Learn Katakana
Same sounds as hiragana, sharper shapes — used for foreign words, names, and emphasis.
Start practicing →What is katakana?
Katakana is the second Japanese script you'll learn. It represents the exact same sounds as hiragana — ア is "a" just like あ — but the shapes are different: sharper, more angular, built from straight lines.
Japanese uses katakana mainly for words borrowed from other languages: コーヒー (coffee), ラーメン (ramen), コンピュータ (computer). You'll also see it on menus, in ads, and for emphasis — like italics in English.
The honest truth about katakana
Katakana is less fun than hiragana. You'll see it less often, practice it less naturally, and it won't feel as rewarding. Most learners memorize it slower because there are fewer chances to reinforce it in daily reading.
But when you need it, you really need it. Nothing is more frustrating than staring at a menu in Tokyo and not being able to read the katakana words — especially when they're just English words in disguise.
This is exactly what spaced repetition was designed for. You don't need to master katakana in a day. Learn the shapes here, save them to your study list, and let FSRS-6 drip-feed reviews at the perfect intervals. Minimum effort, maximum retention.
Practice — one row at a time
Each row takes about 2–3 minutes. No account needed to start.
Save your progress (free)
You can practice freely without an account. When you finish a row, Kakuso will offer to save the characters to your study list, so you can continue with spaced repetition reviews — completely free, forever.
Learn Katakana
Learn katakana online for free. Row-by-row recognition and handwriting practice with stroke validation. Spaced repetition powered by FSRS-6.