Katakana

Katakana is one part of the Japanese writing system along with Hiragana, Kanji and Romaji (the latin representation of hiragana and katakana).

Katakana and Hiragana are both kana system, where each character generally represents a Japanese syllable. Words that are written in kana can be pronounced phonetically.

Katakana is used for transcription of foreign-language words into Japanese and the writing of loan words (gairaigo), to represent onomatopoeia, technical terms and for emphasis.

We have a list of common loan words that you can review and quiz yourself upon. Learning of loan words can really rapidly increase your vocabulary as they are generally familiar to english language speakers.

Katakana soundboard

Click on any of katakana characters in the following table to hear it's pronounciation. To see how to write katakana there is a section below.

アa イi ウu エe オo ンn
カka キki クku ケke コko キャkya キュkyu キョkyo
サsa シshi スsu セse ソso シャsha シュshu ショsho
タta チchi ツtsu テte トto チャcha チュchu チョcho
ナna ニni ヌnu ネne ノno ニャnya ニュnyu ニョnyo
ハha ヒhi フfu ヘhe ホho ヒャhya ヒュhyu ヒョhyo
マma ミmi ムmu メme モmo ミャmya ミュmyu ミョmyo
ラra リri ルru レre ロro リャrya リュryu リョryo
ワwa ヰwi ヱwe ヲwo

Katakana has two diacritics which modify the hiragana to produce a new character and pronunciation - the dakuten ( ﾞ ) and handakuten ( ﾟ ). Click on any of the hiragana characters in the following table to hear it's pronounciation.

ガga ギgi グgu ゲge ゴgo ギャgya ギュgyu ギョgyo
ザza ジji ズzu ゼze ゾzo ジャja ジュju ジョjo
ダda ヂji ヅzu デde ドdo ヂャja ヂュju ヂョjo
バba ビbi ブbu ベbe ボbo ビャbya ビュbyu ビョbyo
パpa ピpi プpu ペpe ポpo ピャpya ピュpyu ピョpyo
How to write Katakana

Click on any of the katakana characters in the following table to see an animation of how to write the character in the correct stroke order.

ア イ ウ エ オ
カ キ ク ケ コ
サ シ ス セ ソ
タ チ ツ テ ト
ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ
ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ
マ ミ ム メ モ
ラ リ ル レ ロ
ワ ヰ ヱ ヲ
ヤ ユ ヨ ン