Mimi

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Look-Alike Kana

Every Japanese learner has a pair that flips on them. These are the classic traps, each with the difference that actually matters and the anchor that makes it stick. Read the pairs out loud, then test yourself on the words.

Native-speaker friends of Mimi
tsu shi

ツ vs シ — The Famous One

Look at the stroke direction. In ツ the short strokes drop DOWN like rain, and the long stroke sweeps under. In シ the strokes sweep UP and to the right, like a smile. Rain falls, smiles rise.

tsuki — the moon

shika — a deer

sushi — sushi

n so

ン vs ソ

ソ starts with a short dash at the top and its long stroke falls straight down the left. ン starts lower and finishes with a little tail that flicks up at the bottom right — the smile tail gives it away.

pan — bread

soosu — sauce

nu me

ぬ vs め

ぬ ties a knot: its strokes cross and loop at the end, like noodles in a knot (nu for noodles). め makes the same journey but never ties the knot — one smooth swirl.

inu — dog

ame — rain — or candy; context tells you

ne re wa

ね vs れ vs わ

All three start the same way. ね finishes with a small loop on the right — ne has a knot. れ ends in a clean downward hook with no loop. わ is れ with a swirl at the bottom instead of the hook.

neko — cat

kore — this one

watashi — I — the word every lesson on this site uses

ku ke

ク vs ケ

ケ has a crossbar: three strokes, with a horizontal line cutting through the middle. ク is just two strokes and no crossbar. If something crosses it, it's ケ.

kukkii — cookie

keeki — cake

sa chi

さ vs ち

ち looks like the number 5 with a round belly bulging to the right. さ has a horizontal top line and its tail kicks off to the left at the bottom.

sakura — cherry blossom

chiisai — small — an N4 lessons word