Complete Hiragana and Katakana Chart With All 112 Characters

The very first step for everybody who wants to learn Japanese is to study the hiragana and katakana chart (before learning kanji or anything else). And there are 46 hiragana and 46 katakana unique characters to learn. But:

• Add 25 sounds formed by adding double dots " (ば, び, ぼ) or a circle ° (ぱ, ぴ, ぽ) in the top right corner of the character ;
• 21 compound sounds formed by attaching a small ya/yu/yo hiragana or katakana to a normal one (ひゃ, ひゅ, ひょ) ;
• And 20 by combining the two last patterns I mentioned (びゃ, びゅ, びょ).

If I remember my math classes, that makes a total of 112 hiragana and 112 katakana characters that you need to learn (although learning the 46 initial characters of each alphabet will get you 90% of the way).

If you want a fun way to test your hiragana and katakana knowledge, we created a game for this: Kana Rush. It will help you read hiragana and katakana much faster!

Hiragana and Katakana Charts

Hiragana chart

Swipe sideways to see all five vowel columns →

Hiragana chart with normal and contracted sounds

	a	i	u	e	o
	あa	いi	うu	えe	おo
k	かka	きki	くku	けke	こko
g	がga	ぎgi	ぐgu	げge	ごgo
s	さsa	しshi	すsu	せse	そso
z	ざza	じji	ずzu	ぜze	ぞzo
t	たta	ちchi	つtsu	てte	とto
d	だda	ぢji	づzu	でde	どdo
n	なna	にni	ぬnu	ねne	のno
h	はha	ひhi	ふfu	へhe	ほho
b	ばba	びbi	ぶbu	べbe	ぼbo
p	ぱpa	ぴpi	ぷpu	ぺpe	ぽpo
m	まma	みmi	むmu	めme	もmo
y	やya		ゆyu		よyo
r	らra	りri	るru	れre	ろro
w	わwa				をo
n	んn
Contracted sounds
ky	きゃkya		きゅkyu		きょkyo
sh	しゃsha		しゅshu		しょsho
ch	ちゃcha		ちゅchu		ちょcho
ny	にゃnya		にゅnyu		にょnyo
hy	ひゃhya		ひゅhyu		ひょhyo
my	みゃmya		みゅmyu		みょmyo
ry	りゃrya		りゅryu		りょryo
gy	ぎゃgya		ぎゅgyu		ぎょgyo
j	じゃja		じゅju		じょjo
by	びゃbya		びゅbyu		びょbyo
py	ぴゃpya		ぴゅpyu		ぴょpyo

Katakana chart

Swipe sideways to see all five vowel columns →

Katakana chart with normal and contracted sounds

	a	i	u	e	o
	アa	イi	ウu	エe	オo
k	カka	キki	クku	ケke	コko
g	ガga	ギgi	グgu	ゲge	ゴgo
s	サsa	シshi	スsu	セse	ソso
z	ザza	ジji	ズzu	ゼze	ゾzo
t	タta	チchi	ツtsu	テte	トto
d	ダda	ヂji	ヅzu	デde	ドdo
n	ナna	ニni	ヌnu	ネne	ノno
h	ハha	ヒhi	フfu	ヘhe	ホho
b	バba	ビbi	ブbu	ベbe	ボbo
p	パpa	ピpi	プpu	ペpe	ポpo
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
n	ンn
Contracted sounds
ky	キャkya		キュkyu		キョkyo
sh	シャsha		シュshu		ショsho
ch	チャcha		チュchu		チョcho
ny	ニャnya		ニュnyu		ニョnyo
hy	ヒャhya		ヒュhyu		ヒョhyo
my	ミャmya		ミュmyu		ミョmyo
ry	リャrya		リュryu		リョryo
gy	ギャgya		ギュgyu		ギョgyo
j	ジャja		ジュju		ジョjo
by	ビャbya		ビュbyu		ビョbyo
py	ピャpya		ピュpyu		ピョpyo

In the chart below, you will find all these 112 hiragana and katakana characters. The 46 unique hiragana and katakana characters are in the top left corner of the chart:

 

Want the kana chart nearby? The Hiragana and Katakana Poster keeps both scripts in clear view while you study. If you prefer a smaller daily reminder, the Hiragana and Katakana Mug puts the chart next to your coffee instead.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Hiragana and Katakana?

We wrote a whole article about how long it takes to learn the two Japanese alphabets, but if you want the short answer:

• Count two weeks to learn hiragana
• And one more week to learn katakana

In total, it should take you 7-10 hours.

The Best Way to Memorize Hiragana and Katakana

But after you've learned them, you need to make sure you remember them.

For that, there's no secret: you'll need to review them consistently.

Especially the tricky ones, like ぬ and め, れ, ね and わ, は and ほ, シ and ツ, or ノ,ソ, and ン. Even after years of learning Japanese, it's not rare to confuse them (I sure still do).

If you want kana somewhere you will actually see it, Hirakan has a few simple options: the Hiragana and Katakana Poster for your wall, the Hiragana and Katakana Mug for daily use, and the full Kana Tools collection if you want to compare them.

Final Words: On Your Way to Learning Kanji

After learning your hiragana and katakana, it will be time to learn the dreaded kanji. It will take you a few years to learn them all, but you cannot do without it. Start by the most common kanji included in the JLPT N5 level, and slowly build from there.