Should I learn romaji input or kana input?

Romaji input is far more common on computers in Japan and uses only the 26 letter keys, so it is the easier place to start.

How do I type ん correctly?

Type nn to be safe. Before a vowel or y you must type nn (kin’en = kinnen), otherwise ni or nya would be typed.

Is shi or si correct?

Both work. Japanese input methods accept many spellings, such as shi/si, chi/ti, tsu/tu and fu/hu.

Romaji Typing Chart for Japanese

Most people in Japan type Japanese on a computer with romaji input: you type the sound in Latin letters and the input method turns it into kana and kanji. This chart lists the keys for every kana. Where several spellings work, all of them are accepted in Typing Derby.

Basic kana

a	i	u	e	o
あア`a`	いイ`i`also yi	うウ`u`also wu	えエ`e`	おオ`o`
かカ`ka`also ca	きキ`ki`	くク`ku`also cu, qu	けケ`ke`	こコ`ko`also co
さサ`sa`	しシ`shi`also si, ci	すス`su`	せセ`se`also ce	そソ`so`
たタ`ta`	ちチ`chi`also ti	つツ`tsu`also tu	てテ`te`	とト`to`
なナ`na`	にニ`ni`	ぬヌ`nu`	ねネ`ne`	のノ`no`
はハ`ha`	ひヒ`hi`	ふフ`fu`also hu	へヘ`he`	ほホ`ho`
まマ`ma`	みミ`mi`	むム`mu`	めメ`me`	もモ`mo`
やヤ`ya`		ゆユ`yu`		よヨ`yo`
らラ`ra`	りリ`ri`	るル`ru`	れレ`re`	ろロ`ro`
わワ`wa`				をヲ`wo`
んン`nn`also n', xn

Voiced kana (dakuten)

a	i	u	e	o
がガ`ga`	ぎギ`gi`	ぐグ`gu`	げゲ`ge`	ごゴ`go`
ざザ`za`	じジ`ji`also zi	ずズ`zu`	ぜゼ`ze`	ぞゾ`zo`
だダ`da`	ぢヂ`di`	づヅ`du`	でデ`de`	どド`do`
ばバ`ba`	びビ`bi`	ぶブ`bu`	べベ`be`	ぼボ`bo`
ぱパ`pa`	ぴピ`pi`	ぷプ`pu`	ぺペ`pe`	ぽポ`po`

Contracted sounds (yōon)

ya	yu	yo
きゃキャ`kya`	きゅキュ`kyu`	きょキョ`kyo`
しゃシャ`sha`also sya	しゅシュ`shu`also syu	しょショ`sho`also syo
ちゃチャ`cha`also tya, cya	ちゅチュ`chu`also tyu, cyu	ちょチョ`cho`also tyo, cyo
にゃニャ`nya`	にゅニュ`nyu`	にょニョ`nyo`
ひゃヒャ`hya`	ひゅヒュ`hyu`	ひょヒョ`hyo`
みゃミャ`mya`	みゅミュ`myu`	みょミョ`myo`
りゃリャ`rya`	りゅリュ`ryu`	りょリョ`ryo`
ぎゃギャ`gya`	ぎゅギュ`gyu`	ぎょギョ`gyo`
じゃジャ`ja`also jya, zya	じゅジュ`ju`also jyu, zyu	じょジョ`jo`also jyo, zyo
ぢゃヂャ`dya`	ぢゅヂュ`dyu`	ぢょヂョ`dyo`
びゃビャ`bya`	びゅビュ`byu`	びょビョ`byo`
ぴゃピャ`pya`	ぴゅピュ`pyu`	ぴょピョ`pyo`

Special rules

ん: type nn. A single n also works before a consonant other than n or y (for example kantan).
っ (small tsu): double the next consonant — kitte, zasshi, matcha. On its own it is ltu or xtu.
Small kana: put x or l in front — xa (ぁ), lya (ゃ).
Long vowel ー: the minus key (-).
The particles は, へ and を are typed as written: ha, he, wo.

How to switch to Japanese input

Windows: add Japanese in Settings → Time & language → Language & region. Toggle with the 半角/全角 key or Alt + `.
Mac: System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit → + → Japanese – Romaji.
Phones: add the Japanese keyboard and choose QWERTY (romaji) or flick input. In Typing Derby on mobile you can also type kana directly.

💡 In Typing Derby you do not even need a Japanese input method on a PC: the game reads the letter keys and turns them into kana as you type.

Start the Japanese typing test ▸

FAQ

Should I learn romaji input or kana input?: Romaji input is far more common on computers in Japan and uses only the 26 letter keys, so it is the easier place to start.
How do I type ん correctly?: Type nn to be safe. Before a vowel or y you must type nn (kin’en = kinnen), otherwise ni or nya would be typed.
Is shi or si correct?: Both work. Japanese input methods accept many spellings, such as shi/si, chi/ti, tsu/tu and fu/hu.