YukigoKatakana: the complete chart
Katakana is the second Japanese syllabary: it is used for foreign loanwords (コーヒー kōhī, “coffee”), non-Japanese proper names, onomatopoeia and emphasis.
The sounds are the same as hiragana: 46 base kana in the same grid (gojūon). Only the shapes change — sharper and more angular.
The 46 base katakana (gojūon)
Dakuten and handakuten
Just like hiragana: the dakuten ( ゛) voices the consonant (カ ka → ガ ga), the handakuten ( ゜) turns the H row into P (ハ ha → パ pa).
Combinations (yōon)
An I-column kana followed by a small ャ, ュ or ョ forms a single sound: キ + ャ = キャ kya.
How to memorize katakana
If you already know hiragana you're halfway there: the sounds are identical. Focus on the lookalike pairs (シ shi / ツ tsu, ン n / ソ so) by writing them by hand. Yukigo teaches them with tracing, audio and spaced repetition, for free.
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Frequently asked questions
How many katakana are there?
46 base characters, same as hiragana, plus dakuten, handakuten and combinations — the sounds are exactly the same.
Why does Japanese have two syllabaries?
They split the work: hiragana for native words and grammar, katakana for foreign loanwords, proper names, onomatopoeia and emphasis.
What is the long dash (ー)?
The chōonpu: it lengthens the previous vowel, as in コーヒー kōhī. In katakana it's the standard way to write long vowels.
How do I tell シ and ツ apart?
Look at the stroke orientation: in シ (shi) they're more horizontal, in ツ (tsu) more vertical. Writing them in the correct stroke order fixes them better than any mnemonic.
Looking for the other syllabary? Hiragana chart →