HyperpolyglotHyperpolyglot
🇯🇵 Free interactive trainer

Learn Katakana

Katakana mirror the hiragana sounds and are used for foreign words, names and emphasis. All 104 characters, group by group, with your progress saved in the browser.

Overall progress0/104 mastered

Pick one or more groups to train5 characters selected

Vowels0/5 mastered

ア
a
イ
i
ウ
u
エ
e
オ
o

A letter is mastered after 2 correct answers (a wrong answer resets it). Progress is saved in your browser.

Learn a new language now

Reading Katakana is step one. Step two is real Japanese sentences with native audio and spaced repetition: that is exactly what Hyperpolyglot does.

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The complete Katakana chart

Every character with its sound, group by group: your cheat sheet while the quiz does the memorizing.

Vowels (5)

アaイiウuエeオo

K row (5)

カkaキkiクkuケkeコko

S row (5)

サsaシshiスsuセseソso

T row (5)

タtaチchiツtsuテteトto

N row (5)

ナnaニniヌnuネneノno

H row (5)

ハhaヒhiフfuヘheホho

M row (5)

マmaミmiムmuメmeモmo

Y & W rows + N (6)

ヤyaユyuヨyoワwaヲwo
ンn

R row (5)

ラraリriルruレreロro

G row (dakuten) (5)

ガgaギgiグguゲgeゴgo

Z row (dakuten) (5)

ザzaジjiズzuゼzeゾzo

D row (dakuten) (5)

ダdaヂjiヅzuデdeドdo

B row (dakuten) (5)

バbaビbiブbuベbeボbo

P row (handakuten) (5)

パpaピpiプpuペpeポpo

Combos (small ya/yu/yo) (33)

キャkyaキュkyuキョkyoシャshaシュshu
ショshoチャchaチュchuチョchoニャnya
ニュnyuニョnyoヒャhyaヒュhyuヒョhyo
ミャmyaミュmyuミョmyoリャryaリュryu
リョryoギャgyaギュgyuギョgyoジャja
ジュjuジョjoビャbyaビュbyuビョbyo
ピャpyaピュpyuピョpyo

How the trainer works

  • Study a group — see the characters with their sounds, in an order designed for Katakana (not just alphabetical).
  • Quiz yourself — four choices per character; wrong answers come back until they stick.
  • Master everything — a character is mastered after two correct answers, and your progress stays in your browser between visits.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Japanese need katakana at all?

Katakana marks foreign loanwords, foreign names, onomatopoeia and emphasis, a bit like italics in English. Menus, tech vocabulary and city signage are full of it, so travellers often use katakana first.

Which katakana are the easiest to confuse?

The classic pairs are shi and tsu, plus so and n: their strokes differ mainly in angle. The quiz keeps re-asking the ones you miss until your eye locks onto the difference.

How long does katakana take after hiragana?

Usually 2 to 4 days: the sounds are identical, so you are only mapping new shapes onto known syllables.

Train another script

🇯🇵 Learn Hiragana · 🇷🇺 Learn Cyrillic · 🇬🇷 Learn Greek alphabet · 🇰🇷 Learn Hangul · 🇹🇭 Learn Thai alphabet

Or explore the other free tools: the Language Similarity Checker, the Which Language quiz, and what 52 languages sound like.