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What’s the Best Way to Learn Hiragana and Katakana?

When you start learning Japanese, one of the first big milestones is mastering hiragana and katakana. These are the two basic Japanese writing systems, collectively known as kana.

A friend of mine (and one of my customers!) recently asked me:

“What’s the best way to learn them?”

It’s such a good and important question that I decided to turn my answer into this blog post. Whether you’re using my printable flashcards and worksheets, or just need a clear starting point, here’s a simple but effective practice routine that’s worked for me and many others!

Effective Practice Routine

One Row at a Time

Begin with the first row: a, i, u, e, o. After that, move on to ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, and so on. You don’t need to rush. Focusing on one row per week is a great way to build memory steadily and avoid overwhelm.

1-2 Characters a Day

Try learning one character a day, maybe two if you feel like it. It may sound slow, but it’s a great pace for building strong memory and avoiding burnout, especially in the beginning.

Start with a Review

Begin your study time by reviewing flashcards of the characters you’ve already learned. Try to recall the reading before flipping the card. This is a great way to reinforce memory before learning something new.

Focus on the Tricky Ones

Set aside any characters you struggled to remember during your review. Then, do another review with those flashcards, giving them a little extra practice while they’re still fresh in your mind.

Practice Writing with Hand

Writing by hand helps lock in the character shapes and stroke order. Use worksheets to trace, copy, and eventually write from memory. It’s okay to go slow – the idea is to be mindful, not fast.

Finish with a Review

To end your session, go through all your flashcards one more time. Include the new characters, the ones you struggled with, and even the ones that felt easy. This final round reinforces long-term memory and gives your brain a nice “wrap-up” signal.

Effective Practice Routine

One Row at a Time

Begin with the first row: a, i, u, e, o. After that, move on to ka, ki, ku, ke, ko, and so on. You don’t need to rush. Focusing on one row per week is a great way to build memory steadily and avoid overwhelm.

1-2 Characters a Day

Try learning one character a day, maybe two if you feel like it. It may sound slow, but it’s a great pace for building strong memory and avoiding burnout, especially in the beginning.

Start with a Review

Begin your study time by reviewing flashcards of the characters you’ve already learned. Try to recall the reading before flipping the card. This is a great way to reinforce memory before learning something new.

Focus on the Tricky Ones

Set aside any characters you struggled to remember during your review. Then, do another review with those flashcards, giving them a little extra practice while they’re still fresh in your mind.

Practice Writing with Hand

Writing by hand helps lock in the character shapes and stroke order. Use worksheets to trace, copy, and eventually write from memory. It’s okay to go slow – the idea is to be mindful, not fast.

Finish with a Review

To end your session, go through all your flashcards one more time. Include the new characters, the ones you struggled with, and even the ones that felt easy. This final round reinforces long-term memory and gives your brain a nice “wrap-up” signal.

Extra Tips

Say the characters out loud

Hearing and saying the sounds while looking at the character strengthens your memory.

Use mnemonics or visuals

If a character looks like something to you, lean into it! For example, さ (sa) looks a bit like a sail.

Write simple words early on

Once you’ve learned a few characters, start combining them into basic words like すし (sushi) or カメラ (kamera). It feels awesome to write real words!

Mistakes = learning

Don’t worry if you forget characters. That’s normal! Every time you forget and review, your brain gets better at remembering it next time.

Apps can help, too

Apps with spaced repetition systems (SRS) are great if you enjoy digital learning. But paper flashcards work just as well — do what feels fun for you!

Don’t skip katakana!

It might seem less important at first, but katakana is everywhere. It’s used especially in menus, signs, and loanwords like チョコレート (chocolate).

Extra Tips

Say the characters out loud

Hearing and saying the sounds while looking at the character strengthens your memory.

Use mnemonics or visuals

If a character looks like something to you, lean into it! For example, さ (sa) looks a bit like a sail.

Write simple words early on

Once you’ve learned a few characters, start combining them into basic words like すし (sushi) or カメラ (kamera). It feels awesome to write real words!

Mistakes = learning

Don’t worry if you forget characters. That’s normal! Every time you forget and review, your brain gets better at remembering it next time.

Apps can help, too

Apps with spaced repetition systems (SRS) are great if you enjoy digital learning. But paper flashcards work just as well — do what feels fun for you!

Don’t skip katakana!

It might seem less important at first, but katakana is everywhere. It’s used especially in menus, signs, and loanwords like チョコレート (chocolate).

Flashcards and Worksheets Work

Flashcards help with quick recall, while writing practice builds strong memory and reinforces stroke order. I used both when I was first learning kana — and I still use them today for studying kanji!

If you’re looking for study materials, I offer a set of pretty printable flashcards and writing practice worksheets in my Etsy shop. They’re designed to make studying a little more enjoyable and visually motivating.

Final Thoughts

Learning hiragana and katakana is one of the most rewarding steps in the beginning of your Japanese studies. It’s okay to go slowly. Focus on consistency over speed, and celebrate small wins, like reading your first word or recognizing a character in the wild!

If you’re using my flashcards and worksheets, you’ve already got everything you need. Just follow this routine, and you’ll be reading and writing before you know it.

Have a question about language learning or need tips for the next step? I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

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