Free chart · with audio
Learn Katakana: chart with audio
Katakana makes the same sounds as hiragana but is used for foreign words, names and emphasis: think コーヒー (coffee) or テレビ (TV). Learn these 46 characters and a huge number of everyday words suddenly become readable.
🔊 Tap any character to hear it. Audio uses your device’s Japanese voice.
The 46 basic katakanaread across: a · i · u · e · o
The katakana for wo is usually pronounced “o”, and ん (n) is the only character that is just a consonant. Looking for the other script? See the hiragana chart.
Manekko’s katakana sprint shows you a character and you type its romaji. It takes a few minutes a day and it’s free.
Questions
When is katakana used?
Mainly for words borrowed from other languages (like パン, bread, or コンビニ, convenience store), foreign names and places, and sometimes for emphasis or sound effects.
Should I learn katakana after hiragana?
Yes. Most learners start with the hiragana chart, then learn katakana, which makes the same sounds with different shapes.
Which katakana are easy to mix up?
シ (shi) and ツ (tsu), and ソ (so) and ン (n), are the classic pairs. Look at the direction of the strokes: シ and ン are written more from the bottom up.
Is Manekko free?
Yes. The katakana sprint and everything else on Manekko today is free.