KaiwaGoKatakana chart with audio and romaji
Katakana is the second Japanese alphabet. It has the same 46 sounds as hiragana, written with straighter, angular strokes, and is used mainly for foreign words and names. With dakuten and combined sounds it writes 104 sounds.
You will see katakana on menus, signs and packaging: コーヒー (kōhī, coffee), ホテル (hoteru, hotel), アメリカ (Amerika). It is also used for foreign names, company names, sound effects and for emphasis, a bit like italics in English.
The long-vowel bar ー appears almost only in katakana: it stretches the previous vowel, as in ビール (bīru, beer) versus ビル (biru, building).
Basic characters (gojūon) · 46 characters
The five vowels a, i, u, e, o, then rows of consonant + vowel: k, s, t, n, h, m, y, r, w and the single consonant n.
Dakuten and handakuten · 25 characters
Two small strokes (゛) turn k→g, s→z, t→d and h→b; a small circle (゜) turns h→p.
Combined sounds (yōon) · 33 characters
A character from the i column plus a small ya, yu or yo makes one syllable: き + ゃ = きゃ (kya).
Katakana that are easy to confuse
- シ (shi) and ツ (tsu): the dots of シ line up on the left and its last stroke goes up from the bottom; the dots of ツ are on top and its last stroke comes down.
- ソ (so) and ン (n): ソ is written from the top down like ツ, ン from the bottom up like シ.
- ク (ku) and ケ (ke): ケ has a horizontal stroke that sticks out to the right.
- ウ (u), ワ (wa) and フ (fu): ウ has a dot on top, ワ a short vertical on the left, フ neither.
- ロ (ro) is a square — not the kanji 口 (mouth), which is drawn slightly larger.
How to learn Katakana quickly
- Learn one row a day (five characters), out loud, and write each one five times in the right stroke order.
- Read real words as soon as you know a few rows instead of waiting until the chart is complete.
- Review yesterday’s rows before starting a new one; short daily sessions beat one long session a week.
- Learn dakuten and combined sounds only after the basic chart feels easy: they follow simple rules.
FAQ
How many katakana are there?
There are 46 basic katakana, the same sounds as hiragana. With dakuten (25) and combined sounds (33) this chart has 104.
What is katakana used for?
Mainly for words borrowed from other languages, foreign names, company and product names, sound effects and emphasis.
What is the difference between シ and ツ?
シ (shi) is written with strokes rising from the bottom left, ツ (tsu) with strokes coming down from the top. ソ and ン follow the same rule.
What does the line ー mean in katakana?
It is the long-vowel mark: it makes the previous vowel twice as long, as in コーヒー (kōhī, coffee).