Hiragana keyboard

Tap kana or type Japanese romaji, then copy. Your text stays in this browser tab.

Choose a key below.

Marked kana, small kana and punctuation

Type Japanese readings, rather than English words. Pasted kana keep their script. Text is kept in this tab until it closes; Clear removes it.

How to type hiragana

For a whole block of Japanese romaji, use the romaji to hiragana converter to review the output before copying.

A word finishes when you type a space, punctuation, tap a key or copy. The final n becomes ん. An unfinished spelling or a macron stays as typed. Some English words also look like Japanese romaji, so check your text.

Keyboard spellings
TypeKanaCheck
shi / si, chi / ti, tsu / tu, fu / huし・ち・つ・ふBoth common keyboard spellings work.
kya, kyu, kyoきゃ・きゅ・きょSmall ゃ・ゅ・ょ join the previous character.
gakkou, kitteがっこう・きってA doubled consonant types a small っ.
shin'you, kan'iしんよう・かんいAn apostrophe separates ん from a following vowel or y.
sampo, shimbunさんぽ・しんぶんHepburn m before b, m or p is accepted as ん.
xtsu / ltsu, xya / lyaっ・ゃx or l types a small character.
ko-hi-, ra-menこーひー・らーめんA hyphen in a word types the long-vowel mark ー.
ō → oo or ou; ē → ee or eiおお / おう・ええ / えいA macron cannot tell you the spelling. Type the full spelling; macron words stay unchanged.
wa / ha, e / he, o / woわ / は・え / へ・お / をParticles are written は・へ・を even when pronounced wa, e and o. This tool does not infer grammar.

Use こんにちは and こんばんは for the greetings. Typing konnichiwa or konbanwa produces a suggestion; choose it explicitly. In a sentence, write the topic particle は, the destination particle へ, and the object particle を.

Install a Japanese keyboard

For Japanese in every app and for hiragana to kanji, use your device’s Japanese input method. Type a word’s reading, then choose the kanji candidate. Steps can vary by device and software version. Follow the official instructions linked below for your device.

iPhone or iPad

Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard. Choose Japanese and the available layout. Hold the globe key to switch.

Official setup instructions
Android with Gboard

In Gboard settings, open Languages → Add keyboard. Choose Japanese, select a layout and tap Done. Hold the space bar to switch languages.

Official setup instructions
Mac

Open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit. Use the add button, choose Japanese, then Japanese – Romaji or Japanese – Kana. Click Add.

Official setup instructions
Windows

Add Japanese in Windows language settings, then switch to Microsoft Japanese IME. Choose hiragana mode; type a reading, then use the conversion candidates to choose kanji. See Microsoft’s current instructions for your Windows version.

Official setup instructions

Does this translate English?

No. It changes Japanese romaji to kana. English names need their Japanese spelling; kanji need an input method or the reading tool.

Can I type katakana?

Choose Katakana to change the keys and future romaji input. Text already in the box keeps its script.

Where is my text saved?

Only in this tab’s session storage. The tool sends no text to a server and does not put it in the address. Closing the tab removes the saved text.

Teaching examples are draft pending educator review. Generated audio is available in the listening section. Romaji conversion uses WanaKana (MIT).

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
  • ぢ ji
  • そ so
  • か ka
  • い i
  • よ yo
  • な na
  • ら ra
  • む mu
  • て te
  • ば ba
  • ぴ pi
  • の no
  • え e
  • め me
  • だ da
  • つ tsu
  • き ki
  • せ se
  • び bi
  • ど do
  • が ga
  • ま ma
  • げ ge
  • ゆ yu
  • た ta
  • じ ji
  • ず zu
  • れ re
  • ぼ bo
  • ぶ bu
  • ろ ro
  • ち chi
  • り ri
  • う u
  • ふ fu
  • ぞ zo
  • へ he
  • と to
  • ぱ pa
  • ぎ gi
  • お o
  • く ku
  • ん n
  • ほ ho
  • べ be
  • ぽ po
  • ね ne
  • け ke
  • ぷ pu
  • ぐ gu
  • ぜ ze
  • る ru
  • み mi
  • し shi
  • ぺ pe
  • あ a
  • を o
  • わ wa
  • ご go
  • は ha
  • に ni
  • ざ za
  • づ zu
  • こ ko
  • さ sa
  • ぬ nu
  • や ya
  • で de