Katakana looks similar across many characters, so train by contrast. Mastering it early unlocks menus, signage, names, and loanwords you’ll see everywhere—from コンビニ to メール.
What to master (scope)
- 46 basic characters (ア〜ン)
- Dakuten/handakuten variants (ガ/パ rows)
- Small ャュョ for yōon (キャ/キュ/キョ など)
- Small ッ for gemination (カップ、ベッド)
- Long vowels with ー (ゲーム、メール、スーパー)
7‑day plan (fast start)
- Day 1–2: ア‑コ, サ‑ト (write 3× each; read loanwords)
- Read brand/product names you already know to speed recognition
- Say sounds aloud while writing; note ー for long vowels
- Day 3–4: ナ‑ヨ, ラ‑ン (contrast シ/ツ, ソ/ン carefully)
- Build contrast cards: one column シ/ソ/フ/ヌ, the other ツ/ン/ウ/メ
- Read short lists (カメラ、ホテル、ジュース、タクシー)
- Day 5: small ャュョ, ッ; practice gemination
- キャ/キュ/キョ in real words (キャベツ、ショップ)
- Contrast キヤ vs キャ (big ヤ is wrong); watch kerning in fonts
- Day 6: reading drills; signage, menus, product names
- Do a 100‑word scan: underline ー and ッ as you read
- Day 7: speed review + mini test
- Mixed recognition (50 cards), 1 handwriting quiz (loanwords)
14‑day retention plan (make it stick)
- Days 1–7: follow the 7‑day plan above.
- Day 8: speed read loanwords; mark any confusions for drill.
- Day 9: handwriting quiz (10 words) from memory.
- Day 10: contrast pairs (シ/ツ, ソ/ン) 3× each.
- Day 11: dictation from a short katakana list (names/brands).
- Day 12: mixed reading (menus, signage, product labels).
- Day 13: 50‑card recognition sprint; aim for accuracy > 90%.
- Day 14: mini mock + review weak items.
Confusions and how to separate them
- シ vs ツ: small strokes position and direction differ (シ = left‑to‑right ticks; ツ = top‑to‑bottom ticks). Say each aloud while writing.
- ソ vs ン: watch where the first stroke bends; trace slowly once, then speed up.
- フ vs ウ: check stroke count and curve; write each twice from memory.
- ヌ vs メ: note where the cross sits relative to the main stroke.
- ラ vs フ: ラ is two strokes with an angled line; フ has a horizontal and curve.
Reading sources that pay off
- Menus, packaging, station signs, product labels, and headlines
- Loanword lists built from your interests (music, tech, sports)
- Short news briefs containing names and katakana technical terms
Drills (10–15 minutes/day)
- Contrast drill: alternate シ/ツ, ソ/ン 10 times each while saying them
- Dictation: 8–10 loanwords from audio
- Scan sprint: 100‑word katakana text; underline ー and ッ
Metrics to track
- Recognition accuracy (%) on 30–50 mixed cards
- Time to read a 100‑word katakana list (seconds)
- Number of persistent confusions (aim to shrink weekly)
Common pitfalls
- Mixing hiragana study at the same time—finish hiragana recognition first
- Ignoring long vowels ー, which changes meaning/pronunciation (メール vs メル)
- Skipping ッ; gemination is crucial (ベット vs ベッド)
- Overreliance on romaji; switch to kana as soon as possible
How Kanji Koi helps with katakana
- Guided stroke‑order animations make similar shapes easier to separate.
- Interactive drawing drills for look‑alike pairs (シ/ツ, ソ/ン, フ/ウ, ヌ/メ).
- Adaptive SRS keeps contrast cards resurfacing just before you forget them.
- Offline mode fits 5–10 minute sessions into commutes and breaks.
Use Kanji Koi to tag contrast pairs and attach a sample word and short audio. When they reappear, read, say, and write once—closing the loop from eye to ear to hand.
FAQ
- Q: Should I learn katakana before hiragana?
- A: Learn hiragana first for general reading; add katakana immediately after.
- Q: How much handwriting is necessary?
- A: A few minutes/day for a week is enough to anchor shapes; keep short.
- Q: Do I need to master every accent nuance now?
- A: No. Focus on long vowels (ー) and ッ; they drive clarity in katakana words.
Short phone sessions with stroke‑order animation make katakana stick faster.