Katakana chart: all 46 characters with stroke order
Katakana has the same sounds as hiragana, written in a sharper style. It is used mainly for words from other languages, foreign names and sound words. This page shows the full chart with romaji, the stroke order of all 46 characters, and the extra sounds used for foreign words.
Katakana chart
The rows are the same as in the hiragana chart: a vowel row, then each consonant with a, i, u, e, o. Tap a character to see how to write it.
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vowels | アa | イi | ウu | エe | オo |
| k- | カka | キki | クku | ケke | コko |
| s- | サsa | シshi | スsu | セse | ソso |
| t- | タta | チchi | ツtsu | テte | トto |
| n- | ナna | ニni | ヌnu | ネne | ノno |
| h- | ハha | ヒhi | フfu | ヘhe | ホho |
| m- | マma | ミmi | ムmu | メme | モmo |
| y- | ヤya | ユyu | ヨyo | ||
| r- | ラra | リri | ルru | レre | ロro |
| w- | ワwa | ヲo (wo) | |||
| ンn |
Press ▶ to hear each sound. Audio plays with a free account.
Stroke order for all 46 characters
Open a character to see each stroke in order. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ア a 2 strokes
ア is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
イ i 2 strokes
イ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ウ u 3 strokes
ウ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
エ e 3 strokes
エ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
オ o 3 strokes
オ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
カ ka 2 strokes
カ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
キ ki 3 strokes
キ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ク ku 2 strokes
ク is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ケ ke 3 strokes
ケ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
コ ko 2 strokes
コ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
サ sa 3 strokes
サ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
シ shi 3 strokes
シ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ス su 2 strokes
ス is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
セ se 2 strokes
セ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ソ so 2 strokes
ソ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
タ ta 3 strokes
タ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
チ chi 3 strokes
チ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ツ tsu 3 strokes
ツ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
テ te 3 strokes
テ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ト to 2 strokes
ト is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ナ na 2 strokes
ナ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ニ ni 2 strokes
ニ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ヌ nu 2 strokes
ヌ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ネ ne 4 strokes
ネ is written in 4 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ノ no 1 strokes
ノ is written in 1 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ハ ha 2 strokes
ハ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ヒ hi 2 strokes
ヒ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
フ fu 1 strokes
フ is written in 1 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ヘ he 1 strokes
ヘ is written in 1 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ホ ho 4 strokes
ホ is written in 4 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
マ ma 2 strokes
マ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ミ mi 3 strokes
ミ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ム mu 2 strokes
ム is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
メ me 2 strokes
メ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
モ mo 3 strokes
モ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ヤ ya 2 strokes
ヤ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ユ yu 2 strokes
ユ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ヨ yo 3 strokes
ヨ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ラ ra 2 strokes
ラ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
リ ri 2 strokes
リ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ル ru 2 strokes
ル is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
レ re 1 strokes
レ is written in 1 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ロ ro 3 strokes
ロ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ワ wa 2 strokes
ワ is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ヲ o (wo) 3 strokes
ヲ is written in 3 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
ン n 2 strokes
ン is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Voiced sounds: ゛ and ゜
Two small marks change the sound. ゛ (dakuten) makes k into g, s into z, t into d and h into b. ゜ (handakuten) makes h into p.
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| g- | ガga | ギgi | グgu | ゲge | ゴgo |
| z- | ザza | ジji | ズzu | ゼze | ゾzo |
| d- | ダda | ヂji | ヅzu | デde | ドdo |
| b- | バba | ビbi | ブbu | ベbe | ボbo |
| p- | パpa | ピpi | プpu | ペpe | ポpo |
ヂ and ヅ sound the same as ジ and ズ. They appear in only a few words.
Combined sounds (yōon)
A character from the i column followed by a small ャ, ュ or ョ makes one combined sound, such as キャ (kya).
| +ya | +yu | +yo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| キ | キャkya | キュkyu | キョkyo |
| シ | シャsha | シュshu | ショsho |
| チ | チャcha | チュchu | チョcho |
| ニ | ニャnya | ニュnyu | ニョnyo |
| ヒ | ヒャhya | ヒュhyu | ヒョhyo |
| ミ | ミャmya | ミュmyu | ミョmyo |
| リ | リャrya | リュryu | リョryo |
| ギ | ギャgya | ギュgyu | ギョgyo |
| ジ | ジャja | ジュju | ジョjo |
| ビ | ビャbya | ビュbyu | ビョbyo |
| ピ | ピャpya | ピュpyu | ピョpyo |
The long vowel mark, small ッ and new sounds
ー: the long vowel mark
Katakana writes a long vowel with a dash, ー. In vertical writing the dash is written vertically.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| コーヒーkōhī | coffee |
| ケーキkēki | cake |
| スーパーsūpā | supermarket |
| ビールbīru | beer |
Small ッ: a short pause
A small ッ doubles the next consonant, just like small っ in hiragana.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ベッドbeddo | bed |
| カップkappu | cup |
| サッカーsakkā | soccer |
New sounds for foreign words
Katakana combines characters with small ァ ィ ゥ ェ ォ to write sounds that are not in the basic chart.
| Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ファfa | ファイルfairu | file |
| フィfi | フィルムfirumu | film |
| フェfe | カフェkafe | café |
| フォfo | フォークfōku | fork |
| ティti | パーティーpātī | party |
| ディdi | ディナーdinā | dinner |
| ウィwi | ウィンドウwindō | window (on a computer) |
| ウェwe | ウェブwebu | web |
| ウォwo | ウォーキングwōkingu | walking |
| シェshe | シェフshefu | chef |
| ジェje | ジェットjetto | jet |
| チェche | チェックchekku | check |
| ヴvu | ヴァイオリンvaiorin | violin (also written バイオリン) |
Characters that look alike
- シ / ツIn シ the two short strokes are on the left and the long stroke goes up from the bottom. In ツ the short strokes are on top and the long stroke comes down from the top right.
- ソ / ンIn ソ the short stroke points down from the top left and the long stroke comes down from the top right. In ン the long stroke goes up from the bottom left.
- ク / タタ is ク with one more short stroke inside.
- ク / ケIn ケ the second stroke is a straight horizontal line, and the third stroke starts from it and falls to the left.
- ウ / ワウ has a short stroke on top. ワ does not.
- ワ / フワ has a short vertical stroke on the left. フ is a single stroke.
- コ / ユIn ユ the bottom line reaches past the vertical stroke. In コ it stops at the corner.
- ノ / メメ is ノ with a second stroke crossing it.
- チ / テチ starts with a short slanted stroke, and its long stroke crosses the horizontal line. テ has two horizontal lines, and its last stroke comes down from the lower one.
- ア / マThe second stroke of ア is a long curve down to the left. The second stroke of マ is a short stroke down to the right.
First words to read
These everyday words are always written in katakana.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| テレビterebi | television |
| パンpan | bread |
| ホテルhoteru | hotel |
| タクシーtakushī | taxi |
| カメラkamera | camera |
| バスbasu | bus |
| ノートnōto | notebook |
| ペンpen | pen |
| レストランresutoran | restaurant |
| メールmēru | |
| コンビニkonbini | convenience store |
| アイスクリームaisukurīmu | ice cream |
Questions about katakana
How many katakana are there?
There are 46 basic katakana, the same number as hiragana. Adding ゛ and ゜ makes 25 more sounds, adding small ャ, ュ or ョ makes 33 combined sounds, and katakana also has extra combinations such as ファ and ティ for foreign words.
When is katakana used?
Katakana is used mainly for words from other languages, such as テレビ (terebi, television), for foreign names and place names, and for some sound words and emphasis. Japanese words and grammar are usually written in hiragana and kanji.
What does the dash ー mean in katakana?
The dash ー makes the vowel before it long. For example, コーヒー (kōhī) means coffee. Without the dash the word would have short vowels.
Should I learn katakana after hiragana?
Most learners learn hiragana first and katakana second. The sounds and the order of the chart are the same, so only the shapes are new.
Keep going
Sources
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.