Welcome to Kana Quest!
Kana Quest teaches all 232 kana sounds — hiragana and katakana, including ゃ, っ and ー — the foundation of reading Japanese.
Kana Quest
Master Hiragana & Katakana
Journey Map
Hiragana
- Locked
H2
Ka Mountains
かきくけこ
- Locked
H3
Sa Shores
さしすせそ
- Locked
H4
Ta Temple
たちつてと
- Locked
H5
Na Forest
なにぬねの
- Locked
H6
Ha Harbor
はひふへほ
- Locked
H7
Ma Meadow
まみむめも
- Locked
H8
Ya Yard
やゆよ
- Locked
H9
Ra River
らりるれろ
- Locked
H10
Wa Waterfall
わをん
- Locked
H11
Voiced Hills
がぎぐげご+10
- Locked
H12
P-Sound Pass
ばびぶべぼ+5
- Locked
H13
Sound Rules
っ
- Locked
H14
Yoon Grove
きゃきゅきょしゃしゅ+16
- Locked
H15
Combo Bridge
ぎゃぎゅぎょじゃじゅ+7
- Locked
H16 · Boss
Hiragana Boss
Katakana
- Locked
K1
Mirror Vowels
アイウエオ
- Locked
K2
Crystal Ka
カキクケコ
- Locked
K3
Silver Sa
サシスセソ
- Locked
K4
Iron Ta
タチツテト
- Locked
K5
Frost Na
ナニヌネノ
- Locked
K6
Storm Ha
ハヒフヘホ
- Locked
K7
Petal Ma
マミムメモ
- Locked
K8
Shadow Ya
ヤユヨ
- Locked
K9
Thunder Ra
ラリルレロ
- Locked
K10
Void Wa
ワヲン
- Locked
K11
Voiced Mirrors
ガギグゲゴ+10
- Locked
K12
P-Sound Mirrors
バビブベボ+5
- Locked
K13
Katakana Rules
ッー
- Locked
K14
Katakana Yoon
キャキュキョシャシュ+16
- Locked
K15
Foreign Sounds
ギャギュギョジャジュ+7
- Locked
K16
Extended Forms
ファフィフェフォティ+16
- Locked
K17 · Boss
Katakana Boss
Hiragana and katakana chart
Tap a character to hear it. Characters you have learned are highlighted.
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | i | u | e | o |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ya | yu | yo |
|---|---|---|
How to learn hiragana and katakana
Kana are the two Japanese alphabets. Each character is one sound, so once you know them you can read any word written in kana.
Learn one row at a time
Kana come in rows of five (a-i-u-e-o, ka-ki-ku-ke-ko…). Five new sounds per lesson is a pace you can keep.
Say every sound out loud
Listen, then repeat. Linking the shape to your own voice makes it stick far better than reading silently.
Trace in stroke order
Follow the numbered dots. Correct stroke order makes your handwriting readable and helps you tell similar shapes apart.
Review a little every day
Spaced reviews bring each character back just before you would forget it. Ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
Read real words early
As soon as you know a few sounds you can read words like あい (love) and いえ (house). Reading real words is the goal — start now.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn hiragana?
With about 15 minutes a day, most learners can read all 46 basic hiragana in one to two weeks. Voiced and combined sounds take about another week. Katakana goes faster because the sounds are the same.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Hiragana first. It is used for grammar and native Japanese words, so you will see it in every sentence. Katakana, used mostly for foreign words, unlocks in Kana Quest after hiragana chapter 10.
How many kana are there?
There are 46 basic hiragana and 46 basic katakana. With the voiced marks (゛ ゜), combined sounds such as きゃ, the small っ, the long-vowel mark ー and extra katakana such as ファ, Kana Quest teaches 232 sounds in all.
Do I need to learn stroke order?
Yes. Stroke order keeps your handwriting readable and helps you tell look-alike characters such as ぬ and め apart. Kana Quest shows numbered strokes and lets you trace each one.
Is Kana Quest free?
Yes. Kana Quest is free with no account needed; your progress is saved in your browser. Sign in to sync it across devices.