Katakana I: Core Symbols

Begin katakana by learning the core symbols and sounding out short everyday loanwords.

Recognize katakana as a separate sound-based script.Read the vowel row and k-row without switching back to romanization.Sound out short borrowed words one chunk at a time.

Guided study

Meet the katakana shapes

Katakana uses the same sound system as hiragana, but the shapes are different. Start with the vowel row and the k-row, and say them as Japanese sounds rather than as English letters.

アイウエオ

a i u e o

These are the katakana vowels.

カキクケコ

ka ki ku ke ko

The k-row keeps the same sound order.

ペン

pen

A short everyday loanword.

Practice guides for this lesson

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N5 Japanese grammar lessons

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Japanese grammar practice

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Japanese grammar lessons

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