Hiragana vs Katakana: Start With Hiragana Flashcards
What hiragana and katakana are each for, how to tell them apart, the pairs that look alike, and why to learn hiragana first with flashcards.
Japanese has two kana scripts, hiragana and katakana, and beginners often wonder which to learn first. Short answer: hiragana, with hiragana flashcards, then katakana. This guide explains what each one is for, how to tell them apart, and how to learn both without mixing them up.
What's the Difference Between Hiragana and Katakana?
Both have 46 basic characters, and they cover exactly the same sounds. あ (a) and ア (a) are both a. か (ka) and カ (ka) are both ka.
The difference is the shape and the job each one does.
| Hiragana | Katakana | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of basic characters | 46 | 46 |
| Sounds | The same | The same |
| Look | Round and curvy | Straight and angular |
| Main job | Grammar and Japanese words | Loanwords and foreign names |
| Long vowels | Add a vowel: おかあさん (okaasan) | Use a dash: コーヒー (koohii) |
| Learn it | First | Second |
What Is Each Script Used For?
Hiragana: the everyday script
- Grammar: particles like は (wa) and を (o), and the endings of verbs, as in 食べる (taberu, to eat).
- Japanese words without kanji, or whose kanji the reader may not know.
- Furigana: the small reading guides printed over kanji in children's and learners' books.
Katakana: words from outside Japanese
- Loanwords: コーヒー (koohii, coffee), テレビ (terebi, TV).
- Foreign names and places: アメリカ (amerika, America).
- Emphasis: a little like italics in English, on signs, menus and in comics.
Press play to hear each example:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
たべる | taberu | to eat: a Japanese word written in hiragana |
食べる | taberu (with kanji) | the same word with kanji; べる stays in hiragana |
コーヒー | koohii | coffee: a loanword in katakana |
テレビ | terebi | TV: a loanword in katakana |
アメリカ | amerika | America: a foreign place name in katakana |
How do they work together?
A normal sentence mixes hiragana, katakana and kanji. Here's the same sentence written two ways:
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
わたしは コーヒーを のみます。 | Watashi wa koohii o nomimasu. | I drink coffee. Katakana for the loanword コーヒー, hiragana for everything else. |
私はコーヒーを飲みます。 | Watashi wa koohii o nomimasu. (with kanji) | The same sentence as it's normally written: kanji for the main words, hiragana for the grammar, katakana for the loanword. |
Where will you see each one?
Walk into any shop or restaurant in Japan and you'll see both scripts side by side. Here are a few everyday examples. Press play to hear them.
| Where | Hiragana | Katakana |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | ごはん (gohan, rice) | メニュー (menyuu, menu) |
| Drinks | おちゃ (ocha, tea) | コーヒー (koohii, coffee) |
| Shops | おかし (okashi, sweets) | レジ (reji, till) |
| Getting around | きっぷ (kippu, ticket) | タクシー (takushii, taxi) |
How Can You Tell Them Apart?
Hiragana is round and flowing. Katakana is made of straight lines and sharp corners. Side by side, ありがとう (arigatou) and アリガトウ (arigatou) look completely different.
A few pairs look alike across the two scripts. へ (he) and ヘ (he) are almost identical; the rest are easy once you know the curve-versus-corner rule.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
へ | he | hiragana he. Almost identical to katakana ヘ |
ヘ | he | katakana he. Slightly straighter than へ |
り | ri | hiragana ri, curved |
リ | ri | katakana ri, straight |
か | ka | hiragana ka, with an extra short stroke |
カ | ka | katakana ka, no extra stroke |
も | mo | hiragana mo, with a hook at the bottom |
モ | mo | katakana mo, angular |
Does katakana have its own look-alikes?
Yes, four famous ones. Watch the direction of the long stroke.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
シ | shi | katakana shi: the strokes rise from the bottom left |
ツ | tsu | katakana tsu: the strokes fall from the top |
ソ | so | katakana so: the long stroke falls from the top |
ン | n | katakana n: the long stroke rises from the bottom |
There are more in Katakana Look-Alikes, and hiragana's own pairs are in Hiragana Look-Alikes.
Why Learn Hiragana First With Hiragana Flashcards?
Every Japanese sentence uses hiragana for grammar. Beginner books and furigana are written in it. Once you know it, you can write any Japanese word, even without kanji.
Hiragana flashcards are the fastest way in: short daily rounds, shuffled, with the characters you miss coming back until you know them. Most learners get the basics in one to two weeks.
Then katakana goes quickly, because you already know the sounds and the order. You're only learning new shapes.
- Weeks 1 and 2: hiragana with flashcards, two rows a day.
- Week 3: katakana, two or three rows a day.
- Compare each katakana with its hiragana twin as you learn it.
- Drill the cross-script look-alikes, like へ (he) and ヘ (he), together.
- Read a few loanwords every day to practise katakana.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Both?
About three weeks, at 15 minutes a day. Hiragana takes one to two weeks, because everything is new: the sounds, the chart and the shapes.
Katakana then takes about a week, because only the shapes are new. Keep up a quick hiragana review while you learn katakana, so the first script doesn't fade.
Any Tips for Learning Katakana After Hiragana?
- Use the twins. Learn each katakana next to its hiragana partner. か (ka) and カ (ka) share the same idea; you're just straightening it out.
- Read loanwords early. Words like テレビ (terebi) are a quick win, because you already know what they mean.
- Keep the scripts separate at first. Drill each one on its own before you mix them in the same round.
What Mistakes Do Beginners Make?
- Learning both at once. Two sets of shapes for the same sounds is confusing. One at a time.
- Skipping katakana. It's everywhere on menus, signs and packaging.
- Writing long vowels the wrong way. Hiragana adds a vowel; katakana uses a long dash, as in コーヒー (koohii).
- Mixing up シ (shi) and ツ (tsu). The most common katakana slip. Check the long stroke.
What Comes After Both Scripts?
- Practise each one fully: Hiragana Flashcards and Katakana Flashcards.
- Learn how English words turn into katakana: English to Katakana.
- Start on vocabulary with the JLPT N5 flashcards.
Where Can You Get Free Flashcards for Both?
JLPTCARDS.com has free hiragana flashcards and katakana flashcards, with the basic and dakuten sets free in each. To review both scripts together, use the hiragana and katakana flashcards page.
Practise the Pairs
Tap a card to flip it.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between hiragana and katakana?
They have the same sounds but different shapes and jobs. Hiragana writes grammar and Japanese words; katakana writes loanwords like コーヒー (koohii, coffee) and foreign names.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Hiragana first. It's in every sentence, and once you know it, katakana is just new shapes for sounds you already know.
How long does katakana take after hiragana?
Usually about a week of short daily sessions, because the sounds and the chart order are the same.
Do I need both to read Japanese?
Yes. Normal Japanese mixes hiragana, katakana and kanji in the same sentence.
Is katakana harder than hiragana?
Not really. The shapes are simpler, but a few look-alikes like シ (shi) and ツ (tsu) need extra practice. Most learners find katakana quicker, because they already know the sounds.
Which characters look the same in both?
へ (he) and ヘ (he) are almost identical. り (ri) and リ (ri), か (ka) and カ (ka), and も (mo) and モ (mo) are close too.
Start With Hiragana Flashcards
Hiragana first, katakana second: that's the path almost everyone takes, and it works. Start with hiragana flashcards today, and you'll be reading both scripts within a few weeks.
Open the free hiragana flashcards on JLPTCARDS.com and tick the あ (a) row.
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō), The Writing of Loanwords (Gairaigo no hyōki), Cabinet Notice No. 2, 1991. https://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/sisaku/joho/joho/kijun/naikaku/gairai/index.html