Which to use
“kana” and “katana” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,210
- “kana” frequency rank
- #35,797
- “katana” frequency rank
- 72007
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kana | katana |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The hiragana and katakana syllabaries. These are made up of characters that represent individual syllables, which are used to write Japanese words and particles. Kana are derived from kanji. | A type of Japanese longsword, having a single edge and slight curvature, historically used by samurai and ninja. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kana and katana apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. kana (/ˈkɑːnə/) and katana (/kəˈtɑnə/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72007, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kana is recorded at frequency rank #36,210, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈkɑːnə/. katana is at rank #35,797, tagged as anoun, pronounced /kəˈtɑnə/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 72007, this pair ranks #44,565 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of kana vs katana
Shared letters: akn. Private to "kana": -. Private to "katana": t.
"kana" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "katana" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kana" and "katana" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kana" or "katana"?
Remembering kana vs katana
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kana” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable