゛
Dakuten voices a consonant
か → が · さ → ざ · た → だ · は → ば
The two short marks change K to G, S to Z, T to D, and H to B sounds. A few readings are irregular: じ is ji and づ is usually zu.
あ · ア · one sound system
The kana chart, side by side.
Compare the two scripts sound for sound, learn the marks that transform the basic forms, and use the reading notes for the romanizations that commonly cause hesitation.
Basic gojūon
Same sounds, two sets of shapes
Hiragana appears first in each pair and katakana second. Learn one script in focused blocks, then mix them so the sound—not the chart position—becomes the shared connection.
a
あhiraアkatai
いhiraイkatau
うhiraウkatae
えhiraエkatao
おhiraオkataka
かhiraカkataki
きhiraキkataku
くhiraクkatake
けhiraケkatako
こhiraコkatasa
さhiraサkatashi
しhiraシkatasu
すhiraスkatase
せhiraセkataso
そhiraソkatata
たhiraタkatachi
ちhiraチkatatsu
つhiraツkatate
てhiraテkatato
とhiraトkatana
なhiraナkatani
にhiraニkatanu
ぬhiraヌkatane
ねhiraネkatano
のhiraノkataha
はhiraハkatahi
ひhiraヒkatafu
ふhiraフkatahe
へhiraヘkataho
ほhiraホkatama
まhiraマkatami
みhiraミkatamu
むhiraムkatame
めhiraメkatamo
もhiraモkataya
やhiraヤkatayu
ゆhiraユkatayo
よhiraヨkatara
らhiraラkatari
りhiraリkataru
るhiraルkatare
れhiraレkataro
ろhiraロkatawa
わhiraワkatawo / o
をhiraヲkatan
んhiraンkata
Your practice
The same chart, colored by your accuracy
Each cell shows your lifetime first-try accuracy from quizzes on this device, hiragana on the left and katakana on the right. This map covers the basic 46; dakuten, yōon, and extended kana still count toward the weak-kana review set on the quiz screen.
Not practicedLearningDevelopingSolid
a
あ—Hiragana a: not practiced yetア—Katakana a: not practiced yeti
い—Hiragana i: not practiced yetイ—Katakana i: not practiced yetu
う—Hiragana u: not practiced yetウ—Katakana u: not practiced yete
え—Hiragana e: not practiced yetエ—Katakana e: not practiced yeto
お—Hiragana o: not practiced yetオ—Katakana o: not practiced yetka
か—Hiragana ka: not practiced yetカ—Katakana ka: not practiced yetki
き—Hiragana ki: not practiced yetキ—Katakana ki: not practiced yetku
く—Hiragana ku: not practiced yetク—Katakana ku: not practiced yetke
け—Hiragana ke: not practiced yetケ—Katakana ke: not practiced yetko
こ—Hiragana ko: not practiced yetコ—Katakana ko: not practiced yetsa
さ—Hiragana sa: not practiced yetサ—Katakana sa: not practiced yetshi
し—Hiragana shi: not practiced yetシ—Katakana shi: not practiced yetsu
す—Hiragana su: not practiced yetス—Katakana su: not practiced yetse
せ—Hiragana se: not practiced yetセ—Katakana se: not practiced yetso
そ—Hiragana so: not practiced yetソ—Katakana so: not practiced yetta
た—Hiragana ta: not practiced yetタ—Katakana ta: not practiced yetchi
ち—Hiragana chi: not practiced yetチ—Katakana chi: not practiced yettsu
つ—Hiragana tsu: not practiced yetツ—Katakana tsu: not practiced yette
て—Hiragana te: not practiced yetテ—Katakana te: not practiced yetto
と—Hiragana to: not practiced yetト—Katakana to: not practiced yetna
な—Hiragana na: not practiced yetナ—Katakana na: not practiced yetni
に—Hiragana ni: not practiced yetニ—Katakana ni: not practiced yetnu
ぬ—Hiragana nu: not practiced yetヌ—Katakana nu: not practiced yetne
ね—Hiragana ne: not practiced yetネ—Katakana ne: not practiced yetno
の—Hiragana no: not practiced yetノ—Katakana no: not practiced yetha
は—Hiragana ha: not practiced yetハ—Katakana ha: not practiced yethi
ひ—Hiragana hi: not practiced yetヒ—Katakana hi: not practiced yetfu
ふ—Hiragana fu: not practiced yetフ—Katakana fu: not practiced yethe
へ—Hiragana he: not practiced yetヘ—Katakana he: not practiced yetho
ほ—Hiragana ho: not practiced yetホ—Katakana ho: not practiced yetma
ま—Hiragana ma: not practiced yetマ—Katakana ma: not practiced yetmi
み—Hiragana mi: not practiced yetミ—Katakana mi: not practiced yetmu
む—Hiragana mu: not practiced yetム—Katakana mu: not practiced yetme
め—Hiragana me: not practiced yetメ—Katakana me: not practiced yetmo
も—Hiragana mo: not practiced yetモ—Katakana mo: not practiced yetya
や—Hiragana ya: not practiced yetヤ—Katakana ya: not practiced yetyu
ゆ—Hiragana yu: not practiced yetユ—Katakana yu: not practiced yetyo
よ—Hiragana yo: not practiced yetヨ—Katakana yo: not practiced yetra
ら—Hiragana ra: not practiced yetラ—Katakana ra: not practiced yetri
り—Hiragana ri: not practiced yetリ—Katakana ri: not practiced yetru
る—Hiragana ru: not practiced yetル—Katakana ru: not practiced yetre
れ—Hiragana re: not practiced yetレ—Katakana re: not practiced yetro
ろ—Hiragana ro: not practiced yetロ—Katakana ro: not practiced yetwa
わ—Hiragana wa: not practiced yetワ—Katakana wa: not practiced yetwo / o
を—Hiragana o: not practiced yetヲ—Katakana o: not practiced yetn
ん—Hiragana n: not practiced yetン—Katakana n: not practiced yet
Beyond the basic 46
Four patterns unlock most of the expanded chart
These are systematic changes, so learn the rule and a few examples instead of treating every resulting kana as unrelated.
゜
Handakuten makes the P row
は → ぱ · ひ → ぴ · ふ → ぷ · へ → ぺ · ほ → ぽ
The small circle applies to the H row and changes it to P sounds in both scripts.
ゃ
Small ya, yu, and yo contract
き + ゃ → きゃ · キ + ョ → キョ
Combine an i-column kana with a small ゃ・ゅ・ょ or ャ・ュ・ョ to make one contracted sound such as kya, shu, or cho.
っ
Small tsu doubles the next consonant
きて kite → きって kitte
The sokuon marks a brief pause before the next consonant. In katakana, the matching form is ッ.
Romaji notes
Common readings with more than one spelling
The primary labels below follow familiar Hepburn-style spellings. The quiz accepts useful alternatives rather than penalizing a valid romanization system.
| Kana | Primary | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| し / シ | shi | si is also accepted in Kyo Kana. |
| ち / チ | chi | ti is an accepted alternate spelling. |
| つ / ツ | tsu | tu is an accepted alternate spelling. |
| ふ / フ | fu | hu is an accepted alternate spelling. |
| を / ヲ | o | Often taught as wo, but normally pronounced o. |
| ん / ン | n | Kyo Kana also accepts nn and n'. |
Put the chart away