Hiragana Chart with Pronunciation
Hiragana is the first Japanese writing system most learners study. It is used for native Japanese words, grammar endings and particles, and for showing how kanji are read.
Below is every hiragana character in the A Star Japanese lessons with how to pronounce it. Say each one aloud as you read down the list.
All hiragana characters and sounds
| Character | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| ใ | a โ like "a" in father |
| ใ | i โ like "ee" in feet |
| ใ | u โ like "oo" in food (less lip rounding) |
| ใ | e โ like "e" in pet |
| ใ | o โ like "o" in story |
| ใ | ka โ like "ka" in karate |
| ใ | ki โ like "ki" in key |
| ใ | ku โ like "ku" in cool (shorter) |
| ใ | ke โ like "ke" in kept |
| ใ | ko โ like "co" in coat |
| ใ | sa โ like "sa" in safari |
| ใ | shi โ like "she" in English (NOT si) |
| ใ | su โ like "su" in super (shorter) |
| ใ | se โ like "se" in set |
| ใ | so โ like "so" in sofa |
| ใ | ta โ like "ta" in taco |
| ใก | chi โ like "chi" in cheese (NOT ti) |
| ใค | tsu โ like "tsu" in tsunami (NOT tu) |
| ใฆ | te โ like "te" in ten |
| ใจ | to โ like "to" in toast |
| ใช | na โ like "na" in name |
| ใซ | ni โ like "ni" in knee |
| ใฌ | nu โ like "nu" in new |
| ใญ | ne โ like "ne" in net |
| ใฎ | no โ like "no" in note |
| ใฏ | ha โ like "ha" in happy (wa as particle) |
| ใฒ | hi โ like "hi" in heat |
| ใต | fu โ both lips, softer than English f |
| ใธ | he โ like "he" in help (e as particle) |
| ใป | ho โ like "ho" in hope |
| ใพ | ma โ like "ma" in mama |
| ใฟ | mi โ like "mi" in meet |
| ใ | mu โ like "mu" in moon (shorter) |
| ใ | me โ like "me" in met |
| ใ | mo โ like "mo" in more |
| ใ | ya โ like "ya" in yard |
| ใ | yu โ like "yu" in you |
| ใ | yo โ like "yo" in yoga |
| ใ | ra โ tongue tap, between r and l |
| ใ | ri โ tongue tap + i sound |
| ใ | ru โ tongue tap + u sound |
| ใ | re โ tongue tap + e sound |
| ใ | ro โ tongue tap + o sound |
| ใ | wa โ like "wa" in water |
| ใ | wo/o โ pronounced "o", used only as object particle |
| ใ | n โ standalone nasal consonant, never starts a word |
| What is dakuten (ใ)? | Two marks added to hiragana to create voiced consonants: ใโใ, ใโใ, ใโใ , ใฏโใฐ |
| What does small ใฃ mean? | Doubles the consonant that follows โ creates a brief pause. Example: ใใฃใฆ (kitte, stamp) |
| ใใใ | sakura โ cherry blossom ๐ธ |
| ใซใปใ | nihon โ Japan ๐ฏ๐ต |
| ใ | ga โ dakuten of ใ (ka). ใ is also the subject particle |
| ใ | gi โ dakuten of ใ (ki) |
| ใ | gu โ dakuten of ใ (ku) |
| ใ | ge โ dakuten of ใ (ke) |
| ใ | go โ dakuten of ใ (ko). Also means "five" |
| ใ | za โ dakuten of ใ (sa) |
| ใ | ji โ dakuten of ใ (shi). Sounds like English "gee" |
| ใ | zu โ dakuten of ใ (su) |
| ใ | ze โ dakuten of ใ (se) |
| ใ | zo โ dakuten of ใ (so) |
| ใ | da โ dakuten of ใ (ta). ใ is also the plain form of ใงใ |
| ใข | ji โ dakuten of ใก (chi). Rare โ ใ is used instead in most cases |
| ใฅ | zu โ dakuten of ใค (tsu). Rare โ ใ is used instead in most cases |
| ใง | de โ dakuten of ใฆ (te). ใง is also a particle meaning "at/by/with" |
| ใฉ | do โ dakuten of ใจ (to) |
| ใฐ | ba โ dakuten of ใฏ (ha) |
| ใณ | bi โ dakuten of ใฒ (hi) |
| ใถ | bu โ dakuten of ใต (fu) |
| ใน | be โ dakuten of ใธ (he) |
| ใผ | bo โ dakuten of ใป (ho) |
| ใฑ | pa โ handakuten (ใ) of ใฏ. Handakuten only applies to ใฏ่ก |
| ใด | pi โ handakuten of ใฒ |
| ใท | pu โ handakuten of ใต |
| ใบ | pe โ handakuten of ใธ |
| ใฝ | po โ handakuten of ใป. Example: ใใใฝใฝ (tanpopo, dandelion) ๐ผ |
Learn hiragana with stroke-order practice
The free A Star Japanese app teaches hiragana step by step with stroke-order animations, listening practice and quizzes. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Frequently asked questions
How many hiragana characters are there?
There are 46 basic hiragana characters. Extra sounds are made by adding two small marks (dakuten and handakuten) or by combining a character with a small ใ, ใ or ใ.
What is hiragana used for?
Hiragana writes native Japanese words, verb and adjective endings, grammar particles such as ใฏ and ใ, and furigana (the small readings printed above kanji).
What should I learn after hiragana?
Most learners move on to katakana, then start basic vocabulary and simple kanji. The A Star Japanese app guides you through that order.