Already mastered hiragana and ready for katakana? This intensive 7-day method will have you reading all 46 basic katakana characters plus their modifications by the end of the week. Katakana is actually easier than hiragana for most learners because you already understand the sound system - you're just learning new shapes for the same sounds.

Why Katakana is Different from Hiragana

Similarities (Good News!)

• ✅ Same 46 basic sounds
• ✅ Same pronunciation rules
• ✅ Same dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) modifications
• ✅ Same yōon (combination sounds) structure

Differences (What Makes It Unique)

Aspect	Hiragana	Katakana
Shape	Curved, flowing	Angular, straight lines
Usage	Native words, grammar	Foreign words, emphasis
Frequency	~50% of text	~5-10% of text
Mnemonics	More available	Fewer traditional ones
Practice opportunities	Abundant	Less common for beginners

The Reality: Katakana looks harder (sharp angles!) but is often easier to learn because:

1. 01You already know the sounds (from hiragana)
2. 02Many characters look like English letters
3. 03You can practice with English loanwords you already know

Prerequisites

Before starting this 7-day intensive:

Must have:

• ✅ Mastered all hiragana (90%+ accuracy)
• ✅ Understand Japanese phonetics
• ✅ 45-60 minutes daily for focused study

Nice to have:

• Knowledge of basic Japanese vocabulary
• Understanding of common English loanwords in Japanese
• Previous experience with spaced repetition

The 7-Day Katakana Mastery Plan

Day 1: Foundation (Vowels + K, S, T Rows) - 20 Characters

Goal: Master the first 20 katakana characters Time: 60 minutes

Morning Session (20 minutes): The Five Vowels

ア (a) - Looks like an "A" without the horizontal line イ (i) - Looks like two chopsticks ("EE" sound) ウ (u) - Looks like a curved "u" エ (e) - Looks like a pitchfork or elevator going "eh?" オ (o) - Looks like two horizontal lines stacked

Mnemonic Devices:

• ア (a): Axe shape - say "AH!" when swinging an axe
• イ (i): Two "I"s (chopsticks) - "EE!"
• ウ (u): Bird's beak saying "OO"
• エ (e): Elevator going up - "EH-levator"
• オ (o): Two "O"s stacked horizontally

Practice: Write each vowel 20 times while saying it out loud.

Midday Session (20 minutes): K and S Rows

K Row (カ キ ク ケ コ)

• カ (ka) - Looks like a knife cutting (KA-tana, sword)
• キ (ki) - Looks like a key
• ク (ku) - Looks like a cuckoo bird's mouth
• ケ (ke) - Looks like a "K" with extra line
• コ (ko) - Two horizontal lines (simpler than オ)

Mnemonic Trick: カ = katana (sword). Remember this and you remember it's the K-row!

S Row (サ シ ス セ ソ)

• サ (sa) - Looks like a standing person saying "SA!"
• シ (shi) - Three horizontal lines (like "she" has three letters)
• ス (su) - Looks like "SU" or swing
• セ (se) - Looks like a lightning bolt - "SE!"
• ソ (so) - Two strokes slanting left (different from シ which is more horizontal)

Practice: Write full words:

• カキ (kaki - persimmon)
• スイカ (suika - watermelon)
• サケ (sake - salmon/alcohol)

Evening Session (20 minutes): T Row

T Row (タ チ ツ テ ト)

• タ (ta) - Looks like a "T" with extra horizontal line
• チ (chi) - Looks like cheerleader with pom-poms
• ツ (tsu) - Three vertical lines (careful: different from シ!)
• テ (te) - Looks like "te" in katakana (backwards C shape)
• ト (to) - Simple vertical with small horizontal (TOp)

Critical Distinction: シ vs ツ and ソ vs ン

Character	Orientation	Lines	Meaning
シ (shi)	Horizontal	3 lines, horizontal tilt	she
ツ (tsu)	Vertical	3 lines, vertical tilt	tsu
ソ (so)	Slant left	2 lines, slant left	so
ン (n)	Slant right	2 lines, slant right	n

Memory trick: Think of シ and ツ as "shi-shi-shi" said three times horizontally vs. "tsu-tsu-tsu" bouncing vertically.

Day 1 Practice Test: Before bed, test yourself:

1. 01Write all 20 characters from memory
2. 02Identify 20 random flashcards
3. 03Read these words:
   • コーヒー (koohii - coffee)
   • ケーキ (keeki - cake)
   • カメラ (kamera - camera)

Success metric: 75%+ accuracy

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Day 2: Expansion (N, H, M Rows) - 15 New Characters (35 Total)

Goal: Add 15 more characters Time: 60 minutes

Morning Session (20 minutes): N and H Rows

N Row (ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ)

• ナ (na) - Looks like "NA" with vertical line
• ニ (ni) - Two horizontal lines (simpler than 二)
• ヌ (nu) - Looks like noodles crossing
• ネ (ne) - Looks like neko (cat) stretching
• ノ (no) - Simple diagonal line (NO! slash)

H Row (ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ)

• ハ (ha) - Looks like two-legged hat
• ヒ (hi) - Three horizontal strokes (like ひ but angular)
• フ (fu) - Looks like hook ("fu-nny hook")
• ヘ (he) - Mountain peak shape
• ホ (ho) - Looks like cross with horizontal lines

Midday Session (20 minutes): M Row

M Row (マ ミ ム メ モ)

• マ (ma) - Looks like mama with baby on back
• ミ (mi) - Three lines like "mi-mi-mi" scales
• ム (mu) - Looks like moo (cow mouth)
• メ (me) - Looks like a slanted "me" or cross
• モ (mo) - Three horizontal lines with vertical

Practice words:

• ハム (hamu - ham)
• メニュー (menyuu - menu)
• マニア (mania - enthusiast)

Evening Session (20 minutes): Review + Speed Drill

Practice these common katakana words (all use Day 1-2 characters):

• コーヒー (koohii - coffee)
• カメラ (kamera - camera)
• テスト (tesuto - test)
• ノート (nooto - notebook)
• メモ (memo - memo)

Day 2 Practice Test:

1. 01Random 35-character recognition test
2. 02Read 10 simple katakana words
3. 03Write 5 words from memory

Success metric: 70%+ accuracy

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Day 3: Completion (Y, R, W, N Rows) - 11 New Characters (46 Total!)

Goal: Learn the final basic characters Time: 60 minutes

Morning Session (20 minutes): Y and R Rows

Y Row (ヤ ユ ヨ)

• ヤ (ya) - Looks like a "ya!" exclamation
• ユ (yu) - Looks like YouTube play button
• ヨ (yo) - Three horizontal lines (yo-yo has three letters)

R Row (ラ リ ル レ ロ)

• ラ (ra) - Looks like a ladder (ra-dder)
• リ (ri) - Two simple lines (reeds growing)
• ル (ru) - Curved line (rule/ruler)
• レ (re) - Simple right angle (relay race runner)
• ロ (ro) - Square/rectangle (ro-om)

Midday Session (20 minutes): W Row + Standalone N

W Row (ワ ヲ)

• ワ (wa) - Looks like a waffle with lines
• ヲ (wo) - Looks similar to ワ but different (pronounced "o", rarely used)

Standalone N:

• ン (n) - Two strokes slanting RIGHT (opposite of ソ)

Evening Session (20 minutes): Full Chart Review

Go through the entire chart 3 times:

1. 01First pass: Slow, confirm you know each one
2. 02Second pass: Medium speed, aim for instant recognition
3. 03Third pass: Fast, test yourself

Day 3 Practice Test:

1. 01Write all 46 characters from memory (take your time)
2. 02Random 30-character speed test (30 seconds)
3. 03Read these words:
   • レストラン (resutoran - restaurant)
   • ラーメン (raamen - ramen)
   • ワイン (wain - wine)
   • ロマン (roman - romance)

Success metric: 65%+ accuracy (all 46 characters)

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Day 4: Modifications (Dakuten & Handakuten) - 30 Modified Characters

Goal: Learn all voiced and semi-voiced variations Time: 60-75 minutes

Dakuten (゛) - Voiced Sounds

Dakuten adds voicing to certain characters:

G Row (ガ ギ グ ゲ ゴ) - from K-row

• ガ (ga) - garage
• ギ (gi) - guitar
• グ (gu) - Google
• ゲ (ge) - game
• ゴ (go) - goal

Z Row (ザ ジ ズ ゼ ゾ) - from S-row

• ザ (za) - pizza (pitZA)
• ジ (ji) - jeans
• ズ (zu) - news
• ゼ (ze) - zero
• ゾ (zo) - zone

D Row (ダ ヂ ヅ デ ド) - from T-row

• ダ (da) - dance
• ヂ (ji) - rarely used
• ヅ (zu) - rarely used (same sound as ズ)
• デ (de) - date
• ド (do) - door

B Row (バ ビ ブ ベ ボ) - from H-row

• バ (ba) - bar
• ビ (bi) - beer
• ブ (bu) - boot
• ベ (be) - bed
• ボ (bo) - boat

Handakuten (゜) - P Sounds

P Row (パ ピ プ ペ ポ) - from H-row

• パ (pa) - party
• ピ (pi) - pizza
• プ (pu) - pool
• ペ (pe) - pen
• ポ (po) - post

Practice words (with dakuten/handakuten):

• ビール (biiru - beer)
• ベッド (beddo - bed)
• バス (basu - bus)
• ペン (pen - pen)
• パン (pan - bread)
• ゲーム (geemu - game)
• ギター (gitaa - guitar)

Day 4 Practice Test:

1. 01Identify all 25 dakuten characters
2. 02Identify all 5 handakuten characters
3. 03Read 15 words with modifications

Success metric: 70%+ accuracy including modifications

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Day 5: Combinations (Yōon) - 36 Combination Sounds

Goal: Master all contracted sounds (small ヤ, ユ, ヨ) Time: 60-75 minutes

Understanding Yōon

Yōon combines certain characters with small ヤ (ya), ユ (yu), or ヨ (yo):

Key Combinations:

With K:

• キャ (kya), キュ (kyu), キョ (kyo)
• Example: キャンプ (kyanpu - camp)

With S:

• シャ (sha), シュ (shu), ショ (sho)
• Example: シャツ (shatsu - shirt)

With T:

• チャ (cha), チュ (chu), チョ (cho)
• Example: チョコレート (chokoreeto - chocolate)

With N:

• ニャ (nya), ニュ (nyu), ニョ (nyo)
• Example: ニュース (nyuusu - news)

With H:

• ヒャ (hya), ヒュ (hyu), ヒョ (hyo)

With M:

• ミャ (mya), ミュ (myu), ミョ (myo)

With R:

• リャ (rya), リュ (ryu), リョ (ryo)
• Example: リュック (ryukku - backpack)

With G:

• ギャ (gya), ギュ (gyu), ギョ (gyo)

With J:

• ジャ (ja), ジュ (ju), ジョ (jo)
• Example: ジュース (juusu - juice)

With B:

• ビャ (bya), ビュ (byu), ビョ (byo)

With P:

• ピャ (pya), ピュ (pyu), ピョ (pyo)

Common words to practice:

• シャワー (shawaa - shower)
• ジュース (juusu - juice)
• チョコ (choko - chocolate)
• ニュース (nyuusu - news)
• ミュージック (myuujikku - music)
• リュック (ryukku - backpack)

Day 5 Practice Test:

1. 01Identify 20 yōon combinations
2. 02Read 10 words with yōon
3. 03Write 5 words with combinations

Success metric: 65%+ accuracy

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Day 6: Special Features & Real-World Practice

Goal: Master katakana-specific features and practice with real words Time: 75-90 minutes

Special Katakana Features

1. Long Vowel Mark (ー)

The dash (ー) extends the previous vowel sound:

• コーヒー (koohii) = ko + o + hi + i = "coffee"
• ケーキ (keeki) = ke + e + ki = "cake"
• スーパー (suupaa) = su + u + pa + a = "supermarket"
• メール (meeru) = me + e + ru = "email"

This is UNIQUE to katakana! Hiragana doesn't have this feature.

2. Small ッ (Sokuon) - Double Consonant

Creates a pause/doubles the following consonant:

• ベッド (beddo - bed)
• サッカー (sakkaa - soccer)
• ロック (rokku - rock)
• パッケージ (pakkeiji - package)

3. Middle Dot (・)

Used to separate words (like space in English):

• ロサンゼルス vs ロス・アンゼルス (Los Angeles)
• ジョン・スミス (John Smith)

Practice Categories

Food & Drink (30 words):

• コーヒー (koohii - coffee)
• ケーキ (keeki - cake)
• パン (pan - bread)
• ハンバーガー (hanbaagaa - hamburger)
• ピザ (piza - pizza)
• パスタ (pasuta - pasta)
• サラダ (sarada - salad)
• ジュース (juusu - juice)
• ビール (biiru - beer)
• ワイン (wain - wine)

Technology (20 words):

• コンピューター (konpyuutaa - computer)
• スマホ (sumaho - smartphone)
• インターネット (intaanetto - internet)
• メール (meeru - email)
• カメラ (kamera - camera)
• テレビ (terebi - television)

Places (15 words):

• レストラン (resutoran - restaurant)
• ホテル (hoteru - hotel)
• スーパー (suupaa - supermarket)
• デパート (depaato - department store)

Day 6 Practice:

1. 01Read 50 real katakana words
2. 02Write 20 words from English
3. 03Practice reading a Japanese menu (find online)

Success metric: 80%+ word recognition

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Day 7: Speed, Accuracy & Final Test

Goal: Achieve fluent recognition and test readiness Time: 90-120 minutes

Morning Session (30 minutes): Speed Drills

Speed Test 1: Character Recognition

• 100 random katakana characters
• Goal: < 30 seconds
• Aim for 95%+ accuracy

Speed Test 2: Word Reading

• 50 common katakana words
• Goal: < 2 minutes
• Aim for 90%+ accuracy

Midday Session (30 minutes): Writing Practice

Copy this passage 3 times (focuses on common patterns):

「コーヒーショップでケーキとコーヒーをオーダーしました。メニューにはハンバーガーとピザもありました。スタッフはとてもフレンドリーでした。」

(At a coffee shop, I ordered cake and coffee. The menu also had hamburgers and pizza. The staff was very friendly.)

Afternoon Session (30 minutes): Real-World Application

Exercise 1: Restaurant Menu Find a Japanese menu online and identify all katakana words.

Exercise 2: Product Labels Look up Japanese product labels and read katakana brand names.

Exercise 3: Anime/Video Games Watch 5 minutes of anime or play a Japanese game - spot katakana words.

Evening Session (30 minutes): Comprehensive Final Test

Section 1: Basic Characters (46)

• Write all from memory
• Goal: 95%+ accuracy

Section 2: Modifications (30)

• Identify all dakuten/handakuten
• Goal: 90%+ accuracy

Section 3: Combinations (20)

• Read yōon combinations
• Goal: 85%+ accuracy

Section 4: Real Words (50)

• Read common loanwords
• Goal: 85%+ accuracy

Section 5: Writing Challenge

• Convert 10 English words to katakana
• Examples: "computer", "chocolate", "restaurant", "music", "camera"

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Common Katakana Confusions & Solutions

Most Confused Pairs

1. シ (shi) vs ツ (tsu)

• シ = Horizontal lines ("she" is laid back)
• ツ = Vertical lines ("tsu" stands up tall)

2. ソ (so) vs ン (n)

• ソ = Slants LEFT (like "so" pushing away)
• ン = Slants RIGHT (like "n" coming toward you)

3. ク (ku) vs タ (ta)

• ク = One stroke (ku is simple)
• タ = Separate top stroke (ta has extra)

4. ワ (wa) vs ウ (u)

• ワ = Three strokes (wa-wa-wa)
• ウ = Two strokes (like hiragana う)

5. ス (su) vs ヌ (nu)

• ス = Two strokes, no diagonal
• ヌ = Has diagonal crossing stroke

Memory Tricks:

• Practice confused pairs side-by-side
• Write them 20 times each in alternation
• Create exaggerated differences when writing
• Use mnemonics specific to each pair

Effective Memorization Techniques

1. English Loanword Method

Since most katakana is used for foreign words, learn characters through English words you already know:

Day 1-2 characters:

• コーヒー (coffee)
• ケーキ (cake)
• テスト (test)

Day 3-4 characters:

• レストラン (restaurant)
• ラーメン (ramen)
• バス (bus)

Advantage: You're learning katakana AND vocabulary simultaneously!

2. Visual Association

Create strong visual associations:

• カ = Katana (sword) - sharp like the character
• ト = Tokyo Tower - simple vertical line
• メ = X marks the spot on a treasure ME-p

3. Comparative Learning

Since you know hiragana, compare:

• か (hiragana) vs カ (katakana) - both "ka"
• し (hiragana) vs シ (katakana) - both "shi"
• Notice patterns in how shapes changed

4. Category Grouping

Learn characters by usage category:

• Food words: パン、ケーキ、コーヒー
• Tech words: メール、テレビ、ネット
• Place words: ホテル、レストラン、バー

5. Spaced Repetition

Use this review schedule:

• Hour 1: Learn new characters
• Hour 3: Quick review
• Day 2: Full review
• Day 4: Test
• Week 2: Final consolidation

Practice Resources

Free Online Tools

1. KanaDojo Katakana Training

• Interactive games
• Progress tracking
• Multiple game modes (Pick, Input, Blitz)

2. Realkana.com

• Simple flashcard system
• Configurable character sets
• Free, no signup required

3. Tofugu Katakana Quiz

• Comprehensive testing
• Detailed explanations
• Mnemonic images

Mobile Apps

1. Obenkyo (Android)

• Katakana practice
• Stroke order animations
• Quiz modes

2. Kana Town (iOS)

• Story-based learning
• Engaging for beginners
• Paid but quality

3. Japanese! (iOS/Android)

• Simple flashcards
• Clean interface
• Free

Practice Sheets

Download printable practice sheets:

• Blank grids for writing practice
• Stroke order guides
• Word lists by difficulty
• Mixed character tests

After Day 7: Maintenance Plan

Week 2: Daily Practice (30 minutes)

• Day 8-10: Review all characters, focus on weak areas
• Day 11-12: Read katakana-heavy content (menus, ads)
• Day 13-14: Write diary entry using katakana words

Week 3-4: Active Use (20 minutes daily)

• Read Japanese news headlines (lots of katakana)
• Watch anime and spot katakana words
• Label foreign objects around your home in katakana
• Play Japanese video games (character names often in katakana)

Month 2+: Maintenance (10-15 minutes weekly)

• Weekly review session
• Continue vocabulary building
• Read manga/magazines (heavy katakana usage)
• Don't let it fade!

Common English Words in Katakana

Practice these 50 most common loanwords:

Food (10):

1. 01コーヒー (koohii - coffee)
2. 02ケーキ (keeki - cake)
3. 03パン (pan - bread)
4. 04ハンバーガー (hanbaagaa - hamburger)
5. 05チョコレート (chokoreeto - chocolate)
6. 06サラダ (sarada - salad)
7. 07ジュース (juusu - juice)
8. 08ビール (biiru - beer)
9. 09ピザ (piza - pizza)
10. 10アイスクリーム (aisukuriimu - ice cream)

Technology (10): 11. コンピューター (konpyuutaa - computer) 12. スマートフォン (sumaatofon - smartphone) 13. インターネット (intaanetto - internet) 14. メール (meeru - email) 15. カメラ (kamera - camera) 16. テレビ (terebi - television) 17. ゲーム (geemu - game) 18. アプリ (apuri - app) 19. ダウンロード (daunroodo - download) 20. データ (deeta - data)

Places (10): 21. レストラン (resutoran - restaurant) 22. ホテル (hoteru - hotel) 23. スーパー (suupaa - supermarket) 24. デパート (depaato - department store) 25. カフェ (kafe - cafe) 26. バー (baa - bar) 27. オフィス (ofisu - office) 28. シアター (shiataa - theater) 29. パーク (paaku - park) 30. ステーション (suteeshon - station)

Daily Life (10): 31. タクシー (takushii - taxi) 32. バス (basu - bus) 33. トイレ (toire - toilet) 34. ベッド (beddo - bed) 35. テーブル (teeburu - table) 36. チェア (chea - chair) 37. ドア (doa - door) 38. ウィンドウ (windou - window) 39. エアコン (eakon - air conditioner) 40. テレビ (terebi - television)

Actions/Concepts (10): 41. スタート (sutaato - start) 42. ストップ (sutoppu - stop) 43. チェック (chekku - check) 44. キャンセル (kyanseru - cancel) 45. オーダー (oodaa - order) 46. メッセージ (messeiji - message) 47. プレゼント (purezento - present) 48. チャンス (chansu - chance) 49. トラブル (toraburu - trouble) 50. サービス (saabisu - service)

Conversion Rules: English to Katakana

Understanding these rules helps you read unfamiliar katakana:

Rule 1: Vowels

• a = ア, i = イ, u = ウ, e = エ, o = オ

Rule 2: Consonant + Vowel

• ba = バ, ki = キ, su = ス, te = テ, no = ノ

Rule 3: Long Vowels = ー

• "ee" sound = ー (keeki = ケーキ)
• "oo" sound = ー (koohii = コーヒー)

Rule 4: Final Consonants

• Add ウ: "boot" = ブート (buuto)
• Add ル: "table" = テーブル (teeburu)
• Add ン: "pen" = ペン (pen)

Rule 5: "L" and "R" = Same

• Both become R-row: "light" = ライト (raito)

Rule 6: Double Consonants = ッ

• "bed" = ベッド (beddo)
• "soccer" = サッカー (sakkaa)

Quiz: Test Your Katakana Knowledge

Beginner Quiz

1. 01Read: コーヒー
2. 02Read: ケーキ
3. 03Read: テレビ
4. 04Write "pizza" in katakana
5. 05Write "bus" in katakana

Answers

1. 01koohii (coffee)
2. 02keeki (cake)
3. 03terebi (television)
4. 04ピザ
5. 05バス

Intermediate Quiz

1. 01Read: レストラン
2. 02Read: コンピューター
3. 03Read: チョコレート
4. 04Write "hamburger" in katakana
5. 05Write "internet" in katakana

Answers

1. 01resutoran (restaurant)
2. 02konpyuutaa (computer)
3. 03chokoreeto (chocolate)
4. 04ハンバーガー
5. 05インターネット

Advanced Quiz

1. 01Read: スマートフォン
2. 02Read: アイスクリーム
3. 03Read: オーストラリア
4. 04Distinguish: シ vs ツ
5. 05Distinguish: ソ vs ン

Answers

1. 01sumaatofon (smartphone)
2. 02aisukuriimu (ice cream)
3. 03oosutoraria (Australia)
4. 04シ (shi - horizontal), ツ (tsu - vertical)
5. 05ソ (so - slant left), ン (n - slant right)

Conclusion: Your Katakana Journey

You've completed the 7-day intensive katakana memorization method! Here's what you've achieved:

✅ Day 1: Vowels + K, S, T rows (20 characters) ✅ Day 2: N, H, M rows (35 total) ✅ Day 3: Y, R, W, N rows (46 complete!) ✅ Day 4: Dakuten & handakuten (76 total) ✅ Day 5: Yōon combinations (112+ combinations) ✅ Day 6: Special features + real-world practice ✅ Day 7: Speed, accuracy, final testing

What's Next:

1. 01Continue daily practice (even 10 minutes maintains skills)
2. 02Start learning kanji (you'll need katakana for furigana)
3. 03Build vocabulary (especially katakana loanwords)
4. 04Read authentic materials (manga, news, games)

Start your katakana journey today with KanaDojo's interactive training and join thousands of successful learners!

がんばってください！(Ganbatte kudasai - Do your best!)

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Related Articles:

• How to Learn Hiragana in 3 Days
• Katakana vs Hiragana: Complete Comparison
• 50 Essential Japanese Words for Beginners
• Complete Hiragana Chart with Pronunciation