How to Type Hiragana Using Romaji

To type Hiragana with Romaji, enter each Japanese sound using Latin letters while a Japanese input method is in Hiragana mode. Type a for あ, ka for か, and nihongo for にほんご.

Start with the five vowels

The vowel keys map directly: a i u e o → あ い う え お. Most other basic Kana add a consonant: ka ki ku ke ko → か き く け こ.

The main beginner spellings to remember include:

Common IMEs accept multiple romanization conventions, but using one consistent set reduces hesitation.

Type voiced sounds

Use g, z, d, and b for Kana with dakuten: ga → が, za → ざ, da → だ, and ba → ば. Use p for handakuten: pa → ぱ.

You normally type the resulting sound rather than entering the mark separately.

Type contracted sounds

Combine an i-row consonant with ya, yu, or yo without the i: kya → きゃ, shu → しゅ, and cho → ちょ.

Compare kyo → きょ with kiyo → きよ. The second form contains a full-size よ and therefore two distinct sounds.

Type small っ

Double the next consonant: kitte → きって, gakkou → がっこう, zasshi → ざっし. For the small character by itself, try xtsu or ltsu in a standard IME.

Type ん

Before most consonants, one n is enough: kanpai → かんぱい. At the end of a word, nn reliably confirms ん in many input methods. Before a vowel or y, use an apostrophe to prevent a different syllable: n'yo separates ん from よ.

Verify whole words

Correct individual Kana do not guarantee correct vocabulary spelling. Long vowels, particles, and historical spellings must match the word. Type the reading, compare it with a trusted learning source, and only then practice speed.

Use the Hiragana keyboard to test every pattern immediately. Its converter supports the common IME-style sequences described here.