Hiragana Learning Tools

Japanese uses three types of characters: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.

Hiragana

Hiragana is the most basic of the three and usually the easiest to learn. In Japan, kids start learning to read and write with Hiragana first.

If you’re just starting Japanese, I strongly recommend memorizing Hiragana. It usually takes about a month to learn all the characters. Once you can read Hiragana comfortably, you’ll have way more options when it comes to learning materials and resources.

Here are PDFs of a Hiragana chart and some printable flashcards.

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1. Start with Gojuon

When you open a Hiragana 3chart, you’ll see 108 characters grouped into three categories: Gojuon, Dakuon, and Youon. Start with Gojuon.

Gojuon literally means “50 sounds.” These are the basic Hiragana characters. Dakuon are modified characters, and Youon are combined characters. The good news is—once you’ve memorized Gojuon, learning Dakuon and Youon is pretty easy!

FYI, there are only 46 characters in Gojuon!

Hiragana deck - Gojuuon.csv

Download CSV • 454B

2. Next up: Dakuon

Dakuon characters are just modified versions of basic Hiragana. They make G, Z, D, B, and P sounds by adding either two little marks (゛) or a small circle (゜) to the top right of a character.

Hiragana deck - Dakuon.csv

Download CSV • 248B

3. Last one: Youon

Youon is made by combining an i-column character with a small や (ya), ゆ (yu), or よ (yo). The small character means you read the two sounds together with the one before.

For example, りゃ (rya) comes from り (ri) + や (ya). Say ri and ya quickly as one sound, and you get rya.

Hiragana deck - Youon.csv

Download CSV • 496B

*All the decks on this page are coded in UTF-8, making them compatible with Anki, the popular flashcard app that’s perfect for mastering letters and vocabulary. 📚✨

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Hiragana Writing Practice Sheets

Besides using flashcards, writing is also a great way to memorize Hiragana. Try using the practice sheets below to help you learn and remember each character. ✍️😊

HiraganaWritingSheets.pdf

Download PDF • 849KB

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Hiragana Games

I wanted to share a few of fun and helpful Hiragana practice games with you. These tools are a great way to strengthen your skills and make practice more enjoyable!

1. Hiragana Quiz

   This one is my favorite—it’s simple, practical, and super effective! You can test yourself on specific Hiragana letters and focus on areas you want to improve:

   
   

   • Gojuon (Monographs)

   • Dakuon (Monographs with diacritics)

   • Youon (Digraphs)

   • Youon of Dakuon (Digraphs with diacritics)

     
     

2. Dr. Lingua

   This game is unique and fun! It challenges you to recognize Hiragana even with font variations, so you’ll never be tricked by different styles of writing.

   
   

3. Genki Study Games

   The Hiragana game on this site is a fun and interactive way to practice! It gives you multiple-choice questions to test your reading skills. If your Hiragana reading accuracy is below 50%, this game is a great place to start.

   To get started:

   
   

   • Select "Kana" from the menu.

   • Then, choose either Hiragana or Katakana to begin.

     
     

   Enjoy practicing, and remember—it’s all about progress, not perfection!