How to Type Japanese Online — Hiragana, Katakana & Romaji Guide
Japanese uses three writing systems — hiragana, katakana, and kanji. This guide explains how each works and shows you how to type Japanese online without any software to install.
Try it right now
Use the free Keybords Japanese keyboard — click hiragana and katakana directly in your browser.
The Three Japanese Writing Systems
Japanese is unique in that it regularly combines three distinct scripts in the same sentence:
For online typing and learning, hiragana and katakana are the starting point. You can type both using a virtual keyboard like Keybords — no IME software required.
Complete Hiragana Chart
Hiragana has 46 base characters arranged by vowel columns (a, i, u, e, o) and consonant rows. Each character represents one syllable (mora).
| a | i | u | e | o | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vowels | あa | いi | うu | えe | おo |
| k- | かka | きki | くku | けke | こko |
| s- | さsa | しshi | すsu | せse | そso |
| t- | たta | ちchi | つtsu | てte | とto |
| n- | なna | にni | ぬnu | ねne | のno |
| h- | はha | ひhi | ふfu | へhe | ほho |
| m- | まma | みmi | むmu | めme | もmo |
| y- | やya | ゆyu | よyo | ||
| r- | らra | りri | るru | れre | ろro |
| w- | わwa | をwo | |||
| n | んn | ||||
Note: し is shi (not si), ち is chi (not ti), つ is tsu (not tu), and ふ is fu (not hu) — these are special romanizations.
Dakuten: Voiced Consonants
Adding a dakuten mark (゛) to a character voices its consonant. Handakuten (゜) turns h-row characters into p-sounds. This doubles the effective character set.
| Base | With dakuten ゛ | With handakuten ゜ |
|---|---|---|
| か き く け こka ki ku ke ko | が ぎ ぐ げ ごga gi gu ge go | — |
| さ し す せ そsa shi su se so | ざ じ ず ぜ ぞza ji zu ze zo | — |
| た ち つ て とta chi tsu te to | だ ぢ づ で どda di du de do | — |
| は ひ ふ へ ほha hi fu he ho | ば び ぶ べ ぼba bi bu be bo | ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽpa pi pu pe po |
When to Use Katakana
Katakana mirrors hiragana exactly in sound but is used for specific contexts. Learning to recognize it is essential for reading menus, product names, and foreign words in Japan.
Foreign loanwords
Names & places
Special Characters: Small っ and Compound Sounds
Two important special features of Japanese kana:
Small tsu — っ / ッ (double consonant)
Small tsu indicates a doubled consonant (geminate). The consonant after it is held for an extra beat. In romaji input, type the following consonant twice.
Small ya/yu/yo — compound sounds (拗音)
Combining an i-column kana with small ゃ, ゅ, or ょ creates compound sounds. These count as a single mora.
How to Type Japanese on Any Device
Windows (IME)
- Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add a language → Japanese
- Press Windows + Space or Alt + ~ to switch to Japanese IME
- Type romaji letters — they auto-convert to hiragana as you type
- Press Space to convert to kanji, Enter to confirm
- Press F7 to convert to katakana instead
Mac (Kotoeri)
- Go to System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → + → Japanese
- Press Control + Space or click the flag in the menu bar to switch
- Type romaji — converts to hiragana automatically
- Press Space to browse kanji candidates
iPhone & Android
On iOS: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Japanese (Romaji or Kana). On Android: Settings → General Management → Language and Input → On-screen Keyboard → add Japanese. Both support flick input (kana mode) and romaji input.
No setup needed — use Keybords
The Keybords Japanese keyboard lets you click hiragana and katakana characters directly in your browser. No software to install, works on any device. Switch between hiragana, katakana, common phrases, and symbols using the tab bar.
Common Japanese Phrases to Practice
Try typing these phrases in the Keybords Japanese keyboard to practice what you've learned:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between hiragana and katakana? +
Both represent the same set of sounds, but are used in different contexts. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammar. Katakana is used mainly for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, and emphasis — for example, コーヒー (kōhī) for "coffee".
Can I type Japanese without a Japanese keyboard? +
Yes. You can use an online virtual keyboard like Keybords.app that lets you click hiragana and katakana directly, or type romaji using your device's built-in IME after adding Japanese as an input language.
How do I type Japanese on Windows? +
Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add Japanese. Once installed, press Windows+Space or Alt+~ to switch to Japanese IME. Type romaji letters which auto-convert to hiragana. Press Space to convert to kanji.
What is dakuten and how does it affect characters? +
Dakuten (゛) voices unvoiced consonants: か (ka) → が (ga), さ (sa) → ざ (za), は (ha) → ば (ba). Handakuten (゜) turns h-row characters into p-sounds: は (ha) → ぱ (pa). They effectively double the number of available sounds.
What is the small tsu (っ/ッ) used for? +
Small tsu indicates a geminate (doubled) consonant — the following consonant is held for an extra beat. For example, きって (kitte, stamp) vs きて (kite, come). In romaji input, type the next consonant twice: "kitte" → きって.
Ready to practice?
Open the free Keybords Japanese keyboard and start typing hiragana and katakana right now — no install needed.