4.5. Katakana shapes
4.5.1. Comparison between hiragana and katakana
Some katakana look like the corresponding hiragana, but many of them are different. Hiragana often have round curves, and katakana often have straight lines.Romanization | a | i | u | e | o |
Hiragana | あ | い | う | え | お |
Katakana | ア | イ | ウ | エ | オ |
Romanization | ka | ki | ku | ke | ko | kya | kyu | kyo |
Hiragana | か | き | く | け | こ | きゃ | きゅ | きょ |
Katakana | カ | キ | ク | ケ | コ | キャ | キュ | キョ |
Romanization | ga | gi | gu | ge | go | gya | gyu | gyo |
Hiragana | が | ぎ | ぐ | げ | ご | ぎゃ | ぎゅ | ぎょ |
Katakana | ガ | ギ | グ | ゲ | ゴ | ギャ | ギュ | ギョ |
Romanization | sa | si | su | se | so | sya | syu | syo |
Hiragana | さ | し | す | せ | そ | しゃ | しゅ | しょ |
Katakana | サ | シ | ス | セ | ソ | シャ | シュ | ショ |
Romanization | za | zi | zu | ze | zo | zya | zyu | zyo |
Hiragana | ざ | じ | ず | ぜ | ぞ | じゃ | じゅ | じょ |
Katakana | ザ | ジ | ズ | ゼ | ゾ | ジャ | ジュ | ジョ |
Romanization | ta | ti | tu | te | to | tya | tyu | tyo |
Hiragana | た | ち | つ | て | と | ちゃ | ちゅ | ちょ |
Katakana | タ | チ | ツ | テ | ト | チャ | チュ | チョ |
Romanization | da | zi | zu | de | do | zya | zyu | zyo |
Hiragana | だ | ぢ | づ | で | ど | ぢゃ | ぢゅ | ぢょ |
Katakana | ダ | ヂ | ヅ | デ | ド | ヂャ | ヂュ | ヂョ |
Romanization | na | ni | nu | ne | no | nya | nyu | nyo |
Hiragana | な | に | ぬ | ね | の | にゃ | にゅ | にょ |
Katakana | ナ | ニ | ヌ | ネ | ノ | ニャ | ニュ | ニョ |
Romanization | ha | hi | hu | he | ho | hya | hyu | hyo |
Hiragana | は | ひ | ふ | へ | ほ | ひゃ | ひゅ | ひょ |
Katakana | ハ | ヒ | フ | ヘ | ホ | ヒャ | ヒュ | ヒョ |
Romanization | ba | bi | bu | be | bo | bya | byu | byo |
Hiragana | ば | び | ぶ | べ | ぼ | びゃ | びゅ | びょ |
Katakana | バ | ビ | ブ | ベ | ボ | ビャ | ビュ | ビョ |
Romanization | pa | pi | bu | pe | po | pya | pyu | pyo |
Hiragana | ぱ | ぴ | ぷ | べ | ぽ | ぴゃ | ぴゅ | ぴょ |
Katakana | パ | ピ | プ | ペ | ポ | ピャ | ピュ | ピョ |
Romanization | ma | mi | mu | me | mo | mya | myu | myo |
Hiragana | ま | み | む | め | も | みゃ | みゅ | みょ |
Katakana | ヤ | ミ | ム | メ | モ | ミャ | ミュ | ミョ |
Romanization | ya | i | yu | e | yo |
Hiragana | や | い | ゆ | え | よ |
Katakana | ヤ | イ | ユ | エ | ヨ |
Romanization | ra | ri | ru | re | ro | rya | ryu | ryo |
Hiragana | ら | り | る | れ | ろ | りゃ | りゅ | りょ |
Katakana | ラ | リ | ル | レ | ロ | リャ | リュ | リョ |
Romanization | wa | i | u | e | o |
Hiragana | わ | ゐ | う | ゑ | を |
Katakana | ヤ | ヰ | ウ | ヱ | ヲ |
Romanization | n | - |
Hiragana | ん | っ |
Katakana | ン | ッ |
4.5.2. Confusing katakana
The following katakana resemble one another.Romanization | a | ma |
Katakana | ア | マ |
Romanization | u | ku | ke | te | hu | ra | wa | o |
Katakana | ウ | ク | ケ | テ | フ | ラ | ワ | オ |
Romanization | si | so | tu | ri | n |
Katakana | シ | ソ | ツ | リ | ン |
These katakana are indeed confusing. Written from left to right, the lines of シ have the beginning points at the left side of the katakana. Written from top to bottom, those in ツ have the beginning points on the upper side.
The lines of ン are similar to those in シ, and the lines of ソ are similar to ツ.
The lines of リ are parallel in the upper half of it.
Romanization | su | nu |
Katakana | ス | ヌ |
Romanization | ti | na | me |
Katakana | チ | ナ | メ |
Romanization | ni | mi |
Katakana | ニ | ミ |
Romanization | no | ru | re |
Katakana | ノ | ル | レ |