N5 · STEP 2

Katakana chart: learn the 46 basic characters

Published 29 August 2026 · DeckLearn Editorial Team · Reviewed by DeckLearn New Zealand

After hiragana, katakana is the next reading step. It appears especially often in loanwords, foreign names and emphasis.

aiueokakikukekosashisusesotachitsutetonaninunenohahifuhehomamimumemoyayuyorarirurerowao (wo)n

Examples: コーヒー coffee, ホテル hotel and ニュージーランド New Zealand. Watch シ/ツ and ソ/ン.

Path: hiragana → katakana → kana sentences → kanji + furigana → increasingly natural reading from N5 to N1.

Quick check

Which character is shi?

Move from kana to Japanese sentences with audio and spaced review.

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