Katakana Alphabet Guide

Are you new to studying Katakana?

Once you’ve mastered hiragana, it’s time to jump into your next exciting adventure in learning Japanese with our friendly Katakana Character Guide! Whether you’re just starting with katakana or just need a quick refresher, this guide is here to help. Our main goal is to make it super easy for you to recognize the basic katakana characters without any stress.

If you’re looking for even more in-depth practice, we offer a special kit available for a small fee that delves deeper into the topic. (coming soon)
Happy learning!

Have you studied Katakana before? If so, take an assessment for “Study Recommendations."
*If you haven't mastered Japanese Hiragana characters, we strongly recommend that you master them first. Jump to Hiragana Alphabet Guide

Japanese Writing System

Before jump into learning Katakana letters, let's review

The Japanese writing system uses three types of alphabet: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

We combine them when we write vocabulary words/sentences. The following image is the way how we combine them👇

Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji?

What's the difference?

In Hiragana, every letter has one sound. You can write the entire Japanese language in Hiragana. Therefore, Hiragana is the first step in learning Japanese writing.

Hiragana

Katakana

Kanji

About Katakana, each letter also has one sound, but is mainly used for foreign words. It is very uncommon to write sentences using only Katakana.

Kanji was imported from China. Students in Japan learn 2136 Kanji in the school system (12 years). Therefore, learning Kanji will be a long process.

Katakana Chart

With globalization and advancements in technology, the number of Katakana words in Japan has been growing rapidly. As a result, after mastering Hiragana, it becomes crucial to learn the Katakana alphabet as well. We will explore the fundamentals of the Katakana alphabet. It's important to note that using Katakana for entire sentences is relatively rare, as it tends to hinder effective communication.

Yes, I am ready!

Are you ready to study katakana alphabet?