Interactive Hiragana Chart and Katakana Chart
This Japanese kana chart shows every Hiragana and Katakana character in one interactive grid, so you can study both writing systems in the same place. Each character is colour-coded by type — Basic (Gojūon), Dakuten, Handakuten, and Combination (Yōon) — to make the structure easy to read at a glance.
Click any character to open a detail panel with a pronunciation guide and real example words, then press Listen to hear it spoken aloud. Switch between Hiragana and Katakana with one toggle, and test your recall with a built-in quiz.
It is built for beginners learning kana for the first time, students reviewing before a test, and anyone who wants a clean, free reference for the Japanese alphabet.
How to Use the Kana Chart
Browse the four sections
Scroll through Basic (46 characters), Dakuten (20), Handakuten (5), and Combination (33). The colour-coded legend at the top shows what each group is.
Switch script
Use the Hiragana / Katakana toggle at the top to flip the whole chart between the two scripts while keeping the same layout.
Open a character
Click any character to open its detail panel. You will see its romaji reading, the matching Hiragana or Katakana pair, a pronunciation guide, and example words. Press Listen to hear the sound, or click any example word to hear the full word.
Take the quiz
Open the Quiz section, choose your script, character groups, mode, and number of questions, then start. Review your wrong answers at the end to focus your practice.
Features
Complete Kana Chart
All 104 characters in both scripts: 46 basic plus dakuten, handakuten, and combination (yōon) kana.
Hiragana / Katakana Toggle
Flip the entire chart between Hiragana and Katakana with a single toggle to study both scripts side by side.
Colour-Coded Groups
Basic, Dakuten, Handakuten, and Combination each get their own colour so character types are easy to tell apart.
Audio Pronunciation
Press Listen to hear any character spoken aloud through your browser's built-in Japanese speech synthesis.
Detail Panel
Each character opens a panel with its romaji, the matching script pair, a pronunciation guide, and example words.
Clickable Example Words
Real Japanese words with romaji and English meanings — click any word to hear it pronounced in full.
Two Quiz Modes
Kana to Romaji asks you to type the reading; Romaji to Kana asks you to pick the right character from four choices.
Customisable Quizzes
Pick the script, the character groups to include, and 10, 20, 30, or all questions before you begin.
Score and Wrong-Answer Review
See your live score during the quiz and a list of every character you missed afterwards, so you know what to drill next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hiragana and katakana characters are there?
Each script has 46 basic characters. On top of that there are 20 dakuten and 5 handakuten variations plus 33 combination (yōon) sounds. This chart covers all of them — 104 characters per script — for both Hiragana and Katakana.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Both represent exactly the same sounds but are used in different contexts. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammatical particles, and verb endings. Katakana is used for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, onomatopoeia, and emphasis — much like italics in English.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Most learners start with Hiragana, since it is used for the grammar and native vocabulary you meet first. Once Hiragana feels comfortable, move on to Katakana. Begin with the Basic (Gojūon) row in each script before tackling dakuten and combinations.
What do dakuten and handakuten mean?
Dakuten are two small marks that change a character's sound — for example か (ka) becomes が (ga). Handakuten is a small circle added to the "h" row to create "p" sounds, so は (ha) becomes ぱ (pa). Both groups have their own colour-coded sections in the chart.
What are yōon (combination) characters?
Yōon are combinations of a consonant character with a small や (ya), ゆ (yu), or よ (yo) to form a single new sound, such as きゃ (kya), しゅ (shu), or ちょ (cho). They appear constantly in everyday Japanese, so the chart includes all 33 of them.
Is kana the same as the Japanese alphabet?
Kana — Hiragana and Katakana together — is the closest thing Japanese has to a phonetic alphabet, since each character stands for one syllable sound. It is different from kanji, the imported Chinese characters that carry meaning. Mastering kana is the standard first step before learning kanji.
Why can't I hear any audio?
Audio uses your browser's built-in speech synthesis (the Web Speech API). Make sure your device volume is up and your browser supports it. Some systems need a Japanese voice pack installed before kana will be read aloud.
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