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Japanese 50 Sounds (Gojūon) Learning Guide

Learn the Japanese 50 sounds chart (Gojūon) through practice and exploration

Published on: 2025-07-11

Japanese 50 Sounds (Gojūon) Learning Guide

Overview

The Japanese 50 sounds chart (Gojūon) is the foundation of Japanese language learning, consisting of two writing systems: Hiragana (ひらがな) and Katakana (カタカナ). Mastering the 50 sounds chart is the first and most crucial step in learning Japanese.

What is the 50 Sounds Chart

The 50 sounds chart is an arrangement table of Japanese kana, organized by pronunciation patterns into rows and columns:

  • Rows (gyō): Horizontal arrangement representing the same consonant
  • Columns (dan): Vertical arrangement representing the same vowel

In modern Japanese, there are actually 46 commonly used kana, plus variations like yōon (contracted sounds), dakuten (voiced sounds), and handakuten (semi-voiced sounds).

Hiragana (ひらがな)

Basic Characteristics

  • Used for native Japanese words
  • Grammar particles and verb conjugations
  • Phonetic readings for kanji (furigana)
  • Rounded, flowing strokes

Basic 50 Sounds

あ い う え お
か き く け こ
さ し す せ そ
た ち つ て と
な に ぬ ね の
は ひ ふ へ ほ
ま み む め も
や    ゆ    よ
ら り る れ ろ
わ          を
ん

Voiced Sounds (Dakuten)

Add two dots (゛) to the upper right of basic kana:

が ぎ ぐ げ ご
ざ じ ず ぜ ぞ
だ ぢ づ で ど
ば び ぶ べ ぼ

Semi-voiced Sounds (Handakuten)

Add a circle (゜) to the upper right of ha-row kana:

ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ

Contracted Sounds (Yōon)

Combine other kana with small や, ゆ, よ:

きゃ きゅ きょ
しゃ しゅ しょ
ちゃ ちゅ ちょ
にゃ にゅ にょ
ひゃ ひゅ ひょ
みゃ みゅ みょ
りゃ りゅ りょ
ぎゃ ぎゅ ぎょ
じゃ じゅ じょ
びゃ びゅ びょ
ぴゃ ぴゅ ぴょ

Katakana (カタカナ)

Basic Characteristics

  • Primarily used for foreign loanwords
  • Onomatopoeia and mimetic words
  • Emphasis on certain words
  • More angular, straight-lined strokes

Basic 50 Sounds

ア イ ウ エ オ
カ キ ク ケ コ
サ シ ス セ ソ
タ チ ツ テ ト
ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ
ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ
マ ミ ム メ モ
ヤ    ユ    ヨ
ラ リ ル レ ロ
ワ          ヲ
ン

Voiced and Semi-voiced Sounds

Katakana follows the same rules as hiragana for voiced and semi-voiced sounds:

Voiced: ガ ギ グ ゲ ゴ / ザ ジ ズ ゼ ゾ / ダ ヂ ヅ デ ド / バ ビ ブ ベ ボ
Semi-voiced: パ ピ プ ペ ポ

Contracted Sounds

キャ キュ キョ
シャ シュ ショ
チャ チュ チョ
ニャ ニュ ニョ
ヒャ ヒュ ヒョ
ミャ ミュ ミョ
リャ リュ リョ
ギャ ギュ ギョ
ジャ ジュ ジョ
ビャ ビュ ビョ
ピャ ピュ ピョ

Learning Methods and Tips

1. Staged Learning

  • Stage 1: Master basic 50 sounds (あ-row to ん)
  • Stage 2: Learn voiced and semi-voiced sounds
  • Stage 3: Master contracted sound combinations

2. Memory Techniques

  • Association: Connect kana shapes with familiar objects
  • Repetitive writing: Strengthen memory through handwriting
  • Pronunciation practice: Memorize with pronunciation
  • Vocabulary application: Practice using in actual words

3. Practice Recommendations

  • Practice 30-60 minutes daily
  • Learn hiragana first, then katakana
  • Use kana flashcards for random practice
  • Combine with simple vocabulary for application practice

4. Common Difficulties

  • Similar kana: Pay attention to distinguishing similar-shaped kana
    • さ (sa) vs ち (chi)
    • は (ha) vs ほ (ho)
    • ね (ne) vs れ (re)
  • Long vowel rules: Master long vowel notation
  • Geminate consonants: Rules for using small つ

Practical Exercises

Basic Vocabulary Practice

Simple words using the 50 sounds:

  • あさ (asa, morning)
  • いえ (ie, house)
  • うみ (umi, sea)
  • えき (eki, station)
  • おかし (okashi, sweets)

Daily Expressions

  • おはよう (ohayou, good morning)
  • ありがとう (arigatou, thank you)
  • すみません (sumimasen, excuse me/sorry)
  • はじめまして (hajimemashite, nice to meet you)

Learning Resources

Online Practice

  • Use this website's hiragana and katakana practice features
  • Set different difficulty levels for targeted practice
  • Utilize timing functions to improve reaction speed

Learning Tools

  • Kana practice books
  • Mobile applications
  • Online kana charts
  • Pronunciation audio resources

Advanced Learning

After mastering the 50 sounds chart, you can continue learning:

  • Kanji: Chinese characters and their readings in Japanese
  • Grammar: Basic grammatical structures
  • Vocabulary: Expand your word bank
  • Keigo: Japanese honorific language system

Summary

The 50 sounds chart is the cornerstone of Japanese learning and requires repeated practice until mastery. Recommendations:

  1. Maintain daily practice habits
  2. Focus on pronunciation accuracy
  3. Review and consolidate regularly
  4. Combine with practical application exercises

Through systematic learning and continuous practice, you will definitely master the Japanese 50 sounds chart and build a solid foundation for further Japanese language learning.