Complete Katakana and Hiragana: Simple Recognition Tricks for Beginners

 

Complete Katakana and Hiragana: Simple Recognition Tricks and Similarities

Learning Japanese begins with mastering Hiragana and Katakana. This guide helps beginners recognize both sets, remember differences, and understand practical usage in daily Japanese.

Hiragana & Katakana Chart with Recognition Tricks

Hiragana	Katakana	Sound	Memory / Recognition Trick
あ	ア	a	Hiragana has a swirl at the top, Katakana is a simple angled "A".
い	イ	i	Hiragana is two curves, Katakana is two straight lines (simpler).
う	ウ	u	Hiragana looks like a "u" swirl, Katakana is like a "V" with a line.
え	エ	e	Hiragana has a curve at bottom, Katakana is a simple three strokes.
お	オ	o	Hiragana has a curl at bottom, Katakana has an angled line at right.
か	カ	ka	Hiragana has a curl at left, Katakana is like a small angled "K".
き	キ	ki	Hiragana has more curves, Katakana has straight lines like a "+" with a hook.
く	ク	ku	Both are angled; Hiragana is curved, Katakana is sharp.
け	ケ	ke	Hiragana has loop, Katakana is two straight lines.
こ	コ	ko	Hiragana has round curve, Katakana is 2 straight lines forming corner.
さ	サ	sa	Hiragana has hook at end, Katakana is straight with angle.
し	シ	shi	Hiragana has "smile" curve, Katakana is 3 short strokes downward.
す	ス	su	Hiragana looks like a swirl, Katakana has sharp "S" shape.
せ	セ	se	Hiragana is more flowing, Katakana has straight angles.
そ	ソ	so	Hiragana curl at end, Katakana is angled like backward L.
た	タ	ta	Hiragana has more curves, Katakana is like a cross with one stroke.
ち	チ	chi	Hiragana curves, Katakana is straight with angle.
つ	ツ	tsu	Hiragana looks like small swirl, Katakana is two angled strokes down.
て	テ	te	Hiragana with hook, Katakana is simple two lines.
と	ト	to	Hiragana more rounded, Katakana angled line downward.
な	ナ	na	Hiragana curves with hook, Katakana simple diagonal line.
に	ニ	ni	Both have two lines; Hiragana curves, Katakana straight.
ぬ	ヌ	nu	Hiragana curl, Katakana more straight hook.
ね	ネ	ne	Hiragana with loop, Katakana 3 lines.
の	ノ	no	Hiragana has curl, Katakana is a single angled stroke.

Tips & Facts About Hiragana and Katakana

• Hiragana is primarily used for native Japanese words, particles, and grammatical functions.
• Katakana is mainly used for foreign words, onomatopoeia, scientific names, and emphasis.
• Both Hiragana and Katakana represent the same set of sounds; Katakana is more angular and simplified.
• Some characters look similar but have subtle differences; using the tricks above will help you remember them easily.
• When learning, practice reading aloud and writing each character repeatedly; connecting Hiragana & Katakana visually helps memorization.
• Long vowels in Katakana are written with a dash (ー), e.g., コーヒー (kōhī - coffee).
• Small versions like っ (Hiragana) and ッ (Katakana) are used for doubled consonants.
• Both scripts are fundamental before learning Kanji; mastery helps in reading signs, menus, textbooks, and JLPT preparation.

Other Notes

Once Hiragana and Katakana are memorized, beginners can move to simple vocabulary reading, Kanji recognition, and sentence formation. This table and tricks method will make remembering easier, especially when practicing with flashcards or reading simple texts.

By mastering these two scripts, you create a strong foundation for JLPT N5 and further Japanese learning.