Study tool · Kana

Hiragana and katakana quiz

Drill hiragana and katakana in the browser. No account. Misses stay on this device so you can review the weak rows next.

Published 7 min read

How to use this tool

  1. Choose hiragana, katakana, or both, then pick the rows you actually need.
  2. Set kana-to-romaji or romaji-to-kana, and choose multiple choice or typed recall.
  3. Run 10 or 20 questions. Use timed mode only after untimed rounds feel easy.
  4. Review misses, then move a finished row into spaced review instead of adding a new app.

Practice quiz

Choose a script, rows, and direction. The quiz stays in this browser. Weak items are stored in localStorage undersj101.kana-weak.

Script
Rows

Basic rows

Voiced rows

Digraphs

Direction
Answer style
Session

This page is a kana recognition and recall drill. It covers the standard hiragana and katakana rows, including voiced sounds and digraphs. Obsolete characters such as ゐ and ゑ are omitted.

Use the quiz when you need speed on a row you already studied. Use a course or prepared cards when you are still learning the shapes.

What the quiz does

  • Hiragana, katakana, or both
  • Basic rows, voiced rows, and digraphs
  • Kana to romaji or romaji to kana
  • Multiple choice, or typed romaji when you are reading kana
  • Optional 8-second timer
  • A session summary and a weak-item list stored only in this browser

JavaScript is required for the interactive round. The tables below stay readable if scripts are off.

After a session

Do not add another kana website. Keep drilling the misses, then park the finished row in spaced review.

On iPhone, Inku has prepared kana cards with audio. It does not author custom decks. If you need custom cards, use Anki. If you need a beginner path rather than a drill, start at beginner resources or flashcards and SRS.

Hiragana chart

Row Characters
Vowels あ い う え お (a i u e o)
K か き く け こ (ka ki ku ke ko)
S さ し す せ そ (sa shi su se so)
T た ち つ て と (ta chi tsu te to)
N な に ぬ ね の (na ni nu ne no)
H は ひ ふ へ ほ (ha hi fu he ho)
M ま み む め も (ma mi mu me mo)
Y や ゆ よ (ya yu yo)
R ら り る れ ろ (ra ri ru re ro)
W and N わ を ん (wa wo n)

Voiced rows: がぎぐげご ざじずぜぞ だぢづでど ばびぶべぼ ぱぴぷぺぽ. Digraphs follow the i-column plus ゃゅょ, including きゃ しゃ ちゃ にゃ ひゃ みゃ りゃ ぎゃ じゃ びゃ ぴゃ and their yu and yo forms.

Katakana chart

Row Characters
Vowels ア イ ウ エ オ (a i u e o)
K カ キ ク ケ コ (ka ki ku ke ko)
S サ シ ス セ ソ (sa shi su se so)
T タ チ ツ テ ト (ta chi tsu te to)
N ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ (na ni nu ne no)
H ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ (ha hi fu he ho)
M マ ミ ム メ モ (ma mi mu me mo)
Y ヤ ユ ヨ (ya yu yo)
R ラ リ ル レ ロ (ra ri ru re ro)
W and N ワ ヲ ン (wa wo n)

How to practice without burning a week

  1. One script at a time until the basic rows are readable.
  2. Add voiced rows before digraphs.
  3. Switch to typed recall after multiple choice feels automatic.
  4. Stop when misses cluster. Review those characters, then stop for the day.

A 10-question round is enough for a weekday. Timed mode is optional. Speed is not the same as lasting recall.

See also the SRS workload simulator if you are about to dump every kana into a huge deck.

Frequently asked questions

Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?

Learn hiragana first. Most beginner textbooks and courses introduce it before katakana. Add katakana once you can read a hiragana row without guessing.

Does this quiz replace spaced review?

No. A quiz is for recognition speed. Spaced review is for keeping those readings available tomorrow. After a row is readable, put it in a small SRS queue.

Why does し accept si as well as shi?

Textbook Hepburn writes shi, chi, tsu, and fu. Some input methods still use si, ti, tu, and hu. The quiz accepts both so a typing habit does not fail a known character.