Hiragana Reading Practice & Chart
Hiragana is the core Japanese syllabary used for native vocabulary, grammar particles, and verb endings. Practice reading 60 real Japanese words in hiragana with audio below, review categorized word lists, and explore the interactive hiragana chart with stroke order.
Hiragana Word-Reading Practice (60 Words)
Read the hiragana word below, listen to its pronunciation, and type the romaji reading. Filter by difficulty group or switch between standard and print font styles.
Hiragana Reading Practice Words by Difficulty
Read through these 60 everyday Japanese words written in hiragana. Click any column header (Romaji, English, or Kanji) to hide or reveal answers while testing yourself.
1. Basic Hiragana Words (Monographs)
Everyday words built purely from the 46 basic hiragana characters (あ–ん) with no diacritics or contracted sounds.
| Audio | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| なまえ | namae | name | 名前 | |
| ほん | hon | book | 本 | |
| あした | ashita | tomorrow | 明日 | |
| かお | kao | face | 顔 | |
| くち | kuchi | mouth | 口 | |
| さかな | sakana | fish | 魚 | |
| いす | isu | chair | 椅子 | |
| みせ | mise | shop; store | 店 | |
| そら | sora | sky | 空 | |
| てんき | tenki | weather | 天気 | |
| にく | niku | meat | 肉 | |
| いぬ | inu | dog | 犬 | |
| ねこ | neko | cat | 猫 | |
| はさみ | hasami | scissors | 鋏 | |
| ふゆ | fuyu | winter | 冬 |
2. Voiced Hiragana Words (Dakuten & Handakuten)
Words featuring voiced consonants marked with dakuten (゛) or handakuten (゜), such as が, ざ, だ, ば, and ぱ.
| Audio | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| くだもの | kudamono | fruit | 果物 | |
| へび | hebi | snake | 蛇 | |
| めがね | megane | glasses | 眼鏡 | |
| かぎ | kagi | key | 鍵 | |
| いりぐち | iriguchi | entrance | 入口 | |
| にほんご | nihongo | Japanese language | 日本語 | |
| ねずみ | nezumi | mouse; rat | 鼠 | |
| かぜ | kaze | wind | 風 | |
| かぞく | kazoku | family | 家族 | |
| でんき | denki | electricity | 電気 | |
| ばんごはん | bangohan | dinner | 晩御飯 | |
| べんごし | bengoshi | lawyer | 弁護士 | |
| せんぱい | senpai | senior (at work or school) | 先輩 | |
| えんぴつ | enpitsu | pencil | 鉛筆 |
3. Long Vowels, Digraphs (ゃ/ゅ/ょ) & Double Consonants (っ)
Words that include long vowels (おう, えい), small yōon combinations (きゃ, しゅ, ちょ), or the small っ double-consonant pause.
| Audio | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| とけい | tokei | clock; watch | 時計 | |
| きょう | kyou | today | 今日 | |
| がっこう | gakkou | school | 学校 | |
| どうぶつ | doubutsu | animal | 動物 | |
| ひこうき | hikouki | airplane | 飛行機 | |
| たいよう | taiyou | Sun | 太陽 | |
| げつようび | getsuyoubi | Monday | 月曜日 | |
| ざっし | zasshi | magazine | 雑誌 | |
| じしょ | jisho | dictionary | 辞書 | |
| おばあさん | obaasan | grandmother | お祖母さん | |
| きっぷ | kippu | ticket | 切符 | |
| きゃく | kyaku | customer; guest | 客 | |
| けんきゅうしゃ | kenkyuusha | researcher | 研究者 | |
| きょうしつ | kyoushitsu | classroom | 教室 | |
| いしゃ | isha | doctor | 医者 |
Hiragana Chart
Click any character in the chart below to hear its pronunciation, view its stroke order diagram, and see example words.
Monographs
Monographs with diacritics
Digraphs
Digraphs with diacritics
How to Read Hiragana Words: 4 Essential Rules
Reading real Japanese words requires more than memorizing single characters. Watch out for these four pronunciation rules when reading hiragana:
1. Small っ (Sokuon) Doubles the Next Consonant
A small っ is not pronounced 'tsu'. Instead, it creates a one-beat pause and doubles the consonant of the following syllable.
2. Small ゃ, ゅ, ょ (Yōon) Blend into One Syllable
When small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ follows an i-column kana (き, し, ち, に, ひ, み, り), the two characters merge into a single beat.
3. Long Vowels (おう and えい)
In hiragana, o-column sounds are usually lengthened by adding う (おう = ou/ō), and e-column sounds are often lengthened by adding い (えい = ei/ē).
4. Grammar Particles は (wa), へ (e), and を (o)
Inside normal vocabulary words, は is read 'ha' and へ is read 'he'. When used as grammar particles in sentences, は is pronounced 'wa', へ is 'e', and を marks the direct object ('o').
Hiragana Reading Practice - FAQ
How do I practice reading hiragana words effectively?
Start with the Basic Hiragana Words group above so you can decode whole words rather than isolated characters. Say the word out loud, type the romaji reading, and click the play button to compare your pronunciation with the audio.
Does the exercise accept both Hepburn and Kunrei-shiki romaji?
Yes. You can type standard Hepburn romaji (such as 'ashita', 'chiisai', 'watashi') or common IME equivalents (such as 'asita', 'tiisai', 'watasi') and both will be recognized.
Why do some hiragana characters look different in print fonts?
Fonts and handwriting draw some hiragana differently. In most printed and on-screen fonts, the lower strokes of き (ki) and さ (sa) are joined and り (ri) often looks like one continuous line, while handwriting and textbook fonts write these strokes separately. Both forms are correct. Use the Font Style switcher above to get used to reading the same characters in a standard and a print style.
How can I see the stroke order for a specific hiragana character?
Click any character cell in the Hiragana Chart on this page to open its detail card with audio pronunciation, step-by-step stroke order diagrams, and example words.
