かなチャート!

Japanese uses three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Kana refers to both Hiragana and Katakana.

Kanji are logograms, meaning each kanji represents a word or a phrase, while Kana are syllabaries, with each kana character representing a sound. We can create similar sounds with the Latin alphabet.

Both kana have the same sets of sounds. What differentiates them is their design - Hiragana appears cursive, while Katakana appears angular. Usually, Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and Katakana is used for foreign words.

Click below to start studying a kana!