Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana through engaging quizzes, native audio pronunciation, and real-time progress tracking. Transition from romaji quickly and start your journey to reading Japanese today!
The building blocks of Japanese fluency.
Before you can run, you must walk. In Japanese, that means mastering "Kana"—the two phonetic alphabets that form the bedrock of the language.
The Count: 46 Basic Characters
The Look: Curvy, flowing, and soft.
The Usage: Used for native Japanese words, grammar particles, and verb endings (okurigana). It is the first script children learn.
The Count: 46 Basic Characters
The Look: Angular, sharp, and straight.
The Usage: Used primarily for foreign loanwords (like "coffee" or "computer"), scientific terms, and for emphasis (like italics in English).
Many beginners rely on "Romaji" (Japanese written with English letters), but this is a trap. Romaji creates bad pronunciation habits that are hard to break.
To read real Japanese, use a dictionary, or understand grammar books, you must read Kana. It is the absolute prerequisite for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and all serious study.
With traditional rote memorization, it can take months. However, using active recall and spaced repetition (the science behind Kana Challenge), most students master both scripts in:
Test your Hiragana and Katakana knowledge with engaging quizzes and track your progress in real-time.
Listen to native pronunciations with built-in audio for each character to develop proper accent.
Choose specific rows of kana characters to customize your quizzes. Learn at your own pace!
Test your skills under pressure in timed challenges to build speed and confidence.
Kana Challenge helps you maximize your time spent learning Hiragana and Katakana through interactive quizzes, real-time audio pronunciation, and progress tracking. Whether you're a beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, this app is designed to help you move beyond romaji quickly and into immersive Japanese reading.
Kana Challenge is your essential first step. Once you've mastered the basics, continue your journey:
Want to understand the Japanese writing system better? Our comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know.
Just starting your Japanese learning journey? Get answers to the most common questions beginners ask.
Ready to practice reading real Japanese? Dive into immersive reading with daily Japanese articles.
Master all aspects of Japanese with comprehensive training in speaking, listening, reading, and grammar.
Learn Hiragana and Katakana in weeks, not months. Our proven quiz-based approach accelerates retention.
Leverage spaced repetition and active recall techniques that strengthen memory pathways.
Watch your mastery grow with detailed statistics. See exactly which characters need more practice.
Explore these related tools and guides to deepen your Japanese knowledge.
Test your memory instantly in your browser with our web-based kana quiz tool.
Visual charts for Hiragana and Katakana to use as a quick reference guide.
Ready to move past characters? Start building sentences with our N5 grammar library.
Understand the "music" of Japanese pronunciation to sound more like a native speaker.