Free Hiragana & Katakana Trainer
Yomikana is Yomimaru's free, login-free guided path to reading hiragana & katakana. Learn all 208 kana one chapter at a time — animated stroke-order guides, mnemonics, native audio, spaced-recall quizzes, a match game, and a look-alike drill — no account required.
Yomikana is Yomimaru's free, login-free guided path from zero to reading all 208 kana — 104 hiragana and 104 katakana. Follow one journey, chapter by chapter: learn each row with animated stroke-order guides, memory-hook mnemonics, and native audio, then lock it in with spaced-recall quizzes, a match game, and a look-alike drill for the characters beginners mix up. Your progress is saved in your browser — no account is needed to start.
The path takes absolute beginners through hiragana first, then katakana, mastering a handful of characters at a time and picking up real words along the way. The full chart below lists every character with its rōmaji reading and a mnemonic to help it stick; open the interactive trainer to walk the path, hear each sound, and watch the stroke order animate until every kana is automatic.
Hiragana chart — all 104 characters
| Kana | Rōmaji | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | ||
| あ | a | An apple's stem crosses the top while its peel spirals off in one long ribbon: that curl is あ. |
| い | i | Two eels stand on their tails side by side, one tall and one short — the two strokes of い. |
| う | u | A steaming bowl of udon: steam ticks off the top, the bowl curves and hooks under into う. |
| え | e | An escalator's steps zigzag up to a single rider's head at the top: those angled steps are え. |
| お | o | An olive on a toothpick, a red pimento dot peeking out top-right — that dot makes it お, not あ. |
| K row | ||
| か | ka | A car races down a road that hooks left, a speed-streak slashing across and a puff of exhaust off the top-right — か. |
| き | ki | An old key stands upright: two crossbars for the grip, a hooked tooth below — き (two bars, not さ's one). |
| く | ku | A cuckoo bursts from its clock, beak snapped wide open going 'ku-ku' — that sharp beak is く. |
| け | ke | A kettle whistles: a tall jet of steam on the left, the handle and hooked spout on the right form け. |
| こ | ko | Two koi drift one above the other, their parallel bodies the two strokes of こ. |
| S row | ||
| さ | sa | A sailboat: the mast crosses the top, one sail bellies out below — さ has one crossbar, not き's two. |
| し | shi | A ship's anchor drops on its line and curves into one big hook at the bottom: upright, that's し. |
| す | su | A curly straw dives into a tall soda and coils into a loop at the bottom — す. |
| せ | se | A seedling: a straight stem crossed by one broad leaf, rising from soil that curls up at the right — せ. |
| そ | so | A zigzag of thread being sewn, dropping into a curl at the end: そ. |
| T row | ||
| た | ta | A gift tag: crossed ribbon up on the left, a little folded card hooking off the lower right — た. |
| ち | chi | A knife rests across a wedge of cheese, its belly curling left — ち, the mirror of さ. |
| つ | tsu | A single wave curls over from left to right, lying flat — that sideways hook is つ. |
| て | te | An old telephone hangs on its hook: a flat top, then a curved drop — て. |
| と | to | A foot mid-step: the shin drops straight, the toe curls up, a pebble stuck to the side — と. |
| N row | ||
| な | na | A rope tied in a knot: strands crossed up top, a small loop dangling from the lower right — な. |
| に | ni | A bandaged knee: the shin on the left, two strips of bandage wrapped across on the right — に. |
| ぬ | nu | Noodles twirled on chopsticks, ending in one extra loop: that loop makes it ぬ, not め. |
| ね | ne | A bird's nest in a tree: the trunk on the left, twigs coiling into a round loop on the right — ね. |
| の | no | A bull's nose ring: one round loop with a little tail — の. |
| H row | ||
| は | ha | A straw hat on a stand: the pole on the left, the brim crossing and crown looping on the right — は. |
| ひ | hi | The curved heel of a shoe, one smooth swoop: ひ. |
| ふ | fu | A fountain: a droplet up top, the spout curving in the middle, a splash to each side — ふ. |
| へ | he | A hen hunched over, its back a single low peak: へ. |
| ほ | ho | Lay a roof-beam across the top of は and the hat becomes a house: ほ. |
| M row | ||
| ま | ma | A ship's mast: two spars cross the pole, and rope coils into a loop at its foot — ま, a loop, not も's hook. |
| み | mi | A hand-mirror: the round glass loops at the top, the handle crosses down — み. |
| む | mu | A cow goes 'muuu': the loop is its round body, the flick up top-right its swishing tail — む. |
| め | me | A medal on crossed ribbons: one clean loop, no extra curl — め, not ぬ. |
| も | mo | A mop stood on its head: the handle hooks at the floor, two suds-streaks crossing it — も. |
| Y row | ||
| や | ya | A ball of yarn with a knitting needle stuck through and a loose end flicking out — や. |
| ゆ | yu | A unicorn: its round head loops, its horn slashes up through — ゆ. |
| よ | yo | A yo-yo on its string: the string drops straight, the yo-yo loops at the bottom, a peg crossing — よ. |
| R row | ||
| ら | ra | A rabbit sits up: a flick of ear at the top, its round back curving down — ら. |
| り | ri | Two ribbon streamers hang side by side, the left one cut short — り. |
| る | ru | A root twists down and curls into a loop at its tip: that loop makes it る, not ろ. |
| れ | re | Someone leans back to rest: a straight back, a leg kicking out to the right — れ, a kick, not ね's loop. |
| ろ | ro | A winding road bends down and just ends, no loop at the bottom — ろ, not る. |
| W row | ||
| わ | wa | A water balloon on a string: the string on the left, the round open belly on the right — わ. |
| を | wo | A wok tosses food: the round pan swoops at the bottom, food flipping across the top — を, only ever a particle. |
| N | ||
| ん | n | One swoop like a cursive n, tail flicking up: ん hums on its own and never starts a word. |
| G row | ||
| が | ga | か + ゛ → voiced 'ga'. |
| ぎ | gi | き + ゛ → voiced 'gi'. |
| ぐ | gu | く + ゛ → voiced 'gu'. |
| げ | ge | け + ゛ → voiced 'ge'. |
| ご | go | こ + ゛ → voiced 'go'. |
| Z row | ||
| ざ | za | さ + ゛ → voiced 'za'. |
| じ | ji | し + ゛ → voiced 'ji'. |
| ず | zu | す + ゛ → voiced 'zu'. |
| ぜ | ze | せ + ゛ → voiced 'ze'. |
| ぞ | zo | そ + ゛ → voiced 'zo'. |
| D row | ||
| だ | da | た + ゛ → voiced 'da'. |
| ぢ | ji | ち + ゛ → 'ji' (rare; usually じ). |
| づ | zu | つ + ゛ → 'zu' (rare; usually ず). |
| で | de | て + ゛ → voiced 'de'. |
| ど | do | と + ゛ → voiced 'do'. |
| B row | ||
| ば | ba | は + ゛ → voiced 'ba'. |
| び | bi | ひ + ゛ → voiced 'bi'. |
| ぶ | bu | ふ + ゛ → voiced 'bu'. |
| べ | be | へ + ゛ → voiced 'be'. |
| ぼ | bo | ほ + ゛ → voiced 'bo'. |
| P row | ||
| ぱ | pa | は + ゜ → popping 'pa'. |
| ぴ | pi | ひ + ゜ → popping 'pi'. |
| ぷ | pu | ふ + ゜ → popping 'pu'. |
| ぺ | pe | へ + ゜ → popping 'pe'. |
| ぽ | po | ほ + ゜ → popping 'po'. |
| Kya・Kyu・Kyo | ||
| きゃ | kya | き + small ゃ → one beat 'kya'. |
| きゅ | kyu | き + small ゅ → one beat 'kyu'. |
| きょ | kyo | き + small ょ → one beat 'kyo'. |
| Sha・Shu・Sho | ||
| しゃ | sha | し + small ゃ → one beat 'sha'. |
| しゅ | shu | し + small ゅ → one beat 'shu'. |
| しょ | sho | し + small ょ → one beat 'sho'. |
| Cha・Chu・Cho | ||
| ちゃ | cha | ち + small ゃ → one beat 'cha'. |
| ちゅ | chu | ち + small ゅ → one beat 'chu'. |
| ちょ | cho | ち + small ょ → one beat 'cho'. |
| Nya・Nyu・Nyo | ||
| にゃ | nya | に + small ゃ → one beat 'nya'. |
| にゅ | nyu | に + small ゅ → one beat 'nyu'. |
| にょ | nyo | に + small ょ → one beat 'nyo'. |
| Hya・Hyu・Hyo | ||
| ひゃ | hya | ひ + small ゃ → one beat 'hya'. |
| ひゅ | hyu | ひ + small ゅ → one beat 'hyu'. |
| ひょ | hyo | ひ + small ょ → one beat 'hyo'. |
| Mya・Myu・Myo | ||
| みゃ | mya | み + small ゃ → one beat 'mya'. |
| みゅ | myu | み + small ゅ → one beat 'myu' (rare). |
| みょ | myo | み + small ょ → one beat 'myo'. |
| Rya・Ryu・Ryo | ||
| りゃ | rya | り + small ゃ → one beat 'rya'. |
| りゅ | ryu | り + small ゅ → one beat 'ryu'. |
| りょ | ryo | り + small ょ → one beat 'ryo'. |
| Gya・Gyu・Gyo | ||
| ぎゃ | gya | ぎ + small ゃ → one beat 'gya'. |
| ぎゅ | gyu | ぎ + small ゅ → one beat 'gyu'. |
| ぎょ | gyo | ぎ + small ょ → one beat 'gyo'. |
| Ja・Ju・Jo | ||
| じゃ | ja | じ + small ゃ → one beat 'ja'. |
| じゅ | ju | じ + small ゅ → one beat 'ju'. |
| じょ | jo | じ + small ょ → one beat 'jo'. |
| Bya・Byu・Byo | ||
| びゃ | bya | び + small ゃ → one beat 'bya'. |
| びゅ | byu | び + small ゅ → one beat 'byu'. |
| びょ | byo | び + small ょ → one beat 'byo'. |
| Pya・Pyu・Pyo | ||
| ぴゃ | pya | ぴ + small ゃ → one beat 'pya'. |
| ぴゅ | pyu | ぴ + small ゅ → one beat 'pyu'. |
| ぴょ | pyo | ぴ + small ょ → one beat 'pyo'. |
Katakana chart — all 104 characters
| Kana | Rōmaji | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
| Vowels | ||
| ア | a | An angle pointing downwards. |
| イ | i | An easel holding a painting. |
| ウ | u | Looks like 'ウ' but drawn with rigid, angular lines. |
| エ | e | An engineer's steel beam structure. |
| オ | o | An opera singer holding out their arms. |
| K row | ||
| カ | ka | Similar to Hiragana 'か', but missing the drop stroke. |
| キ | ki | Similar to Hiragana 'き', but without the bottom loop. |
| ク | ku | A chef's hat or a cook's tool. |
| ケ | ke | Similar to 'ク' but has an extra leg kicking out. |
| コ | ko | A square corner box. |
| S row | ||
| サ | sa | A saddle showing clear lines. |
| シ | shi | A smiling face with eyes pointing sideways. |
| ス | su | A hanger hook holding a suit. |
| セ | se | Similar to 'せ' but with hard straight corners. |
| ソ | so | One small raindrop splashing downwards. |
| T row | ||
| タ | ta | Similar to '夕' (evening), like a sunset peak. |
| チ | chi | A cheerleader waving a flag. |
| ツ | tsu | Two drops sliding down a windshield. |
| テ | te | A television antenna. |
| ト | to | A totem pole standing tall. |
| N row | ||
| ナ | na | A cross representing the cardinal north. |
| ニ | ni | Two lines (the number two in Kanji). |
| ヌ | nu | Noodles with chopsticks crossed over. |
| ネ | ne | A necktie hanging on a stand. |
| ノ | no | A single long slide going downwards. |
| H row | ||
| ハ | ha | Like two hands pointing down in harmony. |
| ヒ | hi | A heel of a boot or a person walking. |
| フ | fu | A flag waving in the wind. |
| ヘ | he | Similar to Hiragana 'へ' but slightly sharper. |
| ホ | ho | A holy cross with small sparks on the sides. |
| M row | ||
| マ | ma | A drinking mug handle or a checkmark. |
| ミ | mi | Three parallel lines going down. |
| ム | mu | A moose head profile. |
| メ | me | An X mark, or two crossed swords. |
| モ | mo | Similar to Hiragana 'も' but with straight angles. |
| Y row | ||
| ヤ | ya | Similar to Hiragana 'や' but without the extra dot. |
| ユ | yu | A hook or a cup laying on its side. |
| ヨ | yo | A toy yo-yo case, like a blocky E facing backward. |
| R row | ||
| ラ | ra | A ramp with a line over it. |
| リ | ri | Similar to Hiragana 'り' but with straight angular strokes. |
| ル | ru | Two routes branching off, two roots. |
| レ | re | A single leg kicking out or a slide. |
| ロ | ro | A square road or box. |
| W row | ||
| ワ | wa | Similar to 'ウ' but missing the top hat stroke. |
| ヲ | wo | A wall with a support beam. |
| N | ||
| ン | n | One drop splashing upwards (similar to 'ソ' but lines are flatter). |
| G row | ||
| ガ | ga | カ + ゛ → voiced 'ga'. |
| ギ | gi | キ + ゛ → voiced 'gi'. |
| グ | gu | ク + ゛ → voiced 'gu'. |
| ゲ | ge | ケ + ゛ → voiced 'ge'. |
| ゴ | go | コ + ゛ → voiced 'go'. |
| Z row | ||
| ザ | za | サ + ゛ → voiced 'za'. |
| ジ | ji | シ + ゛ → voiced 'ji'. |
| ズ | zu | ス + ゛ → voiced 'zu'. |
| ゼ | ze | セ + ゛ → voiced 'ze'. |
| ゾ | zo | ソ + ゛ → voiced 'zo'. |
| D row | ||
| ダ | da | タ + ゛ → voiced 'da'. |
| ヂ | ji | チ + ゛ → 'ji' (very rare in katakana). |
| ヅ | zu | ツ + ゛ → 'zu' (very rare in katakana). |
| デ | de | テ + ゛ → voiced 'de'. |
| ド | do | ト + ゛ → voiced 'do'. |
| B row | ||
| バ | ba | ハ + ゛ → voiced 'ba'. |
| ビ | bi | ヒ + ゛ → voiced 'bi'. |
| ブ | bu | フ + ゛ → voiced 'bu'. |
| ベ | be | ヘ + ゛ → voiced 'be'. |
| ボ | bo | ホ + ゛ → voiced 'bo'. |
| P row | ||
| パ | pa | ハ + ゜ → popping 'pa'. |
| ピ | pi | ヒ + ゜ → popping 'pi'. |
| プ | pu | フ + ゜ → popping 'pu'. |
| ペ | pe | ヘ + ゜ → popping 'pe'. |
| ポ | po | ホ + ゜ → popping 'po'. |
| Kya・Kyu・Kyo | ||
| キャ | kya | キ + small ャ → one beat 'kya'. |
| キュ | kyu | キ + small ュ → one beat 'kyu'. |
| キョ | kyo | キ + small ョ → one beat 'kyo'. |
| Sha・Shu・Sho | ||
| シャ | sha | シ + small ャ → one beat 'sha'. |
| シュ | shu | シ + small ュ → one beat 'shu'. |
| ショ | sho | シ + small ョ → one beat 'sho'. |
| Cha・Chu・Cho | ||
| チャ | cha | チ + small ャ → one beat 'cha'. |
| チュ | chu | チ + small ュ → one beat 'chu'. |
| チョ | cho | チ + small ョ → one beat 'cho'. |
| Nya・Nyu・Nyo | ||
| ニャ | nya | ニ + small ャ → one beat 'nya'. |
| ニュ | nyu | ニ + small ュ → one beat 'nyu'. |
| ニョ | nyo | ニ + small ョ → one beat 'nyo'. |
| Hya・Hyu・Hyo | ||
| ヒャ | hya | ヒ + small ャ → one beat 'hya'. |
| ヒュ | hyu | ヒ + small ュ → one beat 'hyu'. |
| ヒョ | hyo | ヒ + small ョ → one beat 'hyo'. |
| Mya・Myu・Myo | ||
| ミャ | mya | ミ + small ャ → one beat 'mya'. |
| ミュ | myu | ミ + small ュ → one beat 'myu'. |
| ミョ | myo | ミ + small ョ → one beat 'myo'. |
| Rya・Ryu・Ryo | ||
| リャ | rya | リ + small ャ → one beat 'rya'. |
| リュ | ryu | リ + small ュ → one beat 'ryu'. |
| リョ | ryo | リ + small ョ → one beat 'ryo'. |
| Gya・Gyu・Gyo | ||
| ギャ | gya | ギ + small ャ → one beat 'gya'. |
| ギュ | gyu | ギ + small ュ → one beat 'gyu'. |
| ギョ | gyo | ギ + small ョ → one beat 'gyo'. |
| Ja・Ju・Jo | ||
| ジャ | ja | ジ + small ャ → one beat 'ja'. |
| ジュ | ju | ジ + small ュ → one beat 'ju'. |
| ジョ | jo | ジ + small ョ → one beat 'jo'. |
| Bya・Byu・Byo | ||
| ビャ | bya | ビ + small ャ → one beat 'bya'. |
| ビュ | byu | ビ + small ュ → one beat 'byu'. |
| ビョ | byo | ビ + small ョ → one beat 'byo'. |
| Pya・Pyu・Pyo | ||
| ピャ | pya | ピ + small ャ → one beat 'pya'. |
| ピュ | pyu | ピ + small ュ → one beat 'pyu'. |
| ピョ | pyo | ピ + small ョ → one beat 'pyo'. |
About the Yomikana kana trainer
Kana are the two Japanese syllabaries — hiragana and katakana — and they are the first thing to learn when starting Japanese. Yomikana turns them into one guided journey of short lessons: each chapter teaches a few characters through mnemonics that turn every shape into a memorable picture, animated stroke order, and native-speaker audio, then checks them with quick recall games. You go from zero to reading all 208 kana in days rather than weeks — and start reading real words as you go.
When you are ready to read real Japanese, Yomibunko offers a free library of graded texts, and Yominews gives you daily Japanese news with furigana at your level.
Hiragana & katakana: questions & answers
Is Yomikana free? Do I need an account?
Yes, Yomikana is completely free and no account is required. You can open the chart, hear every kana, watch the stroke-order animations, and take the quizzes and games without signing up. A free Yomimaru account only adds progress tracking across devices.
How long does it take to learn hiragana and katakana?
Most beginners learn to read all 208 kana in one to two weeks of short daily sessions. Hiragana usually comes first (about a week), then katakana. With mnemonics and spaced-recall quizzes, 15–20 minutes a day is enough to recognize every character.
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana?
Hiragana (104 characters) and katakana (104 characters) are the two Japanese syllabaries. They represent the exact same set of sounds. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and word endings; katakana is used mainly for loanwords, foreign names, and emphasis. You need both to read Japanese.
Does Yomikana teach stroke order?
Yes. Every character has an animated stroke-order guide showing the correct number, direction, and sequence of strokes, powered by KanjiVG stroke data. Writing kana in the right order makes them faster to draw and easier to read.
Does Yomikana work on mobile?
Yes. Yomikana runs in any modern web browser on phones, tablets, and computers — nothing to install. The chart, stroke animations, audio, quizzes, and match game are all touch-friendly.
Do I have to learn kana in order, or can I jump around?
Yomikana is one guided path: it starts with the five hiragana vowels and unlocks the next row as you finish each lesson, so absolute beginners always know exactly what to learn next. You can also open the full chart or jump straight into a recall quiz, match game, or look-alike drill from the free-practice section at any time.
Will I learn any Japanese words, or just the characters?
Both. Every character comes with an example word you can read once you know it, and each finished lesson shows the real words you can now read. By the end of the hiragana path you can sound out everyday words, not just isolated characters.