Japanese Alphabet: How Many Letters and Which Syllabaries
The Japanese alphabet in the usual sense does not exist: instead there are three writing systems — the syllabaries hiragana (あ) and katakana (ア) with 46 characters each, plus kanji characters, of which about 2136 are in common use. The syllabaries convey sounds, kanji convey meaning, and in one sentence they work together.
A tourist asked: "Where do the Japanese have an alphabet?" The master smiled: "In the same place where a river has corners." Japanese writing is not assembled from sound-letters like Russian. It flows in three streams at once — and it is not more difficult, just arranged differently.
How many writing systems are there in Japanese?
Three, and they work together in one sentence. Two syllabaries are responsible for sound, characters for meaning.
| System | Characters | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiragana | 46 basic | Japanese words and grammar | ねこ (neko — cat) |
| Katakana | 46 basic | Loanwords, names | コーヒー (ko:hi: — coffee) |
| Kanji | ~2000 in everyday use | Roots of meaning | 猫 (cat) |
How many "letters" are there in Japanese in total?
If we count the syllabaries — 46 hiragana and 46 katakana, that is about a hundred basic symbols for both "alphabets" (plus variants with additional marks). Kanji is a separate story: the official list of everyday characters contains 2136 characters, but for level N5 about 100 are enough, and for fluent reading about 2000 are needed.
How many characters do you need to learn to start reading
To read simple texts for beginners, 92 characters of the two syllabaries are enough — that is 3–5 days of work. Kanji are added gradually: at level N5 there are about 100 of them, and each is introduced together with the words in which it appears.
Which syllabary should you start with?
- First hiragana — grammar and word readings rest on it.
- Then katakana — the same sounds, but for loanwords and names.
- Kanji are connected after the syllabaries, gradually, by words.
- Romaji (Latin transcription) — only as a temporary support for the first days.
Can you get by with Latin script instead of syllabaries
Romaji helps in the first days, but then starts to hinder: Japanese texts, dictionaries, and textbooks are written in kana, and the habit of reading Latin script reinforces incorrect pronunciation. It is easier to spend a week on the syllabaries than to relearn later.
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FAQ
- How many letters are in the Japanese alphabet?
- There is no usual alphabet. In two syllabaries there are 46 basic characters each (about a hundred in total for hiragana and katakana), plus kanji characters — there are thousands of them, but for a start only a few hundred are needed.
- Why do the Japanese need three writing systems at once?
- Each does its own thing: hiragana — grammar and Japanese words, katakana — loanwords and names, kanji — quickly conveys meaning with one character and distinguishes homonyms.
- How long does it take to learn the syllabaries?
- Hiragana can realistically be mastered in 3–7 days, katakana in the same amount of time. Both syllabaries are usually covered in 1–2 weeks.
- Can you get by with Latin script (romaji)?
- For a tourist for a couple of days — yes. But for real study, kana is needed: real Japanese texts are written in it, not in Latin script.
Updated: 2026-06-25