The best shadowing material is audio you understand almost completely, with a Japanese transcript, at or a little below the level you read at. At N5 that means short scripted sentences at slow speed. By N2 and N1 it means news, interviews and talks for Japanese listeners at natural speed. Pick your level below to see what to use, how long and fast each clip should be, and when to move up.
In short
- Choose audio you understand on first listen, with a transcript and one clear speaker.
- Keep clips short: one sentence at N5 and N4, up to 30 seconds at N3, whole news items at N2 and N1.
- Move up when you can shadow about three clips in four at normal speed with the text hidden.
Find shadowing material for your level
N5: Beginner
- What to shadow
- Short sentences from a textbook dialogue you have already studied, or a graded sentence set. One speaker, everyday topics: greetings, time, food, shopping.
- Clip length
- One short sentence, about 2 to 3 seconds of audio
- Speed
- Slow first (around 0.75×), then normal speed once you can keep up
- Sample line
- 毎朝七時に起きます。Maiasa shichiji ni okimasu.I get up at seven every morning.
- Where to find it
- Your textbook’s audio; NHK WORLD-JAPAN Easy Japanese (48 free audio lessons with text); the N5 sentences in FluencyTool’s first five sub-levels
- Move up when
- You can shadow most N5 sentences at normal speed with the text hidden, and you know what each one means on first listen.
N4: Elementary
- What to shadow
- Two-part sentences and short exchanges: plans, requests, reasons, “if” and “when”. Still scripted, still clear.
- Clip length
- One or two sentences, about 3 to 5 seconds
- Speed
- One slow pass to catch the small っ and long vowels, then normal speed
- Sample line
- 仕事が終わったら、駅の近くで晩ご飯を食べませんか。Shigoto ga owattara, eki no chikaku de bangohan o tabemasen ka.When work is over, shall we have dinner near the station?
- Where to find it
- Textbook dialogues; Nihongo con Teppei (beginner podcast), whose episodes are a few minutes long and all in Japanese; official JLPT sample questions for N4
- Move up when
- You can shadow a two-clause sentence in one breath, and short learner podcasts make sense without the transcript.
N3: Intermediate
- What to shadow
- Everyday conversation, including casual speech: short podcast segments for learners, slow news written for learners, and dialogue scenes you know well with Japanese subtitles.
- Clip length
- A sentence or two, about 5 to 8 seconds; build up to 30-second clips
- Speed
- Normal speed; slow down only for the first round
- Sample line
- 雨が降りそうだから、傘を持って行ったほうがいいよ。It looks like it will rain, so you’d better take an umbrella.
- Where to find it
- Learner podcasts at natural pace; NHK News Web Easy (many articles have an audio reading); official JLPT sample questions for N3
- Move up when
- You can shadow a 30-second clip at normal speed after two or three listens, including casual endings such as よ and けど.
N2: Upper intermediate
- What to shadow
- Clear standard Japanese about society and work: news read by announcers, explanations, short talks. Longer sentences with formal vocabulary.
- Clip length
- One long sentence, about 8 to 12 seconds; then whole news items
- Speed
- Natural newsreader speed
- Sample line
- 新しい制度が導入されて以来、手続きにかかる時間が大幅に短くなりました。Since the new system was introduced, the time paperwork takes has become much shorter.
- Where to find it
- News for Japanese listeners, such as the NHK Radio News podcast (NHKラジオニュース); official JLPT sample questions for N2
- Move up when
- You can follow a full news item on first listen and shadow it with the text hidden on the third.
N1: Advanced
- What to shadow
- Unscripted and fast speech: interviews, discussions, lectures and talk shows, where people hesitate, rephrase and run sentences together.
- Clip length
- Passages of 15 to 30 seconds or more
- Speed
- Natural speed, including fast conversation
- Sample line
- 専門家の間でも意見が分かれており、結論が出るまでにはまだ時間がかかりそうだ。Opinions are divided even among experts, and it looks like it will be some time before a conclusion is reached.
- Where to find it
- Interviews and discussion programmes for Japanese audiences; official JLPT sample questions for N1
- Move up when
- At this level the aim is no longer to move up: pick speakers whose style you want, such as a presenter for formal speech or a podcast host for casual speech.
Showing N5 material.
Not sure of your level? Choose the level of the textbook or course you are on now. If you have not studied with one, start at N5 and move up as soon as it feels easy.
Shadowing materials at a glance
| Level | What to shadow | Clip length | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| N5 Beginner | Short sentences from a textbook dialogue you have already studied, or a graded sentence set. One speaker, everyday topics: greetings, time, food, shopping. | One short sentence, about 2 to 3 seconds of audio | Slow first (around 0.75×), then normal speed once you can keep up |
| N4 Elementary | Two-part sentences and short exchanges: plans, requests, reasons, “if” and “when”. Still scripted, still clear. | One or two sentences, about 3 to 5 seconds | One slow pass to catch the small っ and long vowels, then normal speed |
| N3 Intermediate | Everyday conversation, including casual speech: short podcast segments for learners, slow news written for learners, and dialogue scenes you know well with Japanese subtitles. | A sentence or two, about 5 to 8 seconds; build up to 30-second clips | Normal speed; slow down only for the first round |
| N2 Upper intermediate | Clear standard Japanese about society and work: news read by announcers, explanations, short talks. Longer sentences with formal vocabulary. | One long sentence, about 8 to 12 seconds; then whole news items | Natural newsreader speed |
| N1 Advanced | Unscripted and fast speech: interviews, discussions, lectures and talk shows, where people hesitate, rephrase and run sentences together. | Passages of 15 to 30 seconds or more | Natural speed, including fast conversation |
How to choose shadowing material at any level
- You understand almost all of it. If you need the dictionary for every line, you are copying sounds, not practising Japanese you can use. Drop a level.
- It has a Japanese transcript. You need to see every word in the first rounds, especially particles and small っ pauses that are easy to miss by ear.
- One clear speaker. Background music, crosstalk and sound effects make it hard to hear what to copy. Save them for N1.
- It is short. Ten repetitions of one sentence beat one pass through a five-minute track.
- It sounds like the Japanese you want to speak. Polite workplace Japanese, casual talk with friends and newsreader Japanese are different targets. Shadow the one you need.
- You will use it for a week. Staying with the same set of clips until they are smooth is what builds speed; switching every day keeps you at the stumbling stage.
Once you have material, follow the steps in our Japanese shadowing practice routine: listen, read, mumble along, shadow without the text, then record one take and compare. It has six practice sentences with audio at N5 and N4.
Text-to-speech or human recordings?
Both have a place. Text-to-speech gives you unlimited sentences at exactly your level, read the same way every time at any speed, which suits the early levels and drilling. Recordings of people give you natural rhythm, emotion and the way real speakers run words together, which you need from N3 up. Text-to-speech can also put the pitch accent of a word in the wrong place now and then, so check words you say often in a pitch accent dictionary.
A Japanese speaking practice app such as FluencyTool covers the graded part: its 25 sub-levels, five per JLPT level from N5 to N1, give you sentences filtered to your level, read by text-to-speech in a female or male voice at the speed you choose. It records you after each sentence and checks the words with speech-to-text, which tells you whether your words came through but does not grade your accent. Pair it with recordings of people as you move past N4.
Mistakes to avoid when choosing material
- Starting with your favourite drama. Fast, emotional, overlapping speech is the hardest material there is. Keep it as a goal, not a starting point.
- Long tracks with no transcript. You will shadow the parts you can hear and mumble through the rest.
- Always using slowed audio. Slow speed is for the first rounds. If you never move to normal speed, you train a rhythm nobody speaks at.
- Copying exaggerated character voices. Many anime and game characters speak in styles that sound odd in conversation. Choose calm, everyday speakers.
Shadowing is one part of practising on your own. For a full solo session with timed speaking prompts, see how to practise speaking Japanese alone, and for apps that give feedback on your speaking, the Japanese speaking practice apps compared.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best material for Japanese shadowing?
Audio you understand almost completely, with a Japanese transcript, one clear speaker and short sentences. At N5 and N4 that means textbook dialogues and graded sentence sets; at N3 learner podcasts and slow news; at N2 and N1 news, interviews and talks for Japanese audiences. Material that is too hard turns shadowing into copying sounds.
Can I use anime for shadowing?
Yes, once you are around N3 and use scenes with Japanese subtitles you can read. Many anime characters speak in exaggerated or very casual styles, so pick calm, everyday scenes and characters close to how you want to sound. Beginners get more from slow, scripted sentences first.
Should beginners shadow at normal speed?
Not at first. Start with slowed audio, around three quarters of normal speed, with the text in front of you, and move to normal speed once you can keep up without stumbling. Shadowing too fast teaches you to mumble the parts you cannot catch.
How long should a shadowing clip be?
Short. One sentence of 2 to 5 seconds is right for N5 and N4, 5 to 30 seconds at N3, and whole news items or 30-second passages at N2 and N1. Repeating a short clip until it is smooth trains more than playing a long one once.
When should I move up a level?
When you can shadow most clips at your level at normal speed with the text hidden, and understand them on first listen. If you can do that for about three clips in four, try the next level and drop back whenever you lose the meaning.
Last reviewed November 3, 2026. Sources checked on that date: NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s Easy Japanese course page, the Nihongo con Teppei podcast listing, the JLPT official sample questions page and the NHK Radio News podcast listing. Clip lengths and the “three in four” rule are our guidance, not an official standard. The JLPT does not publish official word or sentence lists for its levels.