Katakana Chart
Complete Reference with All Characters, Stroke Order & Pronunciation
This is the complete katakana chart—your comprehensive reference guide to all 46 basic katakana characters, plus dakuten (゛), handakuten (゜), and combination characters. Whether you’re a complete beginner or reviewing for the JLPT, this chart provides everything you need to master katakana.
Each character is presented with clear pronunciation, organized by row for easy memorization. Use this as your go-to reference while studying, or print it out to keep nearby during your Japanese learning journey.
Table of Contents
Complete Katakana Chart (46 Characters)
This is the complete set of basic katakana characters, organized by row (a, ka, sa, ta, na, ha, ma, ya, ra, wa) and column (vowels: a, i, u, e, o).
Basic Katakana (五十音 – Gojūon)
| Row | A | I | U | E | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ア段 | アa | イi | ウu | エe | オo |
| カ行 | カka | キki | クku | ケke | コko |
| サ行 | サsa | シshi | スsu | セse | ソso |
| タ行 | タta | チchi | ツtsu | テte | トto |
| ナ行 | ナna | ニni | ヌnu | ネne | ノno |
| ハ行 | ハha | ヒhi | フfu | ヘhe | ホho |
| マ行 | マma | ミmi | ムmu | メme | モmo |
| ヤ行 | ヤya | ユyu | ヨyo | ||
| ラ行 | ラra | リri | ルru | レre | ロro |
| ワ行 | ワwa | ヲwo | |||
| ン | ンn | ||||
Learn katakana row by row (ア行, カ行, サ行, etc.). Master one row completely before moving to the next. This systematic approach is much more effective than trying to learn all 46 characters at once!
Dakuten Characters (゛)
Dakuten (濁点) are the two small marks (゛) that change the sound of certain katakana characters. They make the consonant “voiced.”
ガ行 (G-sounds)
ザ行 (Z-sounds)
ダ行 (D-sounds)
バ行 (B-sounds)
Handakuten Characters (゜)
Handakuten (半濁点) is the small circle (゜) that changes the ハ row to P-sounds.
パ行 (P-sounds)
Dakuten (゛) = two small marks (looks like quotation marks)
Handakuten (゜) = small circle
Only the ハ行 can take handakuten to become the パ行!
Combination Characters
Combination characters (拗音 – yōon) use a regular-sized katakana followed by a small ャ, ュ, or ョ to create new sounds.
キャ, キュ, キョ (kya, kyu, kyo)
シャ, シュ, ショ (sha, shu, sho)
チャ, チュ, チョ (cha, chu, cho)
ニャ, ニュ, ニョ (nya, nyu, nyo)
ヒャ, ヒュ, ヒョ (hya, hyu, hyo)
ミャ, ミュ, ミョ (mya, myu, myo)
リャ, リュ, リョ (rya, ryu, ryo)
ギャ, ギュ, ギョ (gya, gyu, gyo) – with Dakuten
ジャ, ジュ, ジョ (ja, ju, jo) – with Dakuten
ビャ, ビュ, ビョ (bya, byu, byo) – with Dakuten
ピャ, ピュ, ピョ (pya, pyu, pyo) – with Handakuten
Special Characters
Katakana has several special symbols used for specific purposes:
Special Katakana Symbols
Stroke Order Basics
Proper stroke order makes writing faster, characters more balanced, and helps with recognition. Here are some examples:
Example Stroke Counts
- Top to bottom
- Left to right
- Horizontal before vertical when they cross
- Outside before inside
- Center before sides (when symmetrical)
How to Use This Chart
For Complete Beginners:
- Start with the basic 46 characters in the main chart
- Learn one row at a time (5 characters)
- Practice writing each character 10 times
- Move to dakuten/handakuten after mastering basics
- Save combination characters for last
For Reference:
- Print this chart and keep it near your study area
- Use it to look up unfamiliar katakana quickly
- Hover over characters in the digital version to see them highlighted
- Check the pronunciation guide when reading Japanese text
For Practice:
- Cover the romaji and test yourself on readings
- Write out the entire chart from memory
- Practice writing katakana words using this as reference
- Time yourself reading through all characters
Quick Reference Stats
Katakana Character Count
Key Takeaways:
- ✅ 46 basic katakana characters form the foundation
- ✅ Dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) modify basic characters
- ✅ Small ャ, ュ, ョ create combination sounds
- ✅ ー extends vowel sounds in foreign words
- ✅ Learn row by row for best results
- ✅ Stroke order matters for proper writing
- ✅ Total of 109 possible katakana combinations
- ✅ Use this chart as your go-to reference
Your Complete Katakana Reference
This chart is designed to be your comprehensive katakana reference—whether you’re a complete beginner learning the characters for the first time, or an advanced student who needs a quick lookup tool. Bookmark this page, print it out, or save it to your device for easy access whenever you need it.
Remember: consistency beats intensity. Reviewing this chart for 15 minutes daily is far more effective than cramming for hours once a week. Make katakana practice part of your daily routine, and you’ll have all these characters memorized within a month!
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.
