Katakana · Sound reference
Your katakana chart, from vowels to combinations.
Use this katakana chart to connect each Japanese character with its romaji reading. Start with the basic table, then explore voiced sounds and combinations below.
Free kana learning and practice · No account needed| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| アa | イi | ウu | エe | オo |
| カka | キki | クku | ケke | コko |
| サsa | シshi | スsu | セse | ソso |
| タta | チchi | ツtsu | テte | トto |
| ナna | ニni | ヌnu | ネne | ノno |
| ハha | ヒhi | フfu | ヘhe | ホho |
| マma | ミmi | ムmu | メme | モmo |
| ヤya | No character | ユyu | No character | ヨyo |
| ラra | リri | ルru | レre | ロro |
| ワwa | No character | No character | No character | ヲwo |
| ンn | No character | No character | No character | No character |
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ガga | ギgi | グgu | ゲge | ゴgo |
| ザza | ジji | ズzu | ゼze | ゾzo |
| ダda | ヂji | ヅzu | デde | ドdo |
| バba | ビbi | ブbu | ベbe | ボbo |
| パpa | ピpi | プpu | ペpe | ポpo |
| ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|
| キャkya | キュkyu | キョkyo |
| シャsha | シュshu | ショsho |
| チャcha | チュchu | チョcho |
| ニャnya | ニュnyu | ニョnyo |
| ヒャhya | ヒュhyu | ヒョhyo |
| ミャmya | ミュmyu | ミョmyo |
| リャrya | リュryu | リョryo |
| ギャgya | ギュgyu | ギョgyo |
| ジャja | ジュju | ジョjo |
| ビャbya | ビュbyu | ビョbyo |
| ピャpya | ピュpyu | ピョpyo |
The small っ / ッ marks a brief pause before the next consonant, as in がっこう (gakkou). A long vowel in katakana is often written with ー. The interactive charts include these additional sounds.
Read the chart by sound
The columns follow the vowels a, i, u, e and o. Work across a row to learn a sound family, then test yourself by covering the romaji. The blank cells reflect gaps in modern kana rather than missing characters. Katakana appears in loanwords, foreign names, sound effects and words given special emphasis. Recognizing it helps you read menus, signs and everyday Japanese.
Sound marks and small kana
Two small strokes, called dakuten, change sounds such as カ (ka) to ガ (ga). The small circle, handakuten, changes h-row sounds to p-row sounds. Small ャ, ュ and ョ combine with i-row kana to make sounds such as kya, shu and cho.
Move from reference to practice
Say a row aloud, compare any shapes you confuse, and try a short quiz without the chart. The interactive reference in the app includes audio buttons and both scripts. These tables also work without JavaScript and can be printed from your browser.
Good to know
How many basic katakana characters are there?
Modern katakana has 46 basic characters. Voiced variants, small characters and combinations extend the sounds you can write. The first table below contains all 46 basic kana.
Why is ヲ shown as wo?
The chart uses wo to distinguish ヲ from オ. It is usually pronounced o in modern Japanese. Likewise, は and へ are pronounced wa and e when used as certain grammatical particles.