Katakana Match

What is Katakana Match?

Katakana Match is a memory (concentration) card game built for learning katakana, and it runs entirely in your browser. Unlike a normal memory game where the two cards of a pair are identical, here one card shows a katakana character and its partner shows the reading — so a match only happens when you correctly connect a character to its sound. You can play in katakana-to-romaji mode or katakana-to-hiragana mode, pick anywhere from 4 to 18 pairs, and add an optional 1, 3, or 5 minute time limit. Every pair you clear leaves the character and its reading side by side, reinforcing the association as you go.

How to play

1. Choose a mode: Katakana ↔ Romaji or Katakana ↔ Hiragana.
2. Use the slider to set the number of pairs from 4 to 18. More pairs means a bigger board and a harder game.
3. Pick a time limit: none, 1, 3, or 5 minutes.
4. After starting, all cards are dealt face down. Tap one card to flip it — it may be a katakana character or a reading.
5. Tap a second card. If the character and the reading belong together (e.g. ア and a), the pair stays face up; otherwise both flip back after a short pause.
6. Use that pause to read and remember the character and its sound before the cards turn back over.
7. Clear every pair to win. Try to finish in as few moves — and as little time — as possible.
8. Change the mode, pair count, or timer and play again to cover more of the kana.

Great for

• Katakana beginners

  Start with a small pair count and no timer to learn the shapes and sounds at your own pace, one handful of kana at a time.

• Telling look-alike kana apart

  Confusing pairs like シ / ツ and ソ / ン show up mixed together, so you naturally train the distinctions that trip up learners.

• Bridging from hiragana

  If you already know hiragana, the katakana-to-hiragana mode maps each new character onto one you recognize.

• Daily review

  Short rounds make it easy to revisit the kana every day so they stick in long-term memory.

• A study break that still counts

  Use the 1-minute mode for a quick brain break between tasks that doubles as a bit of review.

• Speed challenges

  Once you know the kana, take on 18 pairs with a tight timer and race to beat your own fewest-moves and fastest-time records.

Privacy

Katakana Match runs entirely in your browser. It sends no data anywhere and makes no external network requests at all. Your in-progress game is saved only in your device's localStorage, so you can pick up where you left off even after reloading the page.

FAQ

Q. Is it free to use?

A. Yes, it is completely free with no sign-up required, and there are no usage limits.

Q. Which katakana are included?

A. All 46 basic (seion) katakana, from ア to ン. Dakuten, handakuten, and small (combination) kana are not included, to keep it focused for beginners.

Q. What's the difference between the two modes?

A. In Katakana ↔ Romaji you match a character with its romanized reading (ア and a). In Katakana ↔ Hiragana you match it with the matching hiragana (ア and あ).

Q. How many pairs can I choose?

A. Anywhere from 4 to 18 with the slider. Kana are picked at random each game, and the board is laid out as the nearest rectangle.

Q. Can I resume if I close the page mid-game?

A. Yes. Progress is saved automatically on your device, so you can resume after reloading or revisiting. Starting over clears the saved state.

Q. Can I change the time limit?

A. You can choose none, 1, 3, or 5 minutes. Pick no limit to study at your own pace.

Q. Can I play on a smartphone?

A. Yes. Tap controls are supported, so it plays smoothly on phones, tablets, and PCs alike.

Q. Does it teach hiragana too?

A. It focuses on katakana, but the katakana-to-hiragana mode shows both scripts together, which is handy for reinforcing hiragana at the same time.