Katakana has the same 46 sounds as hiragana, in the same chart order. The shapes are straighter and more angular, and it's used for different jobs.
What katakana is for
- Words from other languages: コーヒー (kōhī, coffee), テレビ (terebi, TV), パン (pan, bread).
- Foreign names: アメリカ (Amerika, America).
- Sound effects and emphasis, a bit like italics.
The long vowel mark ー
Katakana uses a dash to make a vowel long: コーヒー is kō-hī. Hiragana writes long vowels with an extra vowel instead.
The famous look-alikes
| Pair | How to tell |
|---|---|
| シ (shi) / ツ (tsu) | シ's long stroke sweeps up; ツ's comes down |
| ソ (so) / ン (n) | ソ's long stroke comes down; ン's sweeps up |
| ク (ku) / ケ (ke) / タ (ta) | ク is two strokes; タ is ク with a small stroke inside; ケ has a line crossing out to the right |
Write them slowly and the stroke direction will settle it.
Characters you already know
Some katakana look like their hiragana: カ/か (ka), ヘ/へ (he), リ/り (ri), モ/も (mo). Start with those.
Try reading タクシー and ホテル (takushī, taxi; hoteru, hotel).