シ is shi and つ／ツ is tsu. Dakuten, handakuten and small kana extend the basic chart.

Patterns to compare
HiraganaKatakana
あ い う え おア イ ウ エ オ
か き く け こカ キ ク ケ コ
さ し す せ そサ シ ス セ ソ
た ち つ て とタ チ ツ テ ト
な に ぬ ね のナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ
は ひ ふ へ ほハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ
ま み む め もマ ミ ム メ モ
や ゆ よヤ ユ ヨ
ら り る れ ろラ リ ル レ ロ
わ をワ ヲ
んン

Examples

  • 犬いぬは小ちいさいです。The dog is small.
  • 朝あさ、犬いぬと歩あるきます。I walk with my dog in the morning.
  • 傘かさを買かいます。I buy an umbrella.
  • 魚さかなを食たべます。I eat fish.
  • コーヒーを飲のみます。I drink coffee.
  • バスで駅えきへ行いきます。I go to the station by bus.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

A character does not always sound as its usual chart reading: the topic particle は is pronounced wa. Read particles in context rather than assuming every は is ha.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the hiragana counterpart of ア.

    Show answer or example answer

    あ

    ア and あ represent the same sound, a; あ is the hiragana form requested.

  2. Write the hiragana counterpart of カ.

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    か

    カ and か represent the same sound, ka; か is the hiragana form requested.

  3. Write the katakana counterpart of あ.

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    ア

    あ and ア represent the same sound, a; ア is the katakana form requested.

  4. Write the katakana counterpart of し.

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    シ

    し and シ represent the same sound, shi; シ is the katakana form requested.

Use it today

Cover the chart. Read two words from the examples aloud, write their readings in kana from memory, then compare them with the furigana and chart.