Look-alike hiragana and katakana: how to tell them apart
The pairs beginners mix up most, and one simple clue for each.
Hiragana
| Pair | The clue |
|---|---|
| ぬ / め | ぬ (nu) ends with a small loop; め (me) does not. |
| ね / れ / わ | ね (ne) ends with a loop, れ (re) ends with a tail that kicks out, わ (wa) ends with a round curve. |
| る / ろ | る (ru) has a loop at the bottom; ろ (ro) does not. |
| は / ほ | ほ (ho) has an extra horizontal line at the top right. |
| さ / ち | They curve in opposite directions: さ (sa) opens to the right, ち (chi) bulges to the right. |
| い / り | In り (ri) the right stroke is much longer. |
Katakana
| Pair | The clue |
|---|---|
| シ / ツ | Look at the direction of the short strokes and the long stroke. In シ (shi) the dots are stacked on the left and the long stroke sweeps up from the bottom left. In ツ (tsu) the dots sit side by side on top and the long stroke falls from the top right. |
| ソ / ン | The same idea: ソ (so) has a short stroke on top and a long stroke falling down; ン (n) has a short stroke on the left and a long stroke rising up. |
| ク / ケ / タ | ケ (ke) has a separate stroke crossing to the right; タ (ta) has an extra short stroke inside. |
| ウ / ワ / フ | ウ (u) has a small stroke on top, ワ (wa) has a short line on the left, フ (fu) is a single stroke. |
| コ / ユ / ロ | ロ (ro) is a closed box, コ (ko) is open on the left, ユ (yu) has a longer bottom line. |
How to practice them
Write the two characters side by side, say each sound out loud, and write them again from memory. Then read a few real words that use them, such as いぬ (inu, dog), あめ (ame, rain), シャツ (shatsu, shirt).
New to hiragana? Start with our two-week hiragana practice plan.
Free printables
Print a free hiragana chart, katakana chart and practice sheets from our home page.
Want a guided path? The Hiragana & Katakana Workbook for Adult Beginners by Kotori Press covers all 92 characters in 30 short lessons, with numbered stroke order, look-alike warnings and travel words. Every page was checked by a native Japanese speaker.