Japanese · Hiragana
Hiragana chart.
All 46 hiragana, then the marks and combinations. Tap a letter to hear it and see how to say it, with a word from Misu’s Japanese course. Then test yourself.
- 46 letters
- Tap to hear
- A quick quiz
The 46 hiragana
Dakuten and handakuten
Two small marks change a letter’s sound: two dots turn か (ka) into が (ga), and a small circle turns は (ha) into ぱ (pa). The dots work on the k, s, t and h rows.
With a small ゃ, ゅ or ょ
Small ゃ ゅ ょ only follow kana ending in i, and they swap out that i: き + ょ is kyo, not ki-yo.
Long vowels, pauses and particles
a beat of silence before the next sound
がっこう
gakkō · school
Skip the pause and the word changes: さっき means a little while ago, さき means ahead.
one long o, held for two beats
ありがとう
arigatō · thank you
ああ, いい and うう simply stretch the vowel: おかあさん (mother), ちいさい (small), くうこう (airport).
said わ as a particle, as in こんにちは
こんにちは
konnichiwa · hello
The third is を, always said お. All three keep an old spelling as particles; in most other words, は is ha and へ is he.
Hiragana that look alike
Tap one to hear it and see how to say it.
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ち looks like さ in a mirror: its bottom curve bulges the other way.
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つ is う without the little dash on top.
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め is ぬ without the little loop at the end.
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ろ is る without the little loop at the bottom.
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ね, れ and わ start alike. Look at the end: ね curls into a loop, れ kicks out, わ curves back in.
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む and す both loop in the middle; む then swings out to the right and adds a dot.
Quiz
Test yourself.
15 hiragana, one at a time. Pick the kind of question, then tap your answer, or press 1 to 4.
In the Misu app
Learn hiragana as flashcards.
Misu’s Hiragana deck is 56 flashcards: the 46 letters, the two dots and small circle that change their sounds, the small ゃ, ゅ, ょ and っ, long vowels, and the three letters that change sound as particles. Each one has its sound, a tip, and a word from the course with its picture.
About four days at 15 new flashcards a day. Take Katakana next, then start Japanese Foundations.
Get MisuQuick answers
How many hiragana are there?
46. Two small marks, ゛ and ゜, give 25 more sounds, like が (ga) and ぱ (pa), and a small ゃ, ゅ or ょ makes 33 combinations, like きゃ (kya).
What is hiragana used for?
Japanese words and grammar: the endings of verbs and adjectives, particles like は and を, and words without kanji. It also writes how to read a kanji, in small print beside it, and Japanese Foundations writes the reading of every word in it.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Hiragana. It writes the grammar in every sentence. Katakana writes the same sounds, so it comes quickly after.
How long does it take to learn hiragana?
A few days. Misu’s Hiragana deck is 56 flashcards, about four days at 15 new flashcards a day.
Why is は sometimes read wa?
As a particle, は keeps an old spelling and is said わ, as in こんにちは. へ as a particle is said え, and を is always said お. In other words, は is ha and へ is he.
How do you write a long vowel in hiragana?
With a second vowel: おかあさん (mother) holds the a. おう is usually a long o, as in ありがとう, and えい a long e.
Learn hiragana in Misu.
Misu’s Hiragana deck: every letter with its sound, a tip and a word with its picture.
Get Misu