4.5. Katakana shapes


4.5.1. Comparison between hiraganas and katakanas


Some of the katakanas look like the corresponding hiraganas, but many of them are different. Hiraganas often have round curves, and katakanas often have straight lines.

Phoneme/a//i//u//e//o/
Pronunciation"a""i""u""e""o"
Hiragana (a) (i) (u) (e) (o)
Katakana (a) (i) (u) (e) (o)


Phoneme/ka//ki//ku//ke//ko//kya//kyu//kyo/
Pronunciation"ka""ki""ku""ke""ko""kya""kyu""kyo"
Hiragana (ka) (ki) (ku) (ke) (ko) (ki)(small ya) (ki)(small yu) (ki)(small yo)
Katakana (ka) (ki) (ku) (ke) (ko) (ki)(small ya) (ki)(small yu) (ki)(small yo)


Phoneme/ga//gi//gu//ge//go//gya//gyu//gyo/
Pronunciation"ga""gi""gu""ge""go""gya""gyu""gyo"
Hiragana (ga) (gi) (gu) (ge) (go) (gi)(small ya) (gi)(small yu) (gi)(small yo)
Katakana (ga) (gi) (gu) (ge) (go) (gi)(small ya) (gi)(small yu) (gi)(small yo)


Phoneme/sa//si//su//se//so//sya//syu//syo/
Pronunciation"sa""shi""su""se""so""sha""shu""sho"
Hiragana (sa) (si) (su) (se) (so) (si)(small ya) (si)(small yu) (si)(small yo)
Katakana (sa) (si) (su) (se) (so) (si)(small ya) (si)(small yu) (si)(small yo)


Phoneme/za//zi//zu//ze//zo//zya//zyu//zyo/
Pronunciation"dza""ji""dzu""dze""dzo""ja""ju""jo"
Hiragana (za) (zi) (zu) (ze) (zo) (zi)(small ya) (zi)(small yu) (zi)(small yo)
Katakana (za) (zi) (zu) (ze) (zo) (zi)(small ya) (zi)(small yu) (zi)(small yo)


Phoneme/ta//ti//tu//te//to//tya//tyu//tyo/
Pronunciation"ta""chi""tsu""te""to""cha""chu""cho"
Hiragana (ta) (ti) (tu) (te) (to) (ti)(small ya) (ti)(small yu) (ti)(small yo)
Katakana (ta) (ti) (tu) (te) (to) (ti)(small ya) (ti)(small yu) (ti)(small yo)


Phoneme/da//di//du//de//do//dya//dyu//dyo/
Pronunciation"da""ji""dzu""de""do""ja""ju""jo"
Hiragana (da) (di) (du) (de) (do) (di)(small ya) (di)(small yu) (di)(small yo)
Katakana (da) (di) (du) (de) (do) (di)(small ya) (di)(small yu) (di)(small yo)


Phoneme/na//ni//nu//ne//no//nya//nyu//nyo/
Pronunciation"na""nyi""nu""ne""no""nya""nyu""nyo"
Hiragana (na) (ni) (nu) (ne) (no) (ni)(small ya) (ni)(small yu) (ni)(small yo)
Katakana (na) (ni) (nu) (ne) (no) (ni)(small ya) (ni)(small yu) (ni)(small yo)


Phoneme/ha//hi//hu//he//ho//hya//hyu//hyo/
Pronunciation"ha""hyi""fu""he""ho""hya""hyu""hyo"
Hiragana (ha) (hi) (hu) (he) (ho) (hi)(small ya) (hi)(small yu) (hi)(small yo)
Katakana (ha) (hi) (hu) (he) (ho) (hi)(small ya) (hi)(small yu) (hi)(small yo)


Phoneme/ba//bi//bu//be//bo//bya//byu//byo/
Pronunciation"ba""bi""bu""be""bo""bya""byu""byo"
Hiragana (ba) (bi) (bu) (be) (bo) (bi)(small ya) (bi)(small yu) (bi)(small yo)
Katakana (ba) (bi) (bu) (be) (bo) (bi)(small ya) (bi)(small yu) (bi)(small yo)


Phoneme/pa//pi//pu//pe//po//pya//pyu//pyo/
Pronunciation"pa""pi""pu""pe""po""pya""pyu""pyo"
Hiragana (pa) (pi) (pu) (pe) (po) (pi)(small ya) (pi)(small yu) (pi)(small yo)
Katakana (pa) (pi) (pu) (pe) (po) (pi)(small ya) (pi)(small yu) (pi)(small yo)


Phoneme/ma//mi//mu//me//mo//mya//myu//myo/
Pronunciation"ma""mi""mu""me""mo""mya""myu""myo"
Hiragana (ma) (mi) (mu) (me) (mo) (mi)(small ya) (mi)(small yu) (mi)(small yo)
Katakana (ma) (mi) (mu) (me) (mo) (mi)(small ya) (mi)(small yu) (mi)(small yo)


Phoneme/ya//i//yu//e//yo/
Pronunciation"ya""i""yu""e""yo"
Hiragana (ya) (i) (yu) (e) (yo)
Katakana (ya) (i) (yu) (e) (yo)


Phoneme/ra//ri//ru//re//ro//rya//ryu//ryo/
Pronunciation"ra""ri""ru""re""ro""rya""ryu""ryo"
Hiragana (ra) (ri) (ru) (re) (ro) (ri)(small ya) (ri)(small yu) (ri)(small yo)
Katakana (ra) (ri) (ru) (re) (ro) (ri)(small ya) (ri)(small yu) (ri)(small yo)


Phoneme/wa//i//u//e//o/
Pronunciation"wa""i""u""e""o"
Hiragana (wa) (wi) (u) (we) (wo)
Katakana (wa) (wi) (u) (we) (wo)


Phoneme/N//Q/
Pronunciation"n"-
Hiragana (n) (small_tu)
Katakana (n) (small_tu)


4.5.2. Confusing katakanas


The following katakanas resemble one another.

Phoneme/a//ma/
Pronunciation"a""ma"
Katakana (a) (ma)


Phoneme/u//ku//ke//te//hu//ra//wa//o/
Pronunciation"u""ku""ke""te""fu""ra""wa""o"
Katakana (u) (ku) (ke) (te) (hu) (ra) (wa) (wo)


Phoneme/si//tu//so//ri//N/
Pronunciation"shi""tsu""so""ri""n"
Katakana (si) (tu) (so) (ri) (n)

These katakanas are confusing indeed. Written from left to right, the lines in the katakana (si) /si/ have the beginning points at the left side of the katakana. Written from top to bottom, those in the katakana (tu) /tu/ have the beginning points at the upper side.

The lines in the katakana (n) /N/ are similar to those in the katakana (si) /si/, and the katakana (so) /so/ is similar to the katakana (tu) /tu/.

The lines in the katakana (ri) /ri/ are parallel in the upper half of it.


Phoneme/su//nu/
Pronunciation"su""nu"
Katakana (su) (nu)


Phoneme/ti//na//me/
Pronunciation"chi""na""me"
Katakana (ti) (na) (me)


Phoneme/ni//mi/
Pronunciation"ni""mi"
Katakana (ni) (mi)


Phoneme/no//ru//re/
Pronunciation"no""ru""re"
Katakana (no) (ru) (re)



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