Katakana Reading Practice & Chart
Katakana is the angular Japanese syllabary used for foreign loanwords, international names, and onomatopoeia. Practice reading 153 common katakana words with audio below, study categorized word tables, and explore the interactive katakana chart.
Katakana Word-Reading Practice (153 Words)
Read the katakana loanword below, listen to its pronunciation, and type the romaji reading. Filter by word group or switch between standard and print font styles.
Katakana Reading Practice Words by Difficulty
Read through 153 high-frequency katakana words grouped by reading pattern. Click any column header (Romaji or English) to hide or reveal answers while reading down the list.
1. Basic Katakana Words (Monographs)
Loanwords written using only basic unvoiced katakana characters without long vowel marks or small kana.
| Audio | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ナイフ | naifu | knife | |
| ホテル | hoteru | hotel | |
| レストラン | resutoran | restaurant | |
| トイレ | toire | toilet | |
| テニス | tenisu | tennis | |
| カメラ | kamera | camera | |
| ネクタイ | nekutai | tie; necktie | |
| アメリカ | amerika | America | |
| アフリカ | afurika | Africa | |
| テスト | tesuto | test; examination | |
| ハンカチ | hankachi | handkerchief | |
| クリスマス | kurisumasu | Christmas | |
| トマト | tomato | tomato | |
| メロン | meron | melon | |
| オンライン | onrain | online |
2. Voiced Katakana Words (Dakuten & Handakuten)
Everyday loanwords featuring voiced consonants (ガ, ザ, ダ, バ) and p-sounds (パ, ピ, プ, ペ, ポ).
| Audio | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| コンビニ | konbini | convenience store | |
| テレビ | terebi | television | |
| ズボン | zubon | trousers; pants | |
| ゼロ | zero | zero | |
| サラダ | sarada | salad | |
| パソコン | pasokon | personal computer | |
| ドア | doa | door | |
| バス | basu | bus | |
| ラジオ | rajio | radio | |
| ゴミ | gomi | garbage; trash | |
| ビル | biru | building | |
| ガソリンスタンド | gasorinsutando | gas station | |
| ボタン | botan | button | |
| プレゼント | purezento | present; gift | |
| ペン | pen | pen |
3. Long Vowels (ー), Small ッ & Combination Katakana
Loanwords using the long vowel dash (ー), double-consonant pause (ッ), or combination sounds (シャ, チュ, ティ, ファ).
| Audio | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| スーパー | suupaa | supermarket | |
| デパート | depaato | department store | |
| パスポート | pasupooto | passport | |
| ベッド | beddo | bed | |
| アパート | apaato | apartment | |
| フォーク | fooku | fork | |
| スプーン | supuun | spoon | |
| エレベーター | erebeetaa | elevator | |
| エスカレーター | esukareetaa | escalator | |
| タクシー | takushii | taxi | |
| テーブル | teeburu | table | |
| コーヒー | koohii | coffee | |
| シャツ | shatsu | shirt | |
| Ｔシャツ | tiishatsu | T-shirt | |
| スーツ | suutsu | suit |
Katakana 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 Katakana Words: 4 Essential Rules
Katakana adapts foreign sounds into Japanese syllables. Keep these four rules in mind when reading katakana words:
1. Long Vowel Mark ー (Chōonpu)
In katakana, a horizontal dash ー doubles the vowel sound of the preceding character. In our romaji exercise, you can type either the doubled vowel (e.g. 'suupaa') or a hyphen ('su-pa-').
2. Small ッ Doubles the Following Consonant
Just like small っ in hiragana, a small ッ holds a one-beat pause and doubles the consonant sound that follows it.
3. Extended Foreign Combinations (ティ, ディ, ファ, シェ)
Katakana pairs full-size characters with small vowels (ァ, ィ, ゥ, ェ, ォ) to represent foreign sounds like 'ti', 'di', 'fa', 'fi', 'fe', 'fo', and 'she'.
4. Telling Lookalikes Apart: シ vs ツ and ソ vs ン
In シ (shi) and ン (n), the short strokes are more horizontal and the long stroke sweeps upward from the bottom-left. In ツ (tsu) and ソ (so), the short strokes are more vertical and the long stroke sweeps downward from the top-right.
Katakana Reading Practice - FAQ
Why is katakana harder to remember than hiragana?
Learners often see katakana less frequently in beginner grammar textbooks, and pairs like シ/ツ and ソ/ン look similar. Practicing whole loanwords (like コンビニ, テレビ, ホテル) builds recognition much faster than drilling isolated characters.
How should I type the katakana long vowel mark (ー) in romaji?
You can either double the vowel letter (for example, typing 'suupaa' for スーパー or 'koohii' for コーヒー) or type a hyphen '-' (such as 'su-pa-'). Both are accepted.
How do I distinguish シ (shi) from ツ (tsu) and ソ (so) from ン (n)?
Look at the alignment of the small ticks: シ (shi) and ン (n) stack their ticks vertically on the left and sweep up from bottom to top, whereas ツ (tsu) and ソ (so) align their ticks horizontally across the top and sweep down from top to bottom.
Can I click characters in the katakana chart to see stroke order?
Yes! Click any cell in the Katakana Chart above to hear its pronunciation, compare standard and print fonts, view its stroke order diagram, and see example words.
