Hiragana Look-Alikes: Fix Them With Hiragana Flashcards
Tell さ from ち and ぬ from め: the hiragana look-alikes that trip up beginners, the detail that separates each pair, and how to drill them.
Keep mixing up ぬ (nu) and め (me), or さ (sa) and ち (chi)? You're not alone. A handful of look-alike characters cause most beginner mistakes, and hiragana flashcards are the quickest way to fix them.
This guide shows you the one detail that tells each pair apart, plus why some characters look different in print.
Why Do Some Hiragana Look So Similar?
Hiragana is made of curvy strokes, and there are only so many ways to curve a line. So a few characters end up nearly the same, with one small difference.
The good news: there are only about a dozen pairs to worry about. Learn them once and the problem goes away.
Which Hiragana Look Alike? The Quick Table
Here are the five pairs that cause the most trouble. Press play to hear each one.
| Character | Looks like | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| さ (sa) | ち (chi) | Which way the bottom curve opens: right for さ (sa), left for ち (chi). |
| ぬ (nu) | め (me) | ぬ (nu) ends in a small loop. め (me) doesn't. |
| ね (ne) | れ (re) | ね (ne) ends in a loop. れ (re) ends in a tail. |
| は (ha) | ほ (ho) | ほ (ho) has an extra line across the top. |
| る (ru) | ろ (ro) | る (ru) ends in a loop. ろ (ro) stays open. |
How Do You Tell Each Pair Apart?
さ (sa), ち (chi) and き (ki)
さ (sa) and ち (chi) are mirror images. Look at which way the bottom curve opens. き (ki) is like さ (sa) with a second line across.
ぬ (nu) and め (me)
One small loop is the whole difference. いぬ (inu, dog) has the loop; あめ (ame, rain) doesn't.
ね (ne), れ (re) and わ (wa)
All three start the same way. Only the ending changes: a loop, a tail or a plain curve.
は (ha), ほ (ho) and ま (ma)
Count the lines across the right side, then check for a stroke down the left.
る (ru) and ろ (ro)
The loop rule again: る (ru) has a loop, ろ (ro) doesn't.
Five more pairs to watch
Why Does Hiragana Look Different in Print?
Sometimes a character on a menu looks slightly wrong. Usually it isn't. Fonts often join strokes that you write separately by hand, to make the text flow.
This table shows five characters in the two main Japanese font styles on your device: serif (called mincho) and sans-serif (called gothic).
| Character | Serif | Sans | By hand | In print |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| さ (sa) | さ | さ | The bottom curve is a separate stroke, with a gap above it. | Many fonts join the bottom curve to the stroke above, so it looks like one line. |
| き (ki) | き | き | Like さ: the bottom curve is written on its own. | Many fonts join the bottom curve to the diagonal stroke. |
| り (ri) | り | り | Two separate strokes: a short one on the left, a long one on the right. | Some fonts link the two strokes with a thin line, so it looks like one. |
| ふ (fu) | ふ | ふ | Four separate strokes: one at the top, one in the middle and one on each side. | Many fonts join the top and middle strokes into one zigzag. |
| そ (so) | そ | そ | Written either in one continuous stroke or with the top as a separate short stroke. Both are common. | Fonts also differ: some show the top joined, others separate. |
Write the handwritten form, with the strokes apart. Read by overall shape: a joined-up さ (sa) still opens to the right, so it's still not ち (chi).
Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs makes the same point about kanji: handwriting and print follow different habits, and small differences like these don't make a character wrong.
How Do Hiragana Flashcards Fix Look-Alikes?
Flashcards show you characters one at a time, in random order, so you can't guess from position. Every time you mix up a pair, you find out straight away.
- Drill one pair at a time. In the hiragana flashcards, tick only the rows that hold the pair, like the な (na) row for ぬ (nu) and the ま (ma) row for め (me).
- Say the difference out loud. "Loop, nu. No loop, me." It sounds silly and it works.
- Run rounds until you get through clean. Missed characters keep coming back until you get them right.
- Mix them back in. Finish with one round of every row, so the pair holds up among the rest.
- Pick the one pair you miss most.
- Learn the detail that tells them apart.
- Drill just those two rows until you get a clean round.
- Write each character three times, saying its sound.
- Add the next pair tomorrow.
- Finish the week with a round of every row.
What Mistakes Make Look-Alikes Worse?
- Always going in chart order. You learn the position, not the shape. Shuffle.
- Copying fonts. Write the handwritten form, with the strokes apart.
- Guessing instead of checking. If you're not sure, look for the detail: loop, tail, extra line.
- Learning one twin without the other. Drill pairs together, so you learn the difference.
What Should You Learn Next?
- The dakuten sounds, like が (ga): Dakuten and Combinations.
- Reading real words, which is the best test of all: Hiragana Reading Practice.
- Katakana has its own look-alikes, like シ (shi) and ツ (tsu): Katakana Look-Alikes.
Where Can You Practise for Free?
The hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com are free for the 46 basic characters and the dakuten sets. Each character has audio, and your accuracy is tracked, so you can see which look-alikes still catch you out. The hiragana chart shows every pair in its row.
Practise the Look-Alikes
Each card shows the telling detail on the back. Tap to flip.
Frequently asked questions
Which hiragana look the most alike?
The pairs that trip up most learners are さ (sa) and ち (chi), ぬ (nu) and め (me), ね (ne), れ (re) and わ (wa), は (ha) and ほ (ho), and る (ru) and ろ (ro).
How do I stop mixing up ぬ (nu) and め (me)?
Look for the loop. ぬ (nu) has a small loop at the end and め (me) doesn't. Drill the two together until you see it instantly.
Why does さ (sa) look different in some fonts?
Many fonts join strokes that you write separately by hand. It's the same character, just printed in a different style.
Is it wrong to write さ (sa) with the strokes apart?
No. Writing the strokes apart is the normal handwritten form, and it's the one to learn.
How long does it take to fix look-alike mistakes?
Usually a few short sessions. Once you know the one detail that differs, a couple of days of drilling the pair is enough.
Fix the Look-Alikes This Week
A dozen pairs cause most hiragana mistakes, and each one has a single giveaway: a loop, a tail or an extra line. Drill one pair a day with hiragana flashcards and they'll stop catching you out.
Open the free hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com and start with the pair you miss most.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁, Bunkachō), Guidelines on the shapes of characters in the Jōyō Kanji list (Jōyō kanji-hyō no jitai, jikei ni kansuru shishin), 2016. https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/kokugo/hokoku/pdf/jitai_jikei_shishin.pdf