Katakana chart with stroke order
Katakana has the same sounds as hiragana with sharper, more angular shapes. It's used for words borrowed from other languages (コーヒー, kōhī, coffee), foreign names, and for emphasis, a bit like italics. Below are all 46 basic katakana with the romaji reading, number of strokes and the order to write them. Numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Dakuten and handakuten
Two small marks change the sound. Dakuten ゛ makes a consonant voiced (k → g, s → z, t → d, h → b). Handakuten ゜ only goes on the h-row and turns it into p.
| 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 |
Combinations (yōon)
A kana from the i-column plus a small ャ ュ ョ blends into one syllable: キ + ャ = キャ (kya). Write the small kana lower and smaller.
| 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 |
In katakana, long vowels use a dash ー (ケーキ, kēki, cake), small ッ doubles the next consonant (ベッド, beddo, bed), and extra combinations like ティ (ti) and ファ (fa) spell foreign sounds.
Practise writing these with Kuma
Kuma checks every stroke you draw, so you learn the right order and direction. Free, no download needed.