ン (n)
Pronunciation
The character ン represents the syllabic nasal 'n' — the only consonant in katakana that can stand alone as a full syllable. It can sound like 'n', 'm', or 'ng' depending on what follows. Take care: ン resembles ソ (so) — but ン's strokes go from lower left to upper right, while ソ's go from upper right to lower left. Extremely common as the ending or middle of loanwords.
Stroke-by-Stroke Guide
ン is written in two strokes. Stroke 1: a short curving stroke at the upper left, going from upper left toward the center (like a small downward tick). Stroke 2: a long curving stroke that begins at the lower left and sweeps up and to the upper right, ending with a small upward hook. The strokes' direction (lower-left to upper-right) is what distinguishes ン from ソ.
Common Words with ン
- パン (pan) — bread
- ペン (pen) — pen
- ワイン (wain) — wine
- マンション (manshon) — apartment / condominium
- レストラン (resutoran) — restaurant
- マラソン (marason) — marathon
- ピンク (pinku) — pink
- レモン (remon) — lemon
- リング (ringu) — ring
- ボタン (botan) — button
- ファッション (fuァsshon) — fashion
- セッション (sesshon) — session
How to Write ン (n) in Katakana
The katakana character ン is romanized as "n" and is written with 2 strokes. Like "n" in "sun" — the only consonant-only kana. Example word: パン (pan) — bread.
Stroke Order for ン
When writing ン, follow the numbered stroke order shown in the reference character above. Japanese characters are generally written from left to right and top to bottom. Correct stroke order improves readability and writing speed.
Practice Tips
- Print this sheet on standard 8.5" × 11" letter paper
- Start by tracing the light grey guide characters in the first column
- Then practice writing ン freehand in the empty squares
- Pay attention to stroke direction and order — follow the numbered guide
- For interactive practice with animations, visit the main study page
About Katakana
Katakana is one of the three Japanese writing systems. It consists of 46 basic characters, each representing a syllable. Katakana is used for foreign loanwords, scientific terms, and emphasis. Learning correct stroke order is essential for proper Japanese handwriting.