Hiragana mnemonics chart
Memory hooks for all 46 basic hiragana. Compare the shapes, add your own hook, then hide the readings to check recall.
46 characters · tap a shape for its hook.
Draft; educator review pending. Stroke shapes: KanjiVG, Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. Generated audio is available in the listening section.
How to use these mnemonics
- Look at the shape and read the hook. A bold word is an approximate English sound cue; a hook without one describes the shape. For ん, bold n denotes its consonant sound, not the letter’s name.
- Compare look-alikes. Notice the loop, crossing or ending that separates them.
- Hide the reading and try to recall it. Use your own story if it works better, and drop it when the character is familiar.
These are optional memory prompts, not character origins or pronunciation recordings. Follow a study plan through the rows.
The 46 hooks, by row
Vowels
あ · a
Picture a gymnast swinging around a pole through a crossbar: the crossbar is stroke 1, the pole is stroke 2 and the swing is stroke 3.
The last stroke crosses the upright and makes the lower loop.
い · i
Picture two eels side by side, the left one longer than the right.
The two strokes stay separate in the handwriting model.
う · u
Picture a short slanting mark above a smooth curve like a backward C, with no straight line down its left side.
A short mark sits above the longer curved second stroke.
え · e
Picture a small exit sign above a zigzag path that runs along the bottom to the right.
The second stroke zigzags, then runs along the bottom to the right.
お · o
Picture a wide oval that grows from the foot of a pole through a crossbar, with a little star at the top right.
The third stroke is the separate short mark on the right.
K row
か · ka
Picture a tired arm reaching right and drooping at the elbow, crossed by a slanting stick, with a drop of sweat on the right.
The rightmost short stroke is separate from the two larger crossing strokes.
き · ki
Picture a key with two crossbars and a separate curved end.
The model has two upper horizontal strokes and a separate lower curved stroke.
く · ku
Picture a cooing dove, its beak wide open to the right.
One continuous stroke travels down-left and then down-right.
け · ke
Picture kelp seaweed beside a post: one long stalk crosses a short bar and drifts down to the left, with no loop.
A separate left stroke stands beside a horizontal line and a longer descending right stroke.
こ · ko
Picture two thin coasters seen from the side, one above the other, with a gap between them.
The upper and lower strokes are separate; there is no upright connecting them.
S row
さ · sa
Picture one crossbar with a line slanting down to the right through it, and a separate little smile underneath.
There is one upper horizontal stroke; the lower curved stroke is separate in the model.
し · shi
Picture a long sheet of paper hanging straight down, its bottom curling up to the right.
A single long curved stroke bends at the bottom and rises on the right.
す · su
Picture a suit with its tie dropping through a long, straight collar: a knot looped below the collar, then the rest hanging down.
The second stroke descends through the bar, loops and continues below.
せ · se
Picture a long bench whose legs are pushed down through the board: a short right leg, and a longer left leg that bends along the floor.
The long horizontal stroke crosses two later strokes.
そ · so
Picture a thread zigzagging at the top and bending into a curve below.
This model uses one continuous stroke with an angular upper part and a curved lower part.
T row
た · ta
Picture a taco stand: a cross on the left and two small trays stacked on the right.
The two left strokes and two separate right strokes make four strokes in this model.
ち · chi
Picture a puffed-out cheek: a crossbar on top, then one line that drops through it to the left and bulges out to the right.
The second stroke crosses the first and curves around the lower part.
つ · tsu
Picture a big wave seen from the side: one long curve that runs right, then curls over and down.
One broad continuous curve forms the full-sized character.
て · te
Picture a tent: the top line runs right, then folds back and curves down one side.
The single stroke crosses the top and turns into the descending curve.
と · to
Picture a short stick leaning on a big C-shaped curve that runs along the bottom to the right.
The short first stroke and longer second curve are written as two strokes.
N row
な · na
Picture a cross on the left and, on the right, a little dash above a string that loops at the bottom.
The lower right loop belongs to the fourth stroke; the small upper-right stroke is separate.
に · ni
Picture a needle standing upright, with two short threads to its right, one above the other.
One left stroke sits beside two separate short right-hand strokes.
ぬ · nu
Picture two noodles crossing, the long one curving around and curling into a small loop at the lower right.
The second stroke crosses the first, curves around the lower area and finishes with a small loop.
ね · ne
Picture a net tied to a post, with a knot at the lower right.
The long second stroke finishes in a loop on the right.
の · no
Picture a one-line “no” sign with its slash the other way round: down to the left, then swinging up and around into a ring, open at the bottom.
A single stroke curls around without forming a fully closed circle.
H row
は · ha
Picture a post on the left and, on the right, a cross with a rope looped at its foot.
The right side has one horizontal bar and a lower loop.
ひ · hi
Picture someone giggling “hee hee” with a wide grin: a short flat start, a deep dip, then a peak on the right and a slope down.
The single stroke curves down, around the bottom and back up.
ふ · fu
Picture a dancing fool: a cap on top, a twisting body in the middle and a hand out on each side.
This model has a short upper stroke, a larger middle curve and separate left and right strokes.
へ · he
Picture a henhouse roof: a short side up to the peak and a long side down.
One continuous angled stroke makes the ridge.
ほ · ho
Picture a hose that comes down from a flat shelf beside a post, crosses a second bar and loops at the foot.
The right side has two horizontal strokes above the lower loop.
M row
ま · ma
Picture a street sign standing alone: one pole through two crossbars, looping at its foot.
Two upper horizontal strokes cross the later descending looped stroke.
み · mi
Picture a stream with a sharp bend at the top, a small loop, then a long run to the right, crossed by a little bridge.
The long first stroke makes the broad lower curve; the second crosses the right side.
む · mu
Picture a mooing cow's tail: it crosses a bar, loops once, runs along the ground and turns up, with a fly at the top right.
The second stroke loops, runs along the bottom and turns up; the short stroke at the top right is separate.
め · me
Picture two metal wires crossing, the long one curving around but too stiff to curl into a loop.
Two strokes cross, and the second makes a broad lower curve without ぬ's finishing loop.
も · mo
Picture a fishing line crossed by two short sticks, curving up at the bottom.
The first stroke bends at the bottom, followed by two separate horizontal strokes.
Y row
や · ya
Picture a yacht: a curved sail full of wind across a slanting mast, with a small flag at the top.
The first stroke curves across, the second is a small upper mark and the third descends diagonally.
ゆ · yu
Picture a vine curling around a tall pole: it dips, climbs up and over, and the pole runs down through the loop.
The first stroke forms the broad loop and the second runs down through it.
よ · yo
Picture a yo-yo on its string: a short bar to the right, and the string looping at the bottom.
A short upper stroke meets the longer descending stroke, which loops at the bottom.
R row
ら · ra
Picture a handwritten 5 with its top bar floating free: a line down the left, then a big round curve.
A small first mark sits above the longer second stroke.
り · ri
Picture two reeds side by side, the right one much longer and curving left at the bottom.
Two separate strokes form the handwriting model; the right stroke descends farther.
る · ru
Picture a root that bends sharply at the top, curves around to the right and curls into a small loop at the bottom.
One continuous stroke ends in a small lower loop.
れ · re
Picture someone resting against a post with one leg stretched out to the right.
The second stroke crosses and curves without closing into ね's small loop.
ろ · ro
Picture a road that bends sharply at the top and swings around to the right, with no loop at the end.
One continuous stroke makes the angular top and curved lower part.
W row
わ · wa
Picture a watch, big and round, on the right side of a post.
The second stroke crosses the first and makes a rounded right-hand curve.
を · o
Picture a scoop catching the object of the sentence: a short bar, a zigzag down the middle, and a curve crossing it to scoop underneath.
The third stroke makes a broad lower curve crossing the earlier strokes.
N (ん)
ん · n
Picture a handwritten n with a long first leg: one straight slide down to the left, a small hump, then a rising curve.
One continuous stroke makes the descending line and the lower rightward curve.
Look-alike hiragana: compare their hooks
About these hooks
The character guides use these same memory hooks. Match each hook to the highlighted part of the shape, or write your own.
Shapes compared with familiar signs
The hooks for ら and ん compare parts of the shapes with a handwritten 5 and n. These are optional visual comparisons, not explanations of where hiragana came from.
What about katakana?
No katakana hooks are supplied here. Compare the two kana scripts.
Credits and license
Teaching content is a draft; Japanese educator review is pending. Generated audio is available in the listening section. Kana models: KanjiVG, Ulrich Apel and contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0. Written checks do not assess pronunciation or listening.
Listen to the sounds and examples on this page
Generated speech: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech. Checked by a native Japanese speaker. Audio is available only for items with a Listen button. Listen plays at normal speed; Slow gives more listening time at the original pitch. Sound hints are drafts pending educator review.
Kana sounds
- ひ hi
- も mo
- す su
- そ so
- か ka
- い i
- よ yo
- な na
- ら ra
- む mu
- て te
- の no
- え e
- め me
- つ tsu
- き ki
- せ se
- ま ma
- ゆ yu
- た ta
- れ re
- ろ ro
- ち chi
- り ri
- う u
- ふ fu
- へ he
- と to
- お o
- く ku
- ん n
- ほ ho
- ね ne
- け ke
- る ru
- み mi
- し shi
- あ a
- を o
- わ wa
- は ha
- に ni
- こ ko
- さ sa
- ぬ nu
- や ya