Every Japanese learner needs a solid hiragana chart. It is your map to reading, writing, and pronouncing Japanese correctly. Whether you are just starting out or brushing up on the basics, this page gives you every hiragana character in one place.
Hiragana is the first writing system most learners tackle. It covers all the sounds in the Japanese language. Once you know these characters, you can read any word written in hiragana and start building real Japanese skills. If you are brand new to the Japanese writing system, start here.
How to Use This Hiragana Chart
This hiragana chart is organised the traditional Japanese way. Each row shares a consonant sound. Each column shares a vowel sound. The five vowels run across the top: a, i, u, e, o.
Here is how to get the most from it:
- Learn one row at a time. Start with the vowels. Then move to the k-row, s-row, and so on. This is the method that sticks.
- Say each character out loud. Hiragana is phonetic. Every character makes exactly one sound. Hearing yourself say it locks it in faster than just looking.
- Write each character by hand. Tracing builds muscle memory. Your hand will remember what your brain forgets.
- Test yourself with flashcards. After studying a row, use an app like Kanabloom to quiz yourself. Spaced repetition is the fastest path to permanent recall.
Ready? Let's walk through the complete hiragana chart.
The Basic Hiragana Chart (46 Characters)
These are the 46 core hiragana characters. Master these and you can read any basic Japanese text written in hiragana.
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowels | ใa | ใi | ใu | ใe | ใo |
| K | ใka | ใki | ใku | ใke | ใko |
| S | ใsa | ใshi | ใsu | ใse | ใso |
| T | ใta | ใกchi | ใคtsu | ใฆte | ใจto |
| N | ใชna | ใซni | ใฌnu | ใญne | ใฎno |
| H | ใฏha | ใฒhi | ใตfu | ใธhe | ใปho |
| M | ใพma | ใฟmi | ใmu | ใme | ใmo |
| Y | ใya | ใyu | ใyo | ||
| R | ใra | ใri | ใru | ใre | ใro |
| W | ใwa | ใwo | |||
| ใn | |||||
That is your foundation. Forty-six characters covering every basic sound in Japanese. Notice the gaps in the Y-row and W-row. Those sounds simply do not exist in modern Japanese, so there is nothing to learn there.
The standalone ใ (n) is special. It is the only hiragana character that represents a consonant by itself, with no vowel attached.
Dakuten Characters (Voiced Sounds)
Dakuten are the two small dots (ใ) added to certain hiragana characters. They change a voiceless consonant into a voiced one. Think of it like turning a whisper into a full voice. The k-row becomes the g-row. The s-row becomes the z-row. And so on.
These are not new characters to memorise from scratch. You already know the base shapes. Just add the dots and shift the sound.
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | ใga | ใgi | ใgu | ใge | ใgo |
| Z | ใza | ใji | ใzu | ใze | ใzo |
| D | ใ da | ใขji | ใฅzu | ใงde | ใฉdo |
| B | ใฐba | ใณbi | ใถbu | ในbe | ใผbo |
You might notice that ใ (ji) and ใข (ji) sound the same. So do ใ (zu) and ใฅ (zu). In modern Japanese, ใ and ใ are used far more often. You will rarely encounter ใข and ใฅ, but they do appear in certain compound words.
Handakuten Characters
Handakuten is the small circle (ใ) that appears only on the h-row characters. It transforms them into p-sounds. This is the smallest group in the hiragana chart, and it is very easy to remember.
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | ใฑpa | ใดpi | ใทpu | ใบpe | ใฝpo |
Five characters. That is it. If you know the h-row, you already know the shapes. Just swap the sound from "h" to "p" when you see that little circle.
Combination Characters (Yoon)
Combination characters, called yoon, are formed by pairing a consonant-i character with a small ใ (ya), ใ (yu), or ใ (yo). The small kana merges the two sounds into one syllable. For example, ใ (ki) plus small ใ becomes ใใ (kya).
These look tricky at first, but the pattern is completely regular. Once you see it, you see it everywhere.
| ya | yu | yo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | ใใkya | ใใ kyu | ใใkyo |
| S | ใใsha | ใใ shu | ใใsho |
| T | ใกใcha | ใกใ chu | ใกใcho |
| N | ใซใnya | ใซใ nyu | ใซใnyo |
| H | ใฒใhya | ใฒใ hyu | ใฒใhyo |
| M | ใฟใmya | ใฟใ myu | ใฟใmyo |
| R | ใใrya | ใใ ryu | ใใryo |
| G | ใใgya | ใใ gyu | ใใgyo |
| J | ใใja | ใใ ju | ใใjo |
| B | ใณใbya | ใณใ byu | ใณใbyo |
| P | ใดใpya | ใดใ pyu | ใดใpyo |
The key thing to watch for is the size of the second character. A full-size ใ means two separate syllables. A small ใ means one combined syllable. ใใ (ki-ya) is two beats. ใใ (kya) is one beat.
Pronunciation Tips for Tricky Sounds
Most hiragana characters are straightforward for English speakers. But a handful of sounds catch people off guard. Here is how to handle them.
ใ (shi), not "si"
The s-row follows a regular pattern until you hit the i-column. Instead of "si," Japanese uses "shi." Think of the English word "she" but shorter and crisper. This is one of the most common sounds in the language, so getting it right matters.
ใก (chi), not "ti"
Same idea in the t-row. The i-column breaks the pattern. Instead of "ti," you say "chi" as in "cheese." It is a natural shift that happens in many languages, not just Japanese.
ใค (tsu)
This one trips up many beginners. Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper teeth and release a quick "ts" sound followed by "u." Think of the end of the word "cats" and add a short "oo." Practice saying "cats-oo" quickly and you will get close.
ใต (fu)
This is not the English "f" where your teeth touch your lower lip. Japanese ใต is softer. Blow air gently through almost-closed lips, like you are cooling hot soup. It sits somewhere between "fu" and "hu."
The R-sounds (ra, ri, ru, re, ro)
Japanese "r" is unlike any English sound. It is a quick, light tap of the tongue against the ridge just behind your upper front teeth. It sounds like something between an English "r," "l," and "d." The closest English equivalent is the quick "d" sound in "buddy" or the tap in the middle of "butter" in American English. Do not roll it. Do not hold it. Just tap and release.
Long vowels
In Japanese, vowel length changes meaning. ใใฐใใ (obasan) means "aunt." ใใฐใใใ (obaasan) means "grandmother." When you see a vowel repeated in hiragana, hold that sound for twice as long. It is not louder. It is simply longer.
How to Memorise the Hiragana Chart
Staring at a chart will not make the characters stick. You need active practice. Here are the strategies that actually work.
Go row by row. Do not try to learn all 46 characters in one sitting. Start with the five vowels: ใ, ใ, ใ, ใ, ใ. Get those completely solid. Then add the k-row. Then the s-row. Five characters at a time is manageable. Thirty at once is not.
Use flashcards with spaced repetition. This is the single most effective method for memorising the hiragana chart. Spaced repetition shows you characters right before you are about to forget them. It is backed by decades of memory research. Kanabloom uses this exact technique, so you spend your time on the characters that need the most practice.
Write characters by hand. Get a notebook. Write each character ten times while saying the sound out loud. The combination of hand movement, visual input, and spoken sound creates three memory pathways instead of one. For proper form, check out our guide on hiragana stroke order.
Create mnemonics. Associating each character with a visual image makes it sticky. For example, ใ (a) looks a bit like a person leaning over saying "ahhh." ใ (ki) looks like a key. Find what works for you and it will speed things up.
Read real Japanese. As soon as you know a few rows, start reading. Pick up a children's book, scan a Japanese menu, or switch your phone to Japanese. Recognising characters in context is what turns knowledge into skill.
Most learners can get through the basic hiragana chart in one to two weeks with daily practice. If you want a complete step-by-step guide, we have one that walks you through the entire process.
From Chart to Reading: Your Next Steps
You have the hiragana chart. You know every character, every dakuten, every combination. What now?
First, keep practising daily. Even five minutes of flashcard review will keep your recall sharp. Characters fade fast in the first few weeks, but daily repetition locks them into long-term memory.
Second, learn katakana. Hiragana and katakana cover the same sounds, but katakana is used for foreign words, emphasis, and onomatopoeia. Together, they let you read the vast majority of Japanese text that uses phonetic characters. Our guide on how to learn katakana will get you started.
Third, start building vocabulary. Every word you learn reinforces the characters you have memorised. You stop seeing individual characters and start reading whole words. That shift is where the real progress begins.
The hiragana chart is your launchpad. It is the single most valuable reference you will use in your early Japanese studies. Bookmark this page, review it often, and put those characters to work. You have everything you need to start reading Japanese.
