What is the difference between Katakana and Hiragana?

The Japanese language basically relies on not just one but three different alphabets, which include hiragana, katakana, and kanji. They are differentiated both by their appearances, which is distinct and by also their usage. That is why Japanese is so difficult for English speakers to learn.

Hiragana and katakana are collectively referred to by a generic term Kanamori; they are both syllabic alphabets having 47 characters, each of which also represents a sound. Some of the characters between the two alphabets represent the exact same sounds, and they look quite similar to one another.

The main distinguishing factor or the major difference observable between hiragana and katakana is the actual fact that hiragana is primarily used in representing Japanese words, while katakana represents words that are foreign. The The Japanese language has a lot of borrowed words, and katakana immediately points the reader to the fact that a particular word is an imported one.

What makes these two different from each other is how they are used. The Hiragana was used in order to spell out Japanese words while the Katakana was used in order to spell out words that are foreign. Another thing that you should notice is the way that these are written.

Look at the Katakana and you will notice that the strokes have the tendency to be written straightforwardly while the Hiragana is usually more curved. A lot of people think that Hiragana is also easier to read as compared to Katakana. This is mainly because most of the words that are available in Japan use Hiragana more than Katakana.