Once you’re finished with hiragana apps, you’ll be ready for Katakana study apps! But should you just use the same apps or are there katakana focused ones that you should be learning with?
The criteria I judge katakana apps on is the same as hiragana: includes a fun way to learn, allows reviews and has a clean design. Once you finish with katakana you won’t need these apps anymore so they just need to motivate you enough to get you through the second stretch!
Some of these apps will be the same that you used for hiragana and some are just katakana focused. Make sure you click the links to get the right ones because they all have very similar names!
These guides will change over time as I update them with new apps I’ve tested. If you’re looking for an idea of how long it will take to learn katakana check out my earlier post.
Best Free Apps To Learn Katakana.
The first category of katakana study apps we’re looking at is completely free! These apps don’t have paid upgrades and are just as good as thier paid counterparts. Learning Japanese on a budget can be tough but it is definitely do-able. It’s better to put money into learning kanji than kana because it’s a longer part of your journey and can be very tedious if you don’t have a way to keep it fun.
This app will be familiar to you if you did hiragana with it’s counterpart. The series is made by the Japan Language Institute and includes mnemonics, quizzes and kana tables. This is one of my favourite apps because it features visual mnemonics drawn with the characters. A native speaker pronounces the character and you can flip the cards to see the drawings side by side.
Quizzes include reading, listening and reversed multiple choice. They have a review period after each answer so you can really secure things in your memory. There is also a quiz for similar looking characters which is a great point for beginners.
Once you finish with your katakana there is also a follow up with beginner kanji. It’s great to be able to grow within a series of apps once you find your ideal learning methods.
Covers: Katakana Design: Nice design, coloured backgrounds with black and white illustrations that stand out. Learning style:Review the mnemonics at your own pace then try the quizzes. Mnemonics included: Yes, illustrated.
Good:Clean modern design. Bad: Some of the mnemonics are a bit of a stretch, it would be nice having a voice over to read the captions.
This is the best free option for katakana! The mnemonics are a big plus and the design is clean and easy to use. I think this is the best of all of the katakana apps and it’s free!
This is a great app for revising and tracking your learning. It features detailed statistics on your time reviewing so you can adjust your study. The downside is that there are no mnemonics or ways to learn outside of staring at the kana table. Within the kana table you can select a character for more information, try drawing it and listen to pronunciation.
The app features a variety of tests including multiple choices, type in answers and drawing. Like most apps, the drawing tests are self marked against the guides. I find the most useful tests to be typed in answers, it’s a nice middle ground between multiple choice and writing. It also helps link the character in your brain with how you will usually be using it.
Covers: Hiragana and katakana Design: Clean, modern and simple. Easy to read. Learning style:Learn via a kana chart, then various quizzes. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Great design, lots of statistics about your learning. Reminders and written answers available. Bad: No mnemonics or interesting ways of learning the characters.
This is a really interesting app as it focuses on learning through quick guided repetition. When starting a new game you are presented with a number of customisation options. You are then shown a character with 6 answers. When you are learning, only the correct answer is clickable. As you review, more items are clickable and you can only progress with the right answer. It’s an effective way to build up quick recognition.
My favourite part of this app is the speed that you can review items. The animation is really quick so there’s no waiting around for the next question. The faster you go through the better you will be at reading.
Covers: Hiragana and katakana Design: Clean and simple. Learning style:Learn via guided repetition and speed reviews. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Simple design, speedy, fun reviews. Bad: No mnemonics, no kana chart and no sound.
Fun for reviewing and getting yourself speedy with recognition. As there is no sound you will need to already know how to pronounce the kana.
Honourable mentions:
Kana School– Another great app for revisions with both hiragana and katakana.
Best paid katakana study apps.
The free resources are great but sometimes it’s worth paying extra for curated content. The apps in this section are fantastic learning tools but they average around AU$15 to unlock. You may already have them from learning hiragana so the prices aren’t that bad when you can learn both.
Dr Moku is a popular system of Japanese apps known for their mnemonics. The lessons are katakana mixed with pictures and funny captions to help them stick in your mind. You view the picture while Dr Moku reads the mnemonic. His over the top voice acting and annunciation helps keep things memorable. If you flip the card you can view an animation of the stroke order.
For revising katakana you’ve learned, there are multiple choice quizzes for reading and listening. Writing practice is via a self graded test.
Additional quick reference and audio charts are included along with some common words and phrases. If you enjoy the style of the app, there are other apps for kanji and phrases once you finish katakana.
Covers: Katakana (25% included in free app, the rest unlocked with paid upgrade) Design: Bright and simple. Easy to see each item for review. Fun drawings. Learning style: Review at your own pace, then timed multiple choice quiz. Mnemonics included: Yes.
Good: Good mnemonics, written practice included. Family of apps available if you like the style. Bad:Lots of upgrade banners and ads for the other apps. The app design can get tedious with several selection screens before you start most options.
Price:Free download, AU$7.99 upgrade to unlock all hiragana. Bundle in the app store with the katakana and phrases apps for $12.99
A fun way to learn katakana via mnemonics. The free version is ok to test but you will need to upgrade to learn the whole alphabet. The bundle is good value if you are also needing hiragana.
You might be familiar with this app as it covers hiragana, katakana and also some vocabulary grammar and kanji. The lessons are worked in sections and the style of learning via repetition.
The app doesn’t include mnemonics but there are a variety of multiple choice formats to teach you with active repetition. The reviews are in an SRS style but I’m not sure on the frequencies.
During the quizzes you can toggle an option for written answers which begins with you tracing as you learn and then progressively fades the character until you are remembering how to write it. I find this to be a really effective way to memorise as it holds your hand a bit without being annoying.
Covers: Basic katakana (5 items available free per lesson, others unlocked via paid upgrade) Design: Dark, clean and simple. Easy to see each item in quiz. Learning style:Learn via repetition, writing and quizzes. Review with the same methods. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean, modern design. Writing reviews are useful. Bad: No mnemonics or learning options other than repetition.
Price:Free download, AU$2.99 upgrade for katakana only or $12.99 for all lessons (hiragana, katakana, some kanji, vocabulary and grammar)
Great dark design, worth downloading with the full unlock for the amount of content. If you don’t learn well via repetition then I would look for an app with mnemonics.
I still think this app is a bit expensive compared to other apps but the design and speed of reviews make up for it. The app revises katakana (and hiragana) through timed multiple choices. The timing makes you answer fast and it’s really good for improving your recognition times in reading. The design is clean and simple which I love. If you are looking to learn katakana then I would stick to other apps but if you just want to speed revise then this might be great for you.
Covers: Katakana and hiragana (katakana via paid upgrade) Design: Clean and simple. Easy to see each item in quiz. Learning style:Learn at your own pace via kana chart, then timed multiple choice quiz. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean modern design, fast pace for improving reading. Bad: High unlock price, no spoken pronunciation during learning, no mnemonics.
Price:Free download, AU$7.99 upgrade to unlock hiragana with modifiers and katakana.
Worth it if you want to do speed reviews but it’s too fast for learning katakana from scratch.
This is the app you need when regular flash cards are too boring. Ok so it’s still just a regular flash card app but there’s also a ninja and some kind of skeleton viking… When you get answers correct the ninja does some sweet moves with his sword to celebrate! If you get one wrong he… kills himself… So, you know, that’s fun.
There is also a reference chart which has stroke order animations for each character.
Covers: Katakana Design: Nice and simple. Learning style:Multiple choice quiz with a reference kana chart. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Funny animations, standard revisions. Bad: Just a plain old no frills quiz system, nothing to help you actually learn.
This app pretty much does what it says: it drills kana. It’s a multiple format multiple choice app without much customisation. You unlock 1 row of kana at a time as you progress with reviews.
The only downside I found is that when you exit a test half way through, it’s supposed to punish you with an ad but the the button only seems to work sometimes. If it’s not working then there’s no way to exit the test without closing the app.
Covers: Hiragana and katakana Design: Minimal and red. Learning style:Not much learning, just lots of multiple choice questions. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean modern design, fast pace for improving reading. Bad: Obviously requires sound to use so you can hear the beat.
Price:Free download, possibly ad supported but I could find any.
Easy way to review kanji quickly but I would stick to a different app for actual learning.
Honourable mentions:
Hiragana Pixel Party– A fun way to test your kana knowledge with a rhythm based jumping game. Very cute, AU$2.99 to unlock all levels including katakana.
Katakana study apps not to waste time with.
With so many katakana apps available there is definitely a wide variety of quality too. The apps in this section are ones that I didn’t like or found unhelpful. While they may not be terrible, they are here because there are better options in the apps listed above so don’t waste your time with these ones.
I was a bit sad about this app because it looked like it had promise. The layout is fairly clean and it has interesting stats included about reviews. The problem is that a lot of the buttons don’t seem to work. Full screen ads pop up at random through reviews and when I went to pay to remove them, the link was broken. I would revise this when the app is updated to fix the bugs. Regardless of what I was doing in the app the “End game” screen would randomly show up.
Covers: Katakana Design: Nice design but not currently working. Learning style:Not really focused on learning, there is a kana chart but if you click it just takes you to an immediate quiz. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Interesting stats. Bad: Lots of ads, weird pop ups, pretty broken.
Price:Free download, ad supported, unsure of cost to remove ads.
Could be a decent review app but currently broken.
While this app had good reviews on the app store, I didn’t have a good experience. On opening there’s an ad for a Japanese ebook which I couldn’t close without signing up. The design is very dated and the layout is distracting. The quizzes are standard multiple choices.
It features study and test areas. The information in the study areas is good but to get to each item you have to click through several screens. On the plus side there are a lot of vocabulary items included as examples.
Covers: Katakana, hiragana and vocabulary. Design: Cluttered and annoying to use. Learning style:Review at your own pace, then multiple choice quiz. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Lots of information. Bad: Hard to use design, annoying to find information, no mnemonics.
Price:Free download, ad supported or $1.49 to remove ads.
Don’t bother, just get one of the other apps that has both good information and good user experience!
My favourite katakana app study plan of attack
By now, you will have mastered hiragana and so you should have an idea of what kind of study works well for you. Mnemonics are definitely the quickest and easiest way to power through katakana so continue on with either Katakana Memory Hint or Dr Moku. You might like the swap to the one you didn’t use for hiragana to prevent yourself zoning out.
After you’ve gotten through the basic learning, it’s time to get quick with revisions. Move onto a combination of Pastel Kana, Kana Mind or Learn Japanese!!. Do reviews until you can speed read the characters.
The biggest tip for katakana study apps is to review as often as possible and try to get your speed up. The faster you can recognise the characters, the faster you will be able to get into proper reading.
Having to slowly sound words out makes reading boring. If you can recognise katakana quickly then it will be less tempting to quit later!
Hiragana is your first step to learning Japanese but which hiragana study apps are the best? The app store is absolutely packed with hiragana content and it can be difficult to figure out which ones are worth looking at.
My criteria for a good app is something with includes a good way to learn and review hiragana with a clean design. You want to get through kana as fast as possible so these aren’t apps you are going to keep forever, they just need to be engaging enough to get the job done!
Ideally you will want an app that can follow through and do katakana too but for these reviews I’m focusing on the hiragana side. Unfortunately a lot of them have very similar names so make sure you check the links and grab the right ones!
These guides will change over time as I update them with new apps I’ve tried. If you’re looking for an idea of how long it will take to learn hiragana check out my earlier post.
Best Free Apps To Learn Hiragana.
These apps are completely and totally free, no upgrades in sight! Japanese is a long journey so even if you plan on using paid resources later it’s a good plan to check out the free hiragana apps. Ideally you would learn hiragana and katakana for free then upgrade to a paid app for kanji when you know you’re committed.
This app is put out by the Japan Language Institute in Kansai so it’s got some street cred behind it. It’s divided into memory hints, quizzes and revision tables. The memory hints are visual mnemonics drawn on the character with short animations. There is a native speaker voice for pronunciation but not to read the mnemonic. You can view the character inside the illustration or flip it to see them side by side.
The quiz includes reading, listening or reversed multiple choices with a quick review period after each. There is also an option for “similar hiragana” which will quiz you on characters that look the same. This is great for improving reading comprehension. One funny aspect is that for a correct answer you are shown a red O with a blue X for incorrect. In Japan that’s common but in my brain red always means “wrong” so it took a moment to figure that out!
The Institute also puts out a larger family of free apps including katakana and basic kanji. If you like this way of learning you have room to grow with the apps.
Covers: Hiragana Design: Nice design, coloured backgrounds with black and white illustrations that stand out. Learning style:Review the mnemonics at your own pace then review with quizzes. Mnemonics included: Yes, illustrated.
Good:Clean modern design. Bad: Some of the mnemonics are a bit of a stretch, it would be nice having a voice over to read the captions.
This is the best free option out there! It’s nicely designed, includes mnemonics and has decent quizzes. I absolutely recommend Hiragana Hint Memory if you are sticking to free apps, you can’t get better.
This is a great app for revising and tracking your learning. It features detailed statistics on your time learning and reviewing so you can adjust your study. The downside is that there are no mnemonics or ways to learn outside of staring at the kana table. Within the kana table you can select a character for more information, try drawing it and listen to pronunciation.
The app features a variety of tests including multiple choices, type in answers and drawing. Like most apps, the drawing tests are self marked against the guides. I find the most useful tests to be the typed in answers, it’s a nice middle ground between multiple choice and writing. It also helps link the character in your brain with how you will usually be using it.
Covers: Hiragana and katakana Design: Clean, modern and simple. Easy to read. Learning style:Learn via a kana chart, then various quizzes. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Great design, lots of statistics about your learning. Reminders and written answers available. Bad: No mnemonics or interesting ways of learning the characters.
This app proves that free resources can be just as good as the paid ones! The app is set out between learning, kana tables and infinite quizzes. In the learning section you can view the characters, try them out in mini quizzes or do the full test to advance to the next character set. Each set has 5 characters and you need to complete the previous ones before the next is unlocked. The tests are simple multiple choices and you have 3 lives for incorrect answers. There is a text to speech voice that reads the characters as you go.
Covers: Hiragana and katakana Design: Clean and simple. Learning style:Learn via looking at the characters, trial quiz, then test to unlock the next set. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean modern design, 3 heart system for wrong answers during the test. Bad: No mnemonics or interesting ways of learning the characters.
While this one is not full featured for learning, it’s fantastic for reviewing. The design is pleasant and it does exactly what it promises.
Best paid apps to study hiragana.
While there’s a number of free resources around online, sometimes it’s worth paying a bit to get really GOOD resources. These apps have great design and features but on average they will set you back around AU$15 to unlock fully. Many of these also include katakana so the price is shared across both alphabets.
Dr Moku’s learning system is one of the bigger players in terms of learning apps so the name comes up often. The teaching is based on clever mnemonics which include pictures to help you remember. In learning mode, you view the picture with the hiragana over the top and then listen to Dr Moku read the mnemonic to you. His voice and pronunciation is quite distinctive so it helps things stick in your memory. You can also toggle to see an animation of how each character is written.
There are quizzes for reading, listening and writing. The reading and listening are standard multiple choice questions while the writing is a self graded test.
Additional quick reference and audio charts are included along with some common words and phrases. The company has other apps for katakana, basic kanji and phrases. If you like the style of mnemonics then this is something to consider.
Covers: Hiragana (25% included in free app, the rest unlocked with paid upgrade) Design: Clean and simple. Easy to see each item for review. Fun drawings. Learning style: Review at your own pace, then timed multiple choice quiz. Mnemonics included: Yes.
Good: Good mnemonics, written practice included. Family of apps available if you like the style. Bad:Lots of upgrade banners and ads for the other apps. The app design can get tedious with several selection screens before you start most options.
Price:Free download, AU$7.99 upgrade to unlock all hiragana. Bundle in the app store with the katakana and phrases apps for $12.99
A great system for mnemonics and reviews. Free version is not worth it but if you don’t mind the price then the bundle of kana and phrases is good value for learning and revising.
With a very basic name you would be forgiven for thinking this is a basic app. There are 6 lessons that cover hiragana, katakana, some vocabulary, kanji and basic grammar points. The lessons are broken into sections and focus on repetition in different formats. There are no mnemonics to help you but each character is shown a variety of ways and then you must select it in multiple choice. The reviews are given in an SRS style but I’m not sure on the frequencies.
The questions also have a writing option which you can toggle during reviews. The writing practice starts with you tracing the character with coloured dots showing the start and end points of each stroke. The character gradually fades through each quiz until you are writing completely on your own which is a great approach.
Covers: Basic hiragana (5 items available free per lesson, others unlocked via paid upgrade) Design: Dark, clean and simple. Easy to see each item in quiz. Learning style:Learn via repetition, writing and quizzes. Review with the same methods. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean, modern design. Writing reviews are useful. Bad: No mnemonics or learning options other than repetition.
Price:Free download, AU$2.99 upgrade for hiragana only or $12.99 for all lessons (hiragana, katakana, some kanji, vocabulary and grammar)
Worth it for the smooth design and writing practice. Nice that it has more than just hiragana for the price but if you want to learn with mnemonics then you’ll have to look elsewhere.
This app is pricey compared to the features of other apps but the design is great and the speed that you can review is very useful. The main part of the app is revising kana via timed multiple choice questions. It features a self study kana chart but does not include mnemonics or pronunciation there. This is definitely not an app that will help you learn hiragana to begin with but the super quick quizzes are great for making sure your recall and reading skills are on point.
Covers: Basic hiragana (hiragana with modifiers and katakana available via paid upgrade) Design: Clean and simple. Easy to see each item in quiz. Learning style:Learn at your own pace, then timed multiple choice quiz. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean modern design, fast pace for improving reading. Bad: High unlock price, no spoken pronunciation during learning, no mnemonics.
Price:Free download, AU$7.99 upgrade to unlock hiragana with modifiers and katakana.
Worth it for nice design and speed but only if you are focused on reviewing rather than learning and you don’t mind spending for the upgrade.
This one is a literal flash card study app for hiragana. It won’t teach you anything about the characters or help you learn them with mnemonics etc but it is a quick and easy way for no fuss reviews. There’s not much else to say about it because that’s all it is: hiragana flash cards!
Covers: Hiragana Design: Clean and simple. Learning style:Flash cards only, no customisation. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean design, quickly and easily get through lots of flash cards. Bad: No mnemonics or interesting ways of learning the characters. No flash card customisation.
Now this is something different from boring flash cards! Hiragana pixel party is one part review and one part rhythm game. You play as Mihiro who is running through various cities and landscapes while jumping over kana obstacles to the beat. As Mihiro calls out a hiragana character, you need to press the correct character on the screen to make her jump in time to the beat and clear the obstacle. The better you do, the higher your score. Each level unlocks a couple of hiragana at a time so you can breeze through. There’s not really much actual teaching though so I would recommend using this once you have a basic grasp. It’s a really fun way to review though!
Covers: Hiragana (12 levels free, 100 more plus katakana unlocked through paid upgrade) Design: Pixel game style. Learning style:There isn’t a whole lot of learning here, just reviewing through the mini game. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Clean modern design, fast pace for improving reading. Bad: Obviously requires sound to use so you can hear the beat.
Price:Free download, 12 levels free AU$2.99 upgrade to unlock 100 extra levels, song etc.
Great way to get some kana practice in without feeling like you’re studying, definitely download.
Hiragana study apps not to waste time with.
There are a LOT of apps for hiragana study in the app store and a lot of them are really good. Unfortunately a lot of them are also not so good. These are some apps that came up in my searches that I didn’t find helpful. While they aren’t necessarily bad, there are better options in the apps I’ve already listed so try one of those instead of wasting your time!
This app has great reviews on the app store but I couldn’t figure out why. When I opened it, I was greeted with an advertisement for a Japanese ebook. Fairly standard except I couldn’t find a way to close it without clicking to sign up on the ebook. The design of the app is busy and like looking at a 2002 Geocities page which is distracting.
Beyond that, the app is sectioned into study and test areas. The actual study information is useful but to get to each item takes several clicks. There are a lot of vocabulary items included as examples of hiragana use. Quizzes included are standard multiple choice options.
Covers: Hiragana, katakana and vocabulary. Design: Cluttered and hard to do anything. Learning style:Review at your own pace, then multiple choice quiz. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Lots of information. Bad: Hard to use design, annoying to get to information, no mnemonics.
Price:Free download, ad supported or $1.49 to remove ads.
Don’t bother, just get one of the other apps that has both good information and good user experience!
This app has a lot of potential but falls down in design again. There is a LOT of text to read through which some people may enjoy but I found it distracting. It covers everything you would need for hiragana and katakana. While being heavy on information, it’s sparce on helpful things like memory aids etc or learning tools.
Covers: Hiragana, katakana and some vocabulary. Design: Minimal, many menu systems to get to the content. Content is mostly plain text. Learning style:Learn at your own pace with included lessons, some characters have additional information on style or pronunciation. Mnemonics included: No.
Good:Lots of information included. Bad: Hard to use design, hard to get to information, no mnemonics.
Price:Free download, ad supported, contribute $1-3 to remove ads.
The information included is good but the clunky navigation make it not worth the time to navigate to each item.
My favorite hiragana app study plan of attack
If you’re just starting out with hiragana then I recommend that you begin with either Hiragana Memory Hint or Dr Moku to get the full benefit of mnemonics.
The biggest tip for hiragana study apps is to do your reviews often throughout the day until you can recognise the characters easily and read along words even if you don’t know their actual meanings!
Clozemaster is a popular language app that uses gamification to make learning fun but is it actually any good for learning Japanese? The app is made by Betten and is available on both Apple and Android.
Overall, yes Clozemaster is a pretty good system for reviewing grammar points but it’s not going to be suitable for every level of Japanese student. The game is certainly addictive and offers a wide range of content but it can be a bit repetitive.
There are many language choices in the app so I was skeptical that it would be specifically useful with Japanese. Lots of interesting points to get through, so let’s dive right in!
Wtf is a cloze?
A cloze test is basically a fill in the blanks question. It’s useful for improving and testing your language skills as it relies on your ability to figure out answers by context.
Example:
Question: Today I put on my hat and went for a _______ in the sunshine. Answer: walk
Cloze test are useful tools because they require you to read the sentence, understand it’s full meaning and decide the word that fits. This is a great judge of your grammar understanding. Questions like these are often used on official language tests so it’s in your best interests to study them well.
The downside of cloze tests is the dreaded synonym. The example above seems like an easy one but it’s a bit misleading because there could actually be several correct answers. I might have gone for a walk, a stroll, a run, a hike etc. All of those answers are technically correct but there is usually only one “correct” answer when you’re using an app.
How is the Clozemaster app to use?
Clozemaster is basically an endless stream of cloze tests. The app itself is no frills and while there is a lot of text there aren’t too many options to fiddle with.
Free to play You can use the app completely free and without an account but if you want to save your progress or score you will need to sign up to a free account. Once you have an account, you are able to do as many cloze tests as you like. The main restriction of the free account is that you are only able to do 1 listening test per day. The other restriction is that you must have an internet connection to play.
Clozemaster Pro Upgrade There is an option of subscribing for a paid account. You can’t do this in the app, you will need to head to their website to sign up/upgrade. A pro account currently costs US$8 a month or US$60 per year.
The pro account allows you to play unlimited listening rounds, revise your favourites offline, customise how you want to do reviews, google translate within the app and some other little features.
For a casual user the Pro upgrade is not really worth the cost. For a heavy user, the extra features are nice but the main benefit is being able to play more listening rounds and support the app developer.
How to play
To play a round you select your language, difficulty and then either multiple choice or text input. If you select text inp
ut you will get double the points as it’s more difficult. There is an option for the standard questions or Cloze-Listening during which the question is spoken before the text is shown.
The questions are provided in rounds of 10 and you select or type in the word that is missing in the example sentence.
You are scored for correct answers, streaks and reviews. You can then favourite the sentences you like, review previous tests or start the next set of clozes. The web version of the app also seems to have some features such as creating your own cloze collections (still in beta testing).
The difficulties are ranked by the most to least common words used in Japanese. According to the app there are a total of 176,282 sentences in the Japanese section with the “Fluency Fast Track” course having 32,232 words to master.
What level of Japanese do I need to use Clozemaster?
The app’s about page says that Clozemaster is aimed at people looking for what to do once they finish Duolingo. I think that’s a pretty fair way to describe the levels.
To play even the easiest levels of Clozemaster you will need to have a good grasp of kana and kanji. There is no romaji option that I have found.
I recommend waiting until you have learned the JLPT N5 level of kanji before you start playing or you will find yourself frustrated trying to read. There is an option to show the English translations before or after answering but you really do need a basic reading level to get far.
For context, I tried the beginner level with very little kanji knowledge and was getting around 60% correct. After reaching to level 9 in Wanikani I have a 100% success rate on the easiest cloze level.
Is Clozemaster’s content good for Japanese?
The concern I always have with apps that offer lots of languages is that they often aren’t particularly focused on any of them. Clozemaster’s content comes from Tatoeba which is a massive and open source translation library. The best part about it is that anyone can add content, the worst part about it is that anyone can add content. While the majority of the translations are good there are definitely some errors and sentences that sound a bit weird.
The other thing to point out is that the voices used in the listening options are computer generated via text to speech programs. They sound good but the technology isn’t quite as natural as a real native speaker. Picture an audio book read by Siri vs a voice actor.
Is Clozemaster actually fun to use?
Yes, it can get quite addictive because there is an international leader board. It’s extremely motivating to see yourself climbing the ranks! Of course it would take real commitment to get close to the top. As I’m writing this, the top score in Japanese is 116,756 and I’m at…. 3172nd for this week. Hah!
It’s also motivating to work you way up from doing multiple choice questions to typing. While it’s not easy to jump directly into typing as there are so many possible synonyms, you can use them for reviews once you know the pool of word options.
Is it useful for self study?
It can be very difficult to get decent grammar practice in when you’re self studying. There are plenty of kanji apps for revisions but unless you want to use Anki, there are fewer easy options for grammar.
Clozemaster is great for self study because, so long as you have an internet connection, it’s always available. The questions being in groups of 10 makes it very easy to get a few rounds in between projects during the day. If you want to commit to a longer study session there is an endless stream of revisions.
It’s also very useful to have an option to type in the answers as it will help you revise your kanji skills.
The best parts of Clozemaster
The sheer amount of content, there are thousands of questions, sentences and words to learn.
It’s a quick light weight app.
The leader board… I will get to the top one day!!
More advanced questions – lots of apps stop after N5 content, this has enough questions to last you well past N1.
Where does the app need improvement?
The design is very blocky and plain. It looks like it was aiming for pixel art but mixes it in with some odd design choices. I’m not a fan and would prefer something easier on the eyes for long sessions.
Content is sometimes a bit awkward sounding.
More features would be great including options for those still learning kana or kanji
Is Clozemaster worth trying?
If you have a solid grasp of basic kanji and are looking to improve your Japanese grammar knowledge I absolutely recommend trying out Clozemaster. You will need to know the fundamentals but the app is a fantastic way to test yourself and further your practice. The content will grow with you as you progress to advanced Japanese, so it’s a great app to keep in your revision arsenal.
If you need to brush up on your grammar before you jump into cloze tests then check out my review on Mirai Japanese.
Are you thinking of giving the Mirai Japanese App a try for learning beginner grammar and vocabulary? If you are already using an SRS flash card system like Scribe for kanji and need something to tackle the grammar basics of Japanese, then Mirai would be a great fit. This is an app aimed at beginners who are looking for N5 level grammar.
The Mirai Japanese app is tool for learning basic grammar and vocabulary points with interactive points that make it a step up from a regular text book. It features a good range of clearly spoken examples and a variety of phrases that are useful in every day life. This app will not be useful as a one stop shop for learning Japanese but the lesson plans make it an engaging place to start.
Of course there are definitely some negatives such as the subscription pricing model, lack of content and testing modules so let’s get going into some more details!
What is the content and pricing of Mirai Japanese like?
The app is a free iPhone download with the first 20 lessons available to trial and the rest available on subscription. The subscription fees start at AU$14.99 a month, $79.99 for 6 months or $139.99 a year. That quite pricy in comparison to a lot of other apps. Luckily, there is an educational discount of 50% which requires no additional proof and seems to be available to anyone. There is also a version for Android but I believe there are fewer available lessons.
The content is currently at 165 Lessons split between Beginner and Elementary 1-3 levels. According to the app, by Lesson 200 you should be able to confidently complete the N5 exam but as the app only has up to Lesson 165 this is just a starting point.
Hiragana, Katakana, some basic Kanji as well as vocabulary words are included in the app. The real strong point is the grammar tutor though, as it gives good real world examples and includes native audio. The audio lessons are not stilted and feel natural in pronunciation. Most of the grammar examples are useful but some of the later lessons can end up quite dry and would be improved with simpler explanations (eg. Resultative Transitive Forms).
How is the app to use?
Mirai Japanese is available on both iPhone and iPad. I used the iPad version so my review is pretty much exclusively based around that format.
Each Chapter is made up of 5 lessons with a 5 question quiz, then a 20 question Super Quiz at the end of the chapter. Within each lesson is the Tutor section, a writing area, vocab list and then the quiz to complete. Each of the lessons has around 5 words of vocabulary along with a hiragana, katakana or kanji character to learn.
Navigating the tutor lessons is easy, you tap to pause or repeat the audio. You can switch the examples given from kana to romaji easily and have the native speakers repeat them. The auto scrolling means you can do the lessons hands free if you prefer. The kana is contained in the Writing section of the lessons and is not guided by the tutor. Other apps are much better for kana memorisation so I suggest Mirai for grammar only.
Outside of the chapters you can get weird sushi badges for completing lessons. In the menu area you can check your vocabulary, see statistics, do flashcards or view kana charts etc. Everything outside of the lessons is pretty pointless.
The tutor format of the lessons is where the app really sets itself apart.
Each lesson appears as scrolling text on the screen as it is read aloud by the English tutor. Two native Japanese speakers read the examples and converse during the lessons. The native speakers vary the politeness levels of the dialog which is helpful to understand context in a variety of situations.
Watching the scrolling text makes the lessons more engaging than a traditional audio only or text book format. With plain audio I tend to zone out and my mind wanders while I miss what’s going on. The message format kept me interested enough that I was able to remember more of the content.
The format is great for people who have trouble focusing on text books such as Genki as it keeps things interesting. I will compare the full content with Genki 1 in a later post but suffice to say that this is really for beginners to inspire you towards further study.
The examples used are mostly around traveling with some friendly work situations thrown in.
What does Mirai Japanese need to improve?
The two biggest issues in the app as I see them are the testing mechanism and the lack of content updates.
Quizzes
Neither the quick quizzes or the super quizzes are a good representation of knowledge learned in the app. The questions are basic multiple choices with a timer function. If you get 10/20 right on the Super Quiz you can download and progress to the next level. Most of the questions are pretty easy to guess even if you haven’t completed the level because they are often vocabulary based. With only 5 words per lesson there is not a lot of variety in the questions and if you already know katakana and hiragana the beginner quizzes will be a breeze. Questions also include character’s number of strokes, which can be tedious if you aren’t learning that.
If you have any previous Japanese knowledge you can easily blast through all of the quizzes to download the rest of the levels and then complete them at your leisure. Once you have downloaded the level, it remains available whether your subscription is active or not.
Updated Content
The Mirai Japanese app hasn’t been updated in quite some time. I paid for 2 years worth of subscription because I took a very long break in the middle but the current number of lessons could easily be completed in a couple of months. The description in the app store says there are monthly updates which is not true as the last update was in October 2017.Their website and social media pages also seem abandoned. I do hope for more updates because while the content is really good, even at 165 lessons there is not enough content to complete the JLPT N5.
Mistakes within the text are also a minor problem in later levels. I didn’t notice mistakes in the first 100 levels but in the update after that there were quite a few small issues with kana not aligning with the spoken text or romaji. Occasionally the voices had sections that had been rerecorded in a different audio situation which was a little jarring.
Is it worth the subscription price?
I found the Mirai Japanese App to be worth the subscription price. The format of listening with the auto scrolling text made the content really easy to digest and enjoyable. The lessons are fairly short so I didn’t get bored and it was easy to set goals of completing 5 lessons per day even when the subjects weren’t interesting. The explanations for grammar are clear and concise. The large number of examples helped to get some concepts to finally click in my brain.
The best way to use the Mirai Japanese is as a basic grammar companion alongside an SRS app for kanji. I recommend first learning hirigana and katakana then doing the free Mirai lessons. When you have a month free, subscribe to the monthly educational rate and aim for 5 lessons a day. This will give a decent grammar foundation before you move on to more complex material!
After searching through hundreds of basic SRS memory apps for learning Japanese, I settled on Scribe Japanese as kanji flash cards. It can be hard to figure out the differences between the many similar apps but this post will help you decide if Scribe works for you.
After using Scribe Japanese for years I definitely recommend it as a great iPhone app for learning vocabulary and kanji, though it’s not perfect for every learning situation as I will explain.
The app and it’s family is made by Guiix who have used this format to make many language apps. It is offered as a free version with an in-app purchase (AU$13.99) to unlock the full content forever. I am reviewing the paid version and would encourage you to download the free version to test before committing.
Before we get too far into it, we should talk about the idea that most generic flash card apps are based off: SRS or Spaced Repetition System.
A quick run down on the SRS method of learning.
SRS is basically a popular scientific set of intervals that your brain processes new information well at. For example if you want to learn a new word, you learn then test it again immediately, then a few minutes later, a few hours later, a few days later, and so on until the intervals are measured in years. Most flash card apps use their own time intervals but the idea is the same. I will include more details on SRS and the ways I’ve used in a later article but for now all you need to know is that this method has been heavily researched and proven to be effective.
Scribe Japanese uses SRS flash cards to teach you Japanese.
The main part of the app is basically using flash cards which show you a vocabulary item to learn. Once you have memorised the item, it goes into the queue for revisions later. When you get it right a percentage of times, it is marked as “learned” and you continue with new items.
During basic flash card revisions you answer “wrong”, “unsure” or “correct”. The unsure option is great for when you know the item but just not as quickly as you’d like to.
Some cards feature a mnemonic and there is space for you to add your own notes. Every item also has spoken pronunciation. The content is broken into 7 levels: 5-1 of the JLPT tests as well as Beginners Grammar and Basic Conversational Phrases. The JLPT levels contain vocabulary (in kanji, kana or romaji if you select those options) as well as some common phases useful for the tests.
Vocabulary revisions are done through flash cards as well as mini games.
Once you have some items to revise the fun begins. There are 12 options/mini games for reviewing including flash cards, multiple choices, memory games and connecting items. Most of these are fairly similar but with different recognition ways eg. the prompt is spoken/written or the item is in English/Japanese.
Any of these games can be used to count towards revisions but correct answers count for different percentages based on difficulty. For example, a correct answer on a flash card is worth more than a multiple choice.
Overall the basic flash card system is pretty much the same as any other app but the customisation options and the games are a big selling point to me. I particularly liked the exam mode which will test you on every item in the level at once so you can get an overall idea of how far you’ve progressed in your level.
Scribe Japanese only has a one time fee.
One of the most annoying things about the current batch of Japanese study apps is that the majority of them are subscription only. Subscriptions are not ideal for casual learners. I life to switch apps regularly to keep my interest levels up, but having 10 apps on subscriptions payments is not budget friendly.
All of the Scribe Japanese apps are offered as one-off purchases in the app store. That allows you to work at your own pace knowing you’re not wasting money by taking a break or switching between apps.
Some of the other features I really like about the app are:
Easy on the eyes The muted sepia colours are soft on the eyes which makes it good for reviewing first thing in the morning and late at night. This isn’t a huge factor but I work with computers a lot so avoiding eye strain is important to me.
Sync across devices This is something that often isn’t included in language apps and it’s SO useful. I use Scribe Japanese on both an iPad and an iPhone. It’s great that I can pick up right where I left off.
Lots of customisation options Want to take a short holiday without revisions piling up? Or to change the percentage of an item for it to be considered learned? Maybe change the review intervals? Even change the font size? All of these are very easily done with the settings. You can toggle romaji, remove the inbuilt mnemonics and all kinds of things without having to code or fiddle.
No need for an internet connection Everything is contained within the app and it’s quick to load and get into.
But there are also some drawbacks…
If you’re looking for fancy graphics, this isn’t the app for you. The user experience is pretty basic, there are no bells or whistles and the general design looks a bit 2007. Personally I found that enjoyable but it’s not for everyone.
There are also plenty of free options that do the same thing. Flash cards aren’t a new concept and many apps out there have just as many features in terms of SRS. There is also no way to add your own flash cards.
The databases that the language library draws from can have errors. I didn’t notice any mistakes in Scribe Japanese so far (halfway through the N3) but as with any app that uses public libraries (JMDict/Edict Project, Tatoeba, Cordova, Howler Library) mistakes may slip through. The app also hasn’t been updated in quite a while so I’m not sure if it’s still in active development.
Additionally, I can’t decide whether to mark down for having an anime girl as the mascot changing outfits daily. Maybe it was her cold dead eyes looking into my soul or the fact that she sometimes wears strappy high heels over socks but something about her just weirded me out. Luckily you have the option to turn her off in the settings as well!
Comparing Scribe to the main competition.
The most often mentioned flash card systems these days for Japanese are Anki and Wanikani. I’ll be reviewing both of them in an in-depth future article but let’s take a quick look at how they stack up against Scribe Japanese.
Anki
With it’s crazy levels of customisation and user made decks, Anki is pretty much the standard for flashcard apps. The benefit that Scribe Japanese has over it is pricing (Anki’s iPhone app is currently AU$38.99 while the desktop and web app are free), and user-friendliness. You can do everything in Anki that Scribe does but Anki requires a heavy learning curve to learn to make those customisations. Scribe is basically pick up and go. If you use the web version you also require an internet connection while Scribe does not.
Wanikani
Wanikani is a really beautiful and well thought out SRS system. The design and mnemonics included are certainly a level above Scribe and the pricing reflects that as a subscription or a US$299 lifetime membership. The revision system forces you to type in answers which really helps with retaining information. On the other hand there is no official app. There are third party apps and the site is a mobile friendly but it requires an internet connection. Additionally you can’t continue to review items indefinitely once you’re through with the spaced ones like you can with Scribe.
What’s the verdict on Scribe Japanese?
Overall my experience with Scribe has been really positive. It’s been a cost effective way to have my Japanese close at hand during the day. As it’s not reliant on the internet, I can jump right into revisions during down time. That’s an easy way to get practice in without feeling drained. Definitely worth checking it out and seeing if you like it!
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