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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Foreign Languages

Test Your Skills with Our Japanese Hiragana Quiz

Test Your Hiragana Knowledge in This Quick Quiz!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art collage of colorful Japanese hiragana characters on sky blue background inviting free quiz challenge

This Japanese Hiragana quiz helps you practice core characters, match sounds, and spot mistakes as you go, all at your own pace. You get instant results, so you can check gaps before class or a test; when you're done, try another Japanese quiz or review the kana 'ka' .

What is the hiragana character for the syllable "a"?
?
?
?
?
The character ? is the first character in the hiragana chart and represents the vowel sound "a." It is part of the basic goj?on order. Learning this character is the first step in mastering hiragana.
Which character represents the sound "i"?
?
?
?
?
The hiragana ? corresponds to the vowel sound "i." It appears second in the vowel row of the goj?on chart. Recognizing ? is essential for reading and writing basic Japanese.
Which hiragana symbol stands for "u"?
?
?
?
?
The hiragana ? represents the vowel sound "u." It is the third vowel in the goj?on sequence. Mastering ? helps with pronunciation and forming basic words.
What is the hiragana for "e"?
?
?
?
?
The character ? corresponds to the vowel sound "e." It is the fourth vowel in the hiragana chart. Recognizing ? is important for reading words like ?? (eki, "station").
What is the hiragana letter for the sound "o"?
?
?
?
?
The hiragana ? represents the vowel sound "o." It is the final vowel in the goj?on row and appears commonly in words like ??? (okane, "money").
Which character is "ka"?
?
?
?
?
The hiragana ? stands for the syllable "ka." It is the first consonant-vowel combination in the goj?on chart. It appears in words like ?? (kasa, "umbrella").
Which symbol denotes "ki"?
?
?
?
?
The hiragana ? is used for the syllable "ki." It is part of the "k" row in the goj?on. A common word using ? is ??? (kirei, "beautiful").
What is the hiragana for "sa"?
?
?
?
?
The character ? represents the syllable "sa." It appears in many words such as ??? (sakana, "fish"). It is the first of the "s" row in the goj?on.
Which character is "su"?
?
?
?
?
The hiragana ? corresponds to the syllable "su." It is the second character in the "s" row. You see it in words like ?? (sushi).
Which hiragana character represents "ga"?
?
?
?
?
Ga (?) is formed by adding dakuten (voicing marks) to ?. Dakuten change unvoiced consonants into voiced ones. Recognizing dakuten forms is key to reading voiced syllables.
Which hiragana combination is used for the sound "sho"?
??
??
?
??
The combination ?? uses the i-row consonant ? plus a small ? to form the palatalized sound "sho." These small kana allow palatalized consonant-vowel combinations.
What is the function of a small "yo" (?) in hiragana?
It combines with the preceding consonant to form palatalized sounds.
It indicates vowel lengthening.
It marks a glottal stop.
It shows a falling intonation.
Small kana like ? combine with the preceding consonant to form palatalized sounds (y?on). For example, ?? is "kyo." They cannot stand alone. This is a core feature of modern kana usage.
Which character corresponds to the sound "ji" in modern standard hiragana?
?
?
?
?
Modern Japanese generally uses ? (shi + dakuten) for the "ji" sound. The character ? is now rare and appears mostly in specific compound words. Distinguishing these helps with accurate reading.
Which hiragana depicts "bu"?
?
?
?
?
The character ? is formed by adding dakuten to ?, turning the unvoiced "fu" into the voiced "bu." Recognizing this shift is important in voiced consonant recognition.
How is the syllable "pi" written in hiragana?
?
?
?
?
The character ? is produced by adding handakuten (a small circle) to ?, creating the "p" sound. Handakuten indicate a shift to a plosive consonant.
How many strokes are needed to write the hiragana "te"?
3
5
2
4
The character ? is composed of four strokes: a horizontal line, a vertical line, a shorter horizontal, and a hook. Stroke order and count are crucial for proper handwriting.
Which character represents the syllable "wa"?
?
?
?
??
The character ? stands for "wa." Note that ? (wo) is a particle with a similar shape but different usage. Modern pronunciation often merges ? and ?.
Which of the following is a pure vowel sound in hiragana (no consonant)?
?
?
?
?
Vowel-only characters include ?, ?, ?, ?, and ?. The others combine consonants with vowels or represent a nasal sound. Understanding pure vowels is foundational for pronunciation.
What is the hiragana for "zu" when derived from "tsu"?
?
?
?
?
? is the dakuten form of ? and represents the sound "zu." Modern Japanese mostly uses ?, but ? appears in compound words like ?? (tsuzuku). Recognizing both is vital for reading historical texts.
How many strokes are used to write "ne"?
5
4
3
6
The hiragana ? consists of four strokes. Getting stroke count and order correct is important for legibility and is taught in Japanese schools.
How do you write the syllable "kwa" using hiragana?
??
??
??
??
The combination ?? uses small ? to represent the now-obsolete "kwa" syllable. It appears in historical spellings. In modern Japanese it's often replaced by ?? or ??.
What is the dakuten form of the hiragana "ha" row?
??
?
?
?
Adding dakuten to the "ha" row (?, ?, ?, ?, ?) yields the "ba" row (?, ?, ?, ?, ?). Handakuten (small circle) instead create the "pa" row.
Which combination represents the sound "ryu"?
??
??
?
??
The character ? plus a small ? creates ?? (ryu). This y?on combination is common in words like ?? (ryok?). Understanding small kana combinations is key for accurate reading.
Which symbol indicates a doubled consonant (a glottal stop) in hiragana?
?
?
?
?
The small ? (?), known as sokuon, indicates a doubled consonant or glottal stop. For example, ??? (kitte, "stamp"). It cannot start a word and always follows another kana.
Which obsolete hiragana character was used historically to represent "wi"?
?
??
?
?
The character ? represented the sound "wi" in historical Japanese but is no longer used in modern orthography. Modern Japanese approximates it with ??. Studying obsolete kana helps with classical texts.
Which obsolete hiragana was used for the sound "we"?
?
?
?
?
The character ? represented "we" historically but was phased out in favor of ? or the combination ?? in loanwords. Knowledge of ? is mainly for reading Meiji-era material.
How is the foreign sound "che" most commonly written in modern hiragana?
??
??
??
??
The combination ? + small ? (??) is used to approximate the "che" sound in loanwords like ???? (chekku). This extended y?on usage is part of modern kana orthography.
Which of the following is NOT a standard hiragana character?
?
?
?
?
? is the dakuten mark used to indicate voicing and is not a standalone hiragana character. Standard hiragana consist of 46 base characters plus diacritic and combination forms. Recognizing non-characters is crucial for proper reading.
What is the Japanese term for the small "tsu" used to indicate a double consonant?
chiruku
onsetsu
sokuon
gemisu
The small ? (?) is called sokuon in Japanese. It marks a geminate (doubled) consonant sound. This term is essential for linguists and advanced learners.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Recognize the First Ten Hiragana -

    Quickly identify and match each of the initial ten Japanese hiragana characters by their shape and corresponding sound.

  2. Recall Accurate Pronunciations -

    Demonstrate correct pronunciation for each hiragana symbol to build foundational speaking skills.

  3. Differentiate Similar Characters -

    Spot subtle distinctions between commonly confused hiragana to prevent reading mistakes.

  4. Reinforce Skills Through Quiz Hiragana Challenges -

    Engage with interactive test hiragana questions in our Japanese Hiragana quiz to strengthen character retention and recall.

  5. Interpret Your Results -

    Analyze your quiz score instantly to identify strengths and areas for improvement in your hiragana mastery.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Master Stroke Order -

    Learning the correct stroke order for each hiragana character ensures legible, fluid writing and faster recall. For instance, 㝂 is written with a horizontal line, a vertical hook, then a sweeping curve - exactly as outlined by the Japanese Ministry of Education guidelines.

  2. Group by Vowel Rows -

    Organize characters into the a - i - u - e - o vowel row to solidify both shape and sound associations. Practice writing and pronouncing 㝂〝㝄〝㝆〝㝈〝㝊 in sequence to reinforce auditory and visual memory simultaneously.

  3. Understand K-Row Patterns -

    Notice that the k-row (㝋〝㝝〝㝝〝㝑〝㝓) builds off the basic vowel shapes with added strokes or hooks. For example, 㝋 mirrors 㝑's curved form but adds a downward stroke, a pattern emphasized in NHK's Japanese course materials.

  4. Leverage Mnemonic Imagery -

    Create vivid mental images to lock each shape in memory - like picturing 㝝 as a "key" with two teeth or 㝕 as a "sausage." This Tofugu-inspired approach taps into dual-coding research from the University of Tokyo, boosting retention.

  5. Apply Active Recall & Spaced Repetition -

    Use flashcards or an SRS app like Anki to quiz yourself on each character over increasing intervals. When preparing for the Japanese Hiragana Quiz, this method from cognitive science research at Stanford helps cement characters in long-term memory.

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