Japanese writing
Katakana: the second syllabary of Japanese
Katakana represents the same basic sounds as hiragana, but its shapes are usually straighter and more angular. ア and あ are both read as “a”. They simply appear in different contexts.
Where katakana appears
Katakana often writes loanwords, foreign names, country names, sound effects, and words that need visual emphasis. コーヒー, for example, is kōhī: coffee. That is why katakana turns up early in menus, packaging and product names.
Why not leave it for much later?
Starting with hiragana is fine, but bring katakana in soon afterwards. If か is “ka”, then カ is another visual form of the same sound. Moving between the two sets trains your eye to notice the character itself.
Common look-alikes
- シ (shi) and ツ (tsu) differ in the direction of their short strokes.
- ソ (so) and ン (n) also need attention to angle and starting point.
- ク (ku), ケ (ke), and タ (ta) are useful to compare side by side.
When a character keeps getting mixed up, compare it with its neighbour, say the difference aloud, and return to it later instead of repeating it many times in a row.
Use Kana Start with katakana on its own, or mix it with hiragana. The signs that trip you up will return in later cards.
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