Hiragana vs katakana: what's the difference, and which to learn first?
Short answer: They are two scripts for the same set of sounds. Each has 46 basic characters, and あ and ア are both read "a". Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammar endings; katakana is used mainly for foreign loanwords, names and emphasis. Learn hiragana first, then katakana.
Same sounds, different shapes
Hiragana looks rounded and flowing (あ, か, さ). Katakana looks straight and angular (ア, カ, サ). Both follow the same gojūon order, both use the same marks for voiced sounds (が / ガ) and the same small ゃゅょ / ャュョ combinations.
What each one is used for
- Hiragana: grammar particles (は, を, に), verb and adjective endings next to kanji, and words without common kanji. Children's books are written mostly in hiragana.
- Katakana: loanwords such as コーヒー (coffee) and テレビ (TV), foreign names and places, sound effects, and emphasis, a bit like italics.
- Kanji: the third script, for the meaning-carrying part of most words. Hiragana and katakana are the base you need before kanji.
Why hiragana first
Almost every Japanese sentence contains hiragana, and beginner textbooks and JLPT N5 materials assume you can read it. Katakana is quicker once you know the sounds from hiragana; you are only learning new shapes.
Look-alikes to watch
Within katakana, シ (shi) and ツ (tsu), and ソ (so) and ン (n) are the classic pair traps. Across scripts, へ and ヘ are almost identical, and カ / か and リ / り look similar.
In Kanaday
The kana chart has a hiragana tab and a katakana tab, each with basic, dakuon and yōon rows. Both are fully unlocked, and the quiz and spaced review work the same way for each.