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Writing about katakana, one loanword at a time.
Practical notes on learning katakana, reading loanwords, and getting started with Japanese. Written for people actually doing the work.
← Back to homeJul 29, 2026 · Learning Katakana
Why katakana is so slow to read even after you know it
You know all 46 katakana but still crawl through words one character at a time. Reading at speed is a separate skill, built on whole words rather than more drilling. Here is how to build it.
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Jun 30, 2026 · Learning Katakana
Why katakana words still stump you after you've learned katakana
You know all 46 katakana, but a loanword drops into a sentence and you stall out and sound it out one character at a time. Reading katakana words is a separate skill from knowing the chart, and here is how to build it.
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Jun 22, 2026 · Learning Katakana
How to tell ソ ン シ and ツ apart
Almost everyone learning katakana gets stuck on these four. There's a consistent visual rule that separates all of them, and it's simple enough to apply every time.
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Jun 11, 2026 · Learning Katakana
How long does it take to learn katakana?
Most people can learn all 46 katakana in one to two weeks. But a handful of characters — ン, ソ, ツ, シ — trip people up for much longer. Here's the honest timeline.
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May 9, 2026 · Learning Katakana
How to tell hiragana and katakana apart
They cover the same 46 sounds. They look nothing alike. And yet almost everyone mixes them up at first. The difference is simpler than you think, and it matters more than you'd expect.
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More posts coming soon. New articles are published 1–2 times a month.