Hiragana Chart &
Writing Practice
Hiragana is the basic phonetic script of Japanese. It is used for grammar endings, particles, native Japanese words without kanji, and reading support for kanji. This page introduces the full hiragana system and gives you a clear starting point for handwriting practice.
Tip: click any kana tile to see stroke animation, replay the writing motion, and hear the pronunciation.
Three layers, one system
Hiragana is easier to learn when you see it in layers. Start with the 46 basic characters, then add voiced sound marks, and finally learn small ゃ, ゅ, and ょ combinations.
The 46 modern basic characters arranged in the traditional gojūon order.
Small marks that change sounds, such as か → が and は → ぱ.
Combination sounds made with an i-column kana plus small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ, such as きゃ, しゅ, and ちょ.
Basic characters — Gojūon（五十音）
Modern hiragana has 46 basic characters. They are traditionally arranged in the gojūon chart by vowel sounds and consonant rows. The name literally means “fifty sounds”, but some historical chart positions are no longer used in modern Japanese.
Click any kana to see stroke order and pronunciation.
ん stands on its own — it is not part of the WA row and has no vowel of its own.
し = shi · ち = chi · つ = tsu · ふ = fu
を (wo) is only used as the object particle and is pronounced like o. ん is the single consonant that stands alone and never begins a word.
Voiced characters — Dakuten（濁点）and Handakuten（半濁点）
Dakuten add the voiced mark ゛ and change sounds such as か → が, さ → ざ, た → だ, and は → ば. Handakuten add the small circle ゜ and are used with the H-row to create P-sounds: ぱ, ぴ, ぷ, ぺ, ぽ.
Click any kana to see stroke order and pronunciation.
In modern standard Japanese, じ is much more common than ぢ, and ず is much more common than づ. The kana ぢ and づ are mostly used in specific spelling cases, such as つづく (tsuzuku, to continue).
Combination characters — Yōon（拗音）
Yōon are combination sounds made with an i-column kana plus a small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ. The second kana is written smaller, which changes the sound: き + ゃ = きゃ.
Click any kana to see stroke order and pronunciation.
きや (ki-ya, two syllables) and きゃ (kya, one syllable) are different words. Yōon are common in everyday words, so it is important to recognise the small kana clearly. In a practice grid, write the small kana in the lower-left quarter of the square.
A small っ is not a yōon but follows the same rule: it doubles the next consonant and takes one full square. きって (kitte, stamp) versus きて (kite, come).
Don’t confuse these hiragana
Some hiragana look similar at first. Learning them side by side helps you notice the small differences in shape and stroke direction.
き has one extra stroke across the top — compare the number of horizontal lines.
ぬ ends in a loop, め does not. Look at the final stroke.
The left side is identical; the difference sits in the tail on the right.
ほ has two horizontal strokes on the right side, は only one.
る closes with a small loop, ろ ends open. Watch the last stroke direction.
Stroke order makes hiragana easier to write
Most hiragana are written in one to four strokes. Stroke order gives each character a natural rhythm and helps you reproduce it with better balance.
Free Hiragana Practice Downloads
Download printable practice resources for learning hiragana by hand. Start with the chart, then use the writing grid for daily repetition.
All 46 basic hiragana in gojūon order with romaji. Free PDF in DIN A4 and US Letter.
Printable grid paper for handwriting practice, repetition, and review.
Download Practice SheetA small sample of guided kana writing practice while the full workbook is in planning.
Download Practice Preview