Katakana Chart &
Writing Practice
Katakana covers the same basic sounds as hiragana, but uses sharper and more angular shapes. It is commonly used for foreign words, names, places, sounds, emphasis, and modern loanwords.
Katakana does not copy foreign pronunciation exactly. It adapts words into Japanese sound patterns — which is why “coffee” becomes コーヒー and “taxi” becomes タクシー.
Tip: click any katakana tile to see stroke animation, replay the writing motion, and hear the pronunciation.
Where you will see katakana
Katakana appears in many everyday contexts. It often marks words that came from other languages, but it is also used for names, places, sound effects, emphasis, brand names, and modern expressions.
Words borrowed into Japanese from other languages.
Non-Japanese personal names, countries, and cities.
Sound words, feelings, and words set apart for emphasis.
The 46 basic katakana — Gojūon（五十音）
Modern katakana has 46 basic characters. They represent the same basic sounds as hiragana and are traditionally arranged in the gojūon chart by vowel sounds and consonant rows. Some historical chart positions are no longer used in modern Japanese.
Click any katakana to see stroke order and pronunciation.
ン stands on its own — it is not part of the WA row and has no vowel of its own.
シ = shi · チ = chi · ツ = tsu · フ = fu
ヲ exists, but it is rare in modern everyday katakana. The hiragana を is much more common as a particle.
Voiced characters — Dakuten（濁点）and Handakuten（半濁点）
Dakuten add the voiced mark ゛ and change sounds such as カ → ガ, サ → ザ, タ → ダ, and ハ → バ. Handakuten add the small circle ゜ and are used with the H-row to create P-sounds: パ, ピ, プ, ペ, ポ.
Click any katakana to see stroke order and pronunciation.
In modern standard Japanese, ジ is much more common than ヂ, and ズ is much more common than ヅ. The characters ヂ and ヅ are mostly used in specific spelling cases.
Combination characters — Yōon（拗音）
Yōon are combination sounds made with an i-column katakana plus a small ャ, ュ, or ョ. The second kana is written smaller, which changes the sound: キ + ャ = キャ.
Click any katakana to see stroke order and pronunciation.
Yōon are common in everyday katakana words, so it is important to recognise the small kana clearly. キヤ (ki-ya, two syllables) and キャ (kya, one syllable) are not the same.
The standard beginner forms are ジャ, ジュ, and ジョ. The ヂャ series exists but is rarely used in modern writing.
Long vowels with ー
Katakana often uses the long vowel mark ー to stretch the previous vowel sound. This is especially common in loanwords.
The long vowel mark follows the direction of writing: horizontal in horizontal text and vertical in vertical text.
Small ッ and doubled consonants
A small ッ creates a short pause before the next consonant. In many loanwords, it represents a doubled or stopped consonant sound.
Do not confuse small ッ with full-size ツ. The size changes the pronunciation.
Extended katakana sounds
Katakana can use small vowel combinations to represent sounds that are common in foreign words and names. These are especially useful for modern loanwords.
You may also see ヴ in some loanwords and names, but many beginner materials use simpler spellings. This section is an introduction, not a complete advanced chart — recognising the most common forms is enough at the start.
Don’t confuse these katakana
Katakana has several characters that look very similar at first. Learning them side by side helps you notice stroke direction, angle, and balance.
Stroke order makes katakana easier to write
Katakana looks simple, but stroke direction and angle matter. Writing by hand helps you remember the shapes and avoid confusing similar characters.
Free Katakana Practice Downloads
Download printable resources for learning katakana by hand. Start with the chart, then use the writing grid for daily repetition.
A clean overview of the 46 basic katakana characters, arranged in gojūon order.
Printable grid paper for handwriting practice, repetition, and review.
Download Practice SheetA small sample of guided katakana writing practice while the full workbook is in planning.
Download Practice Preview