Lookalike Breakdown Hub
JAPANESE KANA COMPARISONS & LOOKALIKES
Easily confused by Katakana シ and ツ? Or Hiragana さ and き? Select a character pair below for an anatomical breakdown and memory tricks.
katakanaCompare
シ
/shi/
ツ
/tsu/
Remember: 'SHI looks UP at the ceiling, TSU falls DOWN like a TSUnami wave.'
katakanaCompare
ソ
/so/
ン
/n/
Remember: 'SO slides down a slope, N points up into the sky.'
hiraganaCompare
さ
/sa/
き
/ki/
Remember: 'KI has a Key with two teeth, SA has only one crossbar.'
hiraganaCompare
わ
/wa/
ね
/ne/
Remember: 'WA is open, NE has a knot like a cat's curled tail (neko), RE sweeps right.'
hiraganaCompare
ぬ
/nu/
め
/me/
Remember: 'NU has noodles looped at the end, ME is simple like an eye (目 / me).'
hiraganaCompare
る
/ru/
ろ
/ro/
Remember: 'RU holds a ruby loop inside, RO has ro-bbed the jewel away.'
hiraganaCompare
あ
/a/
お
/o/
Remember: 'A is an Apple with a cross, O is an Octopus throwing an extra ball.'
katakanaCompare
ク
/ku/
タ
/ta/
Remember: 'KU is clean inside, TA has a Tiny mark inside.'