Free tool · Japanese
Katakana Quiz
Master the 46 basic katakana characters used for loanwords like コーヒー and ピザ. Practise with instant feedback.
The core katakana used for loanwords.
Master the 46 basic katakana characters used for loanwords like コーヒー and ピザ. Practise with instant feedback.
The core katakana used for loanwords.
Katakana (カタカナ) is one of Japan's three writing systems, alongside hiragana and kanji. It maps to the same 46 basic sounds as hiragana but with sharper, more angular strokes — and it does a different job. Where hiragana handles native words and grammar, katakana handles loanwords (コーヒー coffee, ピザ pizza), foreign names, scientific terms, onomatopoeia and emphasis. If you've ever read a Japanese menu or tech product page, almost every "fun" word on it is katakana.
The 46 basic katakana, organised by consonant row and vowel column — the same sounds as hiragana, different shapes.
| · | a | i | u | e | o |
| · | ア | イ | ウ | エ | オ |
| k | カ | キ | ク | ケ | コ |
| s | サ | シ | ス | セ | ソ |
| t | タ | チ | ツ | テ | ト |
| n | ナ | ニ | ヌ | ネ | ノ |
| h | ハ | ヒ | フ | ヘ | ホ |
| m | マ | ミ | ム | メ | モ |
| y | ヤ | · | ユ | · | ヨ |
| r | ラ | リ | ル | レ | ロ |
| w | ワ | · | · | · | ヲ |
| n | ン | · | · | · | · |
Katakana mainly writes loanwords from other languages (コーヒー = coffee, テレビ = TV), foreign names, scientific terms, onomatopoeia and words the writer wants to emphasise. If you read manga, menus or product packaging, you'll see it everywhere.
After. Hiragana shows up in every native sentence, so it's the higher-leverage script to learn first. Once hiragana feels automatic, katakana usually takes 1–2 weeks of short daily sessions.
Same sounds, different look. Hiragana has rounder, flowing strokes (used for native words and grammar); katakana has sharper, angular strokes (used for loanwords and emphasis). The quiz on this page lets you compare them side-by-side.
Yes — all 46 basic katakana are free to drill with audio. Pro unlocks dakuten (ガ, ザ, ダ…) and yōon (キャ, シュ, チョ…) sets plus the full SPEAKZY course.