Hiragana Quiz – Free Japanese Hiragana Test
Test your Japanese hiragana skills with free interactive practice. Learn and recognize 46 basic hiragana characters, dakuten, handakuten, digraphs and common Japanese words with instant feedback.
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Characters You Should Review
What Is Hiragana?
Hiragana is the foundational Japanese writing system, used for native Japanese words, grammar particles (は, が, を, に), and verb or adjective conjugations. Words like ありがとう (thank you), たべる (to eat), and おはよう (good morning) are all written in hiragana. It's the very first writing system taught in every beginner course and is essential JLPT N5 vocabulary.
Hiragana Chart – Basic, Dakuten & Handakuten
Use this hiragana chart as a quick reference while you practice. Each character includes a real example word so it connects to meaning, not just shape.
| Hiragana | Romaji | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| あ | a | あめ | Rain |
| か | ka | かさ | Umbrella |
| さ | sa | さかな | Fish |
| た | ta | たべる | To eat |
| な | na | なつ | Summer |
| は | ha | はな | Flower |
| ま | ma | まど | Window |
| ら | ra | らいねん | Next year |
| て | te | てがみ | Letter |
| こ | ko | こども | Child |
| が | ga | がっこう | School |
| ざ | za | ざっし | Magazine |
| だ | da | だいがく | University |
| ば | ba | ばしょ | Place |
| ぱ | pa | ぱん | Bread |
| ぴ | pi | えんぴつ | Pencil |
| Monographs (清音) — Full Set | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ a | い i | う u | え e | お o |
| か ka | き ki | く ku | け ke | こ ko |
| さ sa | し shi | す su | せ se | そ so |
| た ta | ち chi | つ tsu | て te | と to |
| な na | に ni | ぬ nu | ね ne | の no |
| は ha | ひ hi | ふ fu | へ he | ほ ho |
| ま ma | み mi | む mu | め me | も mo |
| や ya | ゆ yu | よ yo | ||
| ら ra | り ri | る ru | れ re | ろ ro |
| わ wa | を wo | |||
| ん n | ||||
| Dakuten (濁音) & Handakuten (半濁音) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| が ga | ぎ gi | ぐ gu | げ ge | ご go |
| ざ za | じ ji | ず zu | ぜ ze | ぞ zo |
| だ da | ぢ ji | づ zu | で de | ど do |
| ば ba | び bi | ぶ bu | べ be | ぼ bo |
| ぱ pa | ぴ pi | ぷ pu | ぺ pe | ぽ po |
Hiragana Quiz Modes
This isn't just a single character test — pick the mode that matches how you want to practice.
All 46 monograph characters — あ, か, さ, た, な and beyond. Start here.
Voiced sounds like が (ga), ざ (za), だ (da) formed with the ゛ mark.
Semi-voiced sounds ぱ, ぴ, ぷ, ぺ, ぽ formed with the ゜ mark.
Combination sounds like きゃ (kya) and しゃ (sha) using small ゃ ゅ ょ.
The classic mix-ups: さ vs き, ぬ vs め, る vs ろ, わ vs れ.
Real Japanese words like ありがとう and おはよう instead of single characters, with meanings.
How to Learn Hiragana Fast
Practice a little every day rather than cramming. Start with monographs (あ, か, さ…), then move on to dakuten (が, ざ, だ, ば) and handakuten (ぱ, ぴ, ぷ) once the basics feel automatic. Use active-recall quizzes like this one instead of passive reading — typing the romaji reading from memory builds recognition speed far faster than simply looking at a chart. Hiragana appears in nearly every Japanese sentence you'll ever read, so mastering it first pays off immediately. Finish each session by reviewing the specific characters you got wrong, not the whole set again.
Hiragana vs Katakana — What's the Difference?
Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb conjugations, while katakana is reserved for foreign loanwords, names, and emphasis. Both scripts represent the exact same sounds with different characters. Hiragana is learned first because it shows up in nearly every sentence — particles like は, が, and を alone appear constantly, giving you far more repetition and faster retention.
Commonly Confused Hiragana Characters
These pairs trip up almost every learner at first — the differences come down to stroke direction and small shape details.
さ (sa) has one connecting curved stroke at the bottom. き (ki) has an extra crossing stroke and a distinct hook shape.
ぬ (nu) ends with a small loop at the bottom-right. め (me) has a simpler curve without the extra loop.
る (ru) closes into a small loop at the end. ろ (ro) has an open curve with no closing loop.
わ (wa) has a simple open curve. れ (re) has an extra stroke that curls upward on the right side.
Hiragana Words You Should Know
Hiragana carries the everyday grammar and vocabulary of Japanese. Here are common words worth memorizing first:
| Hiragana | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとう | arigatou | Thank you |
| おはよう | ohayou | Good morning |
| たべる | taberu | To eat |
| みず | mizu | Water |
| ともだち | tomodachi | Friend |
| がっこう | gakkou | School |
| すき | suki | Like / Favorite |
| かぞく | kazoku | Family |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hiragana?
Hiragana is the core Japanese writing system used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb conjugations. Words like ありがとう (thank you) and たべる (to eat) are written in hiragana.
How many Hiragana characters are there?
There are 46 basic hiragana characters, plus 20 dakuten (voiced) characters and 5 handakuten (semi-voiced) characters — 71 characters in total. On top of that there are 33 digraph combinations formed by pairing characters with small ya, yu or yo.
Should I learn Hiragana or Katakana first?
Most textbooks recommend learning hiragana first since it appears far more often in everyday Japanese, including particles and verb endings. Katakana is typically learned right after.
Is Hiragana harder than Katakana?
Hiragana and katakana represent the same sounds, so neither is inherently harder. Hiragana is used more frequently, which actually helps learners retain it faster through repeated exposure.
How long does it take to learn Hiragana?
Most learners can recognize all 46 basic hiragana characters within one to two weeks of daily practice, and become fully comfortable with dakuten, handakuten, and digraphs within about a month.
What is Hiragana used for?
Hiragana is used to write native Japanese words, grammar particles (は, が, を, に), verb and adjective conjugations, and furigana readings above kanji.
What is the difference between Hiragana and Katakana?
Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb conjugations, while katakana is reserved for loanwords, foreign names, and emphasis. Both represent the same set of sounds with different characters.
What are Dakuten and Handakuten?
Dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) are small marks added to certain hiragana characters to change their sound, such as か (ka) becoming が (ga), or は (ha) becoming ぱ (pa).
What are Hiragana Digraphs?
Digraphs combine a hiragana character with a small ya, yu, or yo (ゃ ゅ ょ) to form a single sound, such as きゃ (kya) or しゃ (sha). There are 33 common digraph combinations.
How can I memorize Hiragana quickly?
Practice a little every day using active recall rather than passive reading, group characters by visual similarity, and learn real words like ありがとう and おはよう so the characters connect to meaning rather than isolated shapes.
What is the best way to practice Hiragana?
Typing the romaji reading from memory, as this quiz does, builds recognition speed faster than simply looking at a chart. Reviewing the specific characters you get wrong is more effective than repeating the full set every time.
Is this Hiragana quiz free?
Yes, this hiragana quiz is completely free to use with no sign-up required. Practice as many rounds as you like.
Is this Hiragana quiz suitable for JLPT N5?
Yes. Hiragana is the foundation of JLPT N5 material, and this quiz covers every character tested at that level, including dakuten, handakuten, and common digraphs.
Can I practice Hiragana on mobile?
Yes, this quiz works on both desktop and mobile browsers, with an on-screen keyboard for touch devices.
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