シ · ツ
shi and tsu
Shi's short strokes are more horizontal; tsu's descend from the top and feel more vertical.
カタカナ · focused practice
Make katakana feel familiar.
Learn the angular basic forms, train the pairs that are easiest to confuse, and notice how long vowels and small kana shape the loanwords you meet every day.
The angular phonetic script
Where katakana appears
Katakana represents the same sounds as hiragana, but it is used mainly for loanwords, foreign names, sound effects, scientific names, and visual emphasis.
Katakana can feel harder simply because beginners encounter it less often. Short, regular recall sessions are more effective than waiting until a page of loanwords becomes frustrating.
Learn the basic 46 first, then add the long-vowel mark ー, small vowels, and extended combinations such as ファ (fa) and ティ (ti).
The basic 46
Katakana chart
Say the sound before reading the romaji. Katakana and hiragana have matching sound inventories, so the task is learning a second visual form—not a second pronunciation system.
Vowels
- アa
- イi
- ウu
- エe
- オo
K row
- カka
- キki
- クku
- ケke
- コko
S row
- サsa
- シshi
- スsu
- セse
- ソso
T row
- タta
- チchi
- ツtsu
- テte
- トto
N row
- ナna
- ニni
- ヌnu
- ネne
- ノno
H row
- ハha
- ヒhi
- フfu
- ヘhe
- ホho
M row
- マma
- ミmi
- ムmu
- メme
- モmo
Y row
- ヤya
- ユyu
- ヨyo
R row
- ラra
- リri
- ルru
- レre
- ロro
W row
- ワwa
- ヲwo / o
Final n
- ンn
Recognition practice
Watch the stroke direction
For katakana look-alikes, the angle and starting point of the short strokes usually matter more than the overall outline.
ソ · ン
so and n
So's long stroke begins high and moves downward; n's rises from lower left toward the right.
ク · ケ
ku and ke
Ke adds a firm vertical stroke on the left. Ku is the simpler two-stroke shape.
メ · ヌ
me and nu
Nu carries a small loop or hook after the crossing. Me ends with the crossing strokes.
Read beyond single characters
Notice the patterns inside loanwords
Do not force English spelling onto the word. Read each Japanese sound in sequence, then recognize the source word.
コーヒー
kōhī · coffee
The long-vowel mark ー extends the preceding vowel.
テレビ
terebi · television
Loanwords are adapted to the sounds Japanese can represent.
コンピューター
konpyūtā · computer
Small ュ creates the contracted sound pyu.
ファイル
fairu · file
Small vowels help represent foreign sounds such as fa.
Put the chart away