Learn the Japanese syllabary (hiragana) with Games!
Tap, listen, pop balloons and win stars – learning Japanese letters and numbers made easy! 🎈
日本語 · Japanese syllabary (hiragana)
Japanese Alphabet
Tap a letter to hear it and see picture words!
🔤 Japanese syllabary (hiragana) chart with words & pronunciation
Japanese uses three scripts: hiragana, katakana and kanji. Children first learn the 46 basic hiragana, each of which stands for one syllable. Here are all 46 letters with an example word, how to say it and what it means.
| Letter | Word | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| あ | 🌧️ あめ | a-me | rain |
| い | 🐕 いぬ | i-nu | dog |
| う | 🐰 うさぎ | u-sa-gi | rabbit |
| え | ✏️ えんぴつ | en-pi-tsu | pencil |
| お | 🍙 おにぎり | o-ni-gi-ri | rice ball |
| か | ☂️ かさ | ka-sa | umbrella |
| き | 🦊 きつね | ki-tsu-ne | fox |
| く | 🐻 くま | ku-ma | bear |
| け | 🐛 けむし | ke-mu-shi | caterpillar |
| こ | 🧒 こども | ko-do-mo | child |
| さ | 🐟 さかな | sa-ka-na | fish |
| し | 🦌 しか | shi-ka | deer |
| す | 🍉 すいか | su-i-ka | watermelon |
| せ | 🧑🏫 せんせい | sen-se-i | teacher |
| そ | 🌤️ そら | so-ra | sky |
| た | 🥚 たまご | ta-ma-go | egg |
| ち | 🦋 ちょうちょ | chō-cho | butterfly |
| つ | 🌙 つき | tsu-ki | moon |
| て | ✋ て | te | hand |
| と | 🕐 とけい | to-ke-i | clock |
| な | 🍆 なす | na-su | eggplant |
| に | 🥕 にんじん | nin-jin | carrot |
| ぬ | 🧸 ぬいぐるみ | nu-i-gu-ru-mi | stuffed toy |
| ね | 🐱 ねこ | ne-ko | cat |
| の | 🥤 のみもの | no-mi-mo-no | drink |
| は | 🌸 はな | ha-na | flower |
| ひ | 🐤 ひよこ | hi-yo-ko | chick |
| ふ | 🚢 ふね | fu-ne | boat |
| へ | 🐍 へび | he-bi | snake |
| ほ | ⭐ ほし | ho-shi | star |
| ま | 🪟 まど | ma-do | window |
| み | 🍊 みかん | mi-kan | mandarin orange |
| む | 🐛 むし | mu-shi | bug |
| め | 👁️ め | me | eye |
| も | 🍑 もも | mo-mo | peach |
| や | ⛰️ やま | ya-ma | mountain |
| ゆ | ❄️ ゆき | yu-ki | snow |
| よ | 🌃 よる | yo-ru | night |
| ら | 🎺 らっぱ | rap-pa | trumpet |
| り | 🍎 りんご | rin-go | apple |
| る | 🏠 るすばん | ru-su-ban | staying home alone |
| れ | 🚆 れっしゃ | res-sha | train |
| ろ | 🕯️ ろうそく | rō-so-ku | candle |
| わ | 🐊 わに | wa-ni | crocodile |
| を | 📖 ほんを よむ | hon o yo-mu | read a book |
| ん | 🍊 みかん | mi-kan | mandarin orange (ends in ん) |
🔢 Numbers 1 to 10 in Japanese
| # | Japanese | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | いち | i-chi |
| 2 | に | ni |
| 3 | さん | san |
| 4 | よん | yon |
| 5 | ご | go |
| 6 | ろく | ro-ku |
| 7 | なな | na-na |
| 8 | はち | ha-chi |
| 9 | きゅう | kyū |
| 10 | じゅう | jū |
✏️ Practise writing: trace Japanese letters · trace numbers
👨👩👧 Parent guide: how to teach the Japanese alphabet – a 5-day plan, games and tips
👨👩👧 For Parents & Teachers: Japanese Alphabet Learning Made Fun
AlphabetsLearn helps children aged 2–8 learn the Japanese alphabet and numbers 1–10 through play. Every letter comes with picture words and clear audio, and each activity repeats the same letters in a new way, which is how young children remember best.
- 🔤 Tap & Listen – big letters with pictures and pronunciation.
- 🎈 Balloon Pop – find and pop the right letter to build recognition.
- 👂 Find It – match a picture word to its first letter (early phonics).
- 🃏 Memory Match – pair letters with pictures to train memory.
- 🍎 Count It – count objects and pick the number.
- ➕ Math with pictures – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
- ✏️ Handwriting – trace letters and numbers with a finger.
- 🎬 Videos – A–Z alphabet videos and number videos.
🌍 Learn Alphabets in 80 Languages
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How can I teach my child the alphabet fast?
Use short 5–10 minute sessions. Tap a letter to hear it and see picture words, then play Balloon Pop, Find It and Memory Match to repeat the same letters in different ways. Read our step-by-step teaching guide.
Which languages are supported?
80 languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian and Japanese – each with letters, picture words, pronunciation and numbers 1 to 10. See the full list.
Is AlphabetsLearn free and does it work on phones?
Yes. Everything is free, needs no sign-up and works in the browser on phones, tablets and computers.
What age is AlphabetsLearn for?
Children aged 2 to 8: toddlers can tap and listen, preschoolers can play the letter games and older kids can practise math, drawing and quizzes.
Why is there no sound?
Audio uses your device's built-in voice. Check the volume and silent switch. Some phones need the language voice (for example Hindi or Tamil) installed in the device's text-to-speech settings.
📚 More tips for parents on our learning blog.