All 104 katakana with romaji and a memory hook for each. Katakana is mostly used for foreign words, names and loanwords, so it's the second thing to learn after hiragana. Watch the lookalikes. シ and ツ, ソ and ン trip up everyone.
Basic katakana
The core set, in gojūon order. Learn these first.
アaAn axe head with its handle snapped mid-swing.
イiAn eagle perched on a cliff face.
ウuう's katakana cousin — same roof, harder edges.
エeAn elevator between two floors.
オoAn opera conductor mid-flourish.
カkaか minus its flick — the same kite in sharper wind.
キkiき's top half — the key lost its loop.
クkuA quick beak pecking downward.
ケkeA lopsided K leaning on a fence.
コkoTwo corners of a box — half a frame.
サsaA sprig of grass standing in a vase.
シshiA smiling face lying down — the strokes flow UP toward the smile. Twin of ツ.
スsuA ski slope with a kicked-up tail.
セseせ sharpened — same mouth, one tooth.
ソsoONE needle, falling steeply — so-lo. Twin of ン, whose stroke sweeps up.
タtaA tag hanging off a corner.
チchiA cheerful wave from the top of a T.
ツtsuTWO drops and a swoosh drawn DOWNWARD — the tsunami's sharp cousin. Twin of シ.
テteA telephone pole with two crossbars.
トtoA tomahawk stuck in a post.
ナnaA knife crossing a cutting board.
ニniTwo needles — に stripped to the essentials.
ヌnuChopsticks crossed over a bowl of noodles.
ネneA necktie knotted on a post.
ノnoOne clean slash — no more, no less.
ハhaTwo halves parting — ha, split.
ヒhiA heel kicking sideways.
フfuA flag caught in the wind.
ヘheThe same little hill as へ — one of the few identical twins.
ホhoA signpost with sparks at the base.
マmaA magician's cape folded over.
ミmiThree whiskers — mi is three in Japanese.
ムmuA mule's bent foreleg.
メmeAn X marking the menu special.
モmoも squared off — the hook kept its bars.
ヤyaや sharpened — same yak, shorter horn.
ユyuA U-turn sign tipped on its side.
ヨyoA yoke — an E turned backwards.
ラraA radio antenna above a lip.
リriり's twin — the river runs straighter here.
ルruA root splitting at the tip.
レreA level check-mark — done.
ロroA robot's square mouth.
ワwaA wide-open window frame.
ヲwoWritten "wo", said "o" — like を. Rare and mostly historical; recognise it, don't reach for it.
ンnONE needle at rest, sweeping UP at the end — n. Twin of ソ, which falls.
Dakuten and handakuten
Two small ticks (゛) or a small circle (゜) change the sound. か becomes が, は becomes ば or ぱ.
ガgaカ with tenten — the sound voices into GA.
ギgiキ with tenten — the sound voices into GI.
グguク with tenten — the sound voices into GU.
ゲgeケ with tenten — the sound voices into GE.
ゴgoコ with tenten — the sound voices into GO.
ザzaサ with tenten — the sound buzzes into ZA.
ジjiシ with tenten — the sound buzzes into JI.
ズzuス with tenten — the sound buzzes into ZU.
ゼzeセ with tenten — the sound buzzes into ZE.
ゾzoソ with tenten — the sound buzzes into ZO.
ダdaタ with tenten — the sound thuds into DA.
ヂjiチ with tenten — identical in sound to ジ. Vanishingly rare; recognise it, don't reach for it.
ヅzuツ with tenten — identical in sound to ズ. Vanishingly rare; recognise it, don't reach for it.
デdeテ with tenten — the sound thuds into DE.
ドdoト with tenten — the sound thuds into DO.
バbaハ with tenten — the sound booms into BA.
ビbiヒ with tenten — the sound booms into BI.
ブbuフ with tenten — the sound booms into BU.
ベbeヘ with tenten — the sound booms into BE.
ボboホ with tenten — the sound booms into BO.
パpaハ with maru — the sound pops into PA.
ピpiヒ with maru — the sound pops into PI.
プpuフ with maru — the sound pops into PU.
ペpeヘ with maru — the sound pops into PE.
ポpoホ with maru — the sound pops into PO.
Combinations
A kana ending in i plus a small ya, yu or yo makes one blended sound.
キャkyaキ + small ャ blend into kya.
キュkyuキ + small ュ blend into kyu.
キョkyoキ + small ョ blend into kyo.
シャshaシ + small ャ blend into sha.
シュshuシ + small ュ blend into shu.
ショshoシ + small ョ blend into sho.
チャchaチ + small ャ blend into cha.
チュchuチ + small ュ blend into chu.
チョchoチ + small ョ blend into cho.
ニャnyaニ + small ャ blend into nya.
ニュnyuニ + small ュ blend into nyu.
ニョnyoニ + small ョ blend into nyo.
ヒャhyaヒ + small ャ blend into hya.
ヒュhyuヒ + small ュ blend into hyu.
ヒョhyoヒ + small ョ blend into hyo.
ミャmyaミ + small ャ blend into mya.
ミュmyuミ + small ュ blend into myu.
ミョmyoミ + small ョ blend into myo.
リャryaリ + small ャ blend into rya.
リュryuリ + small ュ blend into ryu.
リョryoリ + small ョ blend into ryo.
ギャgyaギ + small ャ blend into gya.
ギュgyuギ + small ュ blend into gyu.
ギョgyoギ + small ョ blend into gyo.
ジャjaジ + small ャ blend into ja.
ジュjuジ + small ュ blend into ju.
ジョjoジ + small ョ blend into jo.
ビャbyaビ + small ャ blend into bya.
ビュbyuビ + small ュ blend into byu.
ビョbyoビ + small ョ blend into byo.
ピャpyaピ + small ャ blend into pya.
ピュpyuピ + small ュ blend into pyu.
ピョpyoピ + small ョ blend into pyo.