katakana logo Similar but Different (Katakana)
 

 

If you are not careful, some katakana characters may become indistinguishable from another katakana character.

a and ma

Katakana and may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this:deformed ア
  •  is written like this:deformed マ
ya and ma

Katakana and may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this: deformed ヤ
ku and ke

Katakana and may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this: deformed ク
  • is written like this: deformed ケ
ku and wa

Katakana and may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this:deformed ク
  • is written like this:deformed ワ
na and me

Katakana and may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this:deformed ナ
  • is written like this:deformed メ
ko and yu

Katakana and may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this:deformed コ
  • is written like this:deformed ユ
tsu and shi

Katakana may become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this: deformed ツ or deformed ツ
  • is written like this: deformed シ or deformed シ
so and nn

Katakana may become or the other way around if ...

  • the second stroke of is written upward (upward)
    OR
  • the second stroke of is written downward (downward).
shi and nn

Katakana may become or the other way around if ...

  • one of the first two short strokes of is missing.
    OR
  • there is an extra short stroke in .
te and ra

Katakana and become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this:deformed テ
chi and te

Katakana and become indistinguishable if ...

  • is written like this:deformed チ or deformed チ
  • is written like this:deformed テ or deformed テ
ka and ka

Katakana may look like hiragana , or the other way around if ...

  • is written with an extra stroke:deformed カ
  • is missing the last stroke:deformed か
se and se

Katakana may look like hiragana , or the other way around

  • if there is an extra short vertical stroke in katakana
    OR
  • if the short vertical stroke is missing in hiragana .
ya and ya

Katakana may look like hiragana , or the other way around

  • if there is an extra short stroke in katakana
    OR
  • if the short stroke is missing in hiragana .
ri and ri

Katakana may look like hiragana or the other way around

  • if the first stroke of katakana is written with a hook
    and/or is connected with the second ()
    OR
  • if the first stroke of hiragana is written in a straight vertical line without a hook.
ho and ki

Katakana may look like kanji (to be introduced later), or the other way around

  • if the last two short strokes of touch the cross part ( )
    OR
  • if the last two strokes of are separated from the cross part ( ).
se and nana

Katakana may look like kanji (to be introduced later), or the other way around

  • if the first stroke of does not have a hook
    OR
  • if the first stroke of has a hook.