The 10 Best Apps for JLPT Students in 2021

Krisada Hemsoe

It may be difficult for you to find the time to study for the JLPT. While it is important to set aside chunks of time for dedicated studying, it is also effective to use small pockets of time to brush up on vocabulary, kanji, grammar, and other fundamentals that will aid you in passing the JLPT. Japanese learning apps are a great way to make dead time useful.

So, what are the 10 best apps for JLPT students in 2021? Here is the list.

  1. Anki

  2. Wanikani

  3. Genki

  4. Duolingo

  5. Learning Japanese with Tae Kim

  6. Memrise

  7. HelloTalk

  8. LingoDeer

  9. Renzo

10. Mindsnacks

There are any number of Japanese learning apps, and to try out each and every one would be a waste of time. You could be studying! That’s why I have curated a list of the 10 best apps for JLPT students in 2020.

Spaced Repetition Learning

Before we jump into the list it is important that you understand a concept that learning apps commonly employ. If you have ever used flashcards to help you study, then you have used a form of spaced repetition learning.

While using paper flashcards is great, most Japanese learning apps use algorithms to show a digital flashcard at just around the time you would be forgetting it. If you continuously respond correctly to a card, the algorithm will show you that card less frequently. If you continuously respond incorrectly, the algorithm will show you that card more frequently.

This method of spacing out the recall of particular information has proven effective in numerous studies.

“Hundreds of studies in cognitive and educational psychology have demonstrated that spacing out repeated encounters with the material over time produce superior long-term learning, compared with repetitions that are massed together.”

From Dartmouth

For the remainder of this article I will refer to spaced repetition learning as SRS (Spaced Repetition System). Now, let’s jump into the list of the best 10 apps for JLPT students in 2020!

1. Anki

I chose to put Anki first and to spend more time explaining its features because it is free, customizable, effective, versatile, and has a lively online community that shares resources.

While there are other great apps on this list, everyone should download Anki.

In Japanese the word “Anki” means “memorizing”. Anki is a free, open-source program that uses SRS. Besides the fact that it is completely free, Anki is an excellent resource because it allows you to create and design your very own flashcards. It doesn’t even have to be Japanese! You can use it to help you learn anything.

If you want to create your own deck, simply go to ‘File’ and select the ‘New’ option. Then Anki gives you the option to add and customize new cards. The digital cards perform similarly to paper flashcards. You can fill out boxes for the front and back of the card, with the option to hide or show particular information.  

Whether or not you are memorizing the cards is based on the honor system. After you think of the answer and flip the card, you can tell Anki how your memory performed. If you could not remember the answer at all, Anki will show you this card again very soon. If your recall was perfect, Anki will save this card and won’t show it again for hours, or even days.

You can also choose how many cards you would like to review each 24-hour period. Be careful! Anyone who has used an SRS system has probably experienced an avalanche of cards waiting to be flipped through after taking a break for a few days. Start small.  

There is a thriving Anki community online that shares their decks for free. If you create an excellent deck, make sure to share it with others who are using Anki to learn Japanese. You can also download decks others have created on AnkiWeb.

AnkiWeb is a great user created resource. Users can rate decks with up or down votes, review decks with comments, download decks and make their own changes, and get a sample card and explanation before they download a deck.

Here are some great decks for beginners.

The interesting thing about this deck is its use of James Heisig’s mnemonic devices laid out in his book Remembering the Kanji. Heisig’s method gives each kanji radical a constituent word or phrase. Each kanji character is given a story based on these radicals.

Let’s take the card of the kanji character 蒸. The radicals that make up this kanji have the following constituents “steam, flowers, helping hand, complete, water, one, floor, oven-fire, barbecue”.

The story provided to help you recall the Kanji is as follows:

“The flower at the top and the floor with the oven fire beneath are familiar. The problem is what comes in between. It is formed by the character for complete, whose vertical stroke doubles up as the first stroke of water.”

For some, this method works wonders. However, others find the method daunting and the stories unhelpful. You can create your own mnemonic devices, or use SRS without any frills. It’s up to you to discover what works best for your learning style.

“Because the Japanese language and its words serve a variety of different contexts, a lot of words don’t have perfect, simple translations. This vocab deck is to help you to make the connection between the Japanese word, and some familiar English metaphors, so that when you go on to read, you have something as a reference point.”

From the creator of this deck.

Each card has a frequency rating, showing how many times this word or phrase appeared during the text analysis. For example, the Japanese word for money (金) appeared 518 times during the text analysis.

Many of you probably became interested in learning Japanese through manga or anime. This deck is a perfect way for you to learn the most commonly used words in the medium.

You can download Anki for your computer on the AnkiWeb website or go to the app store to download it for your mobile device.

2. WaniKani

This kanji/vocabulary SRS application was created by the Japanese language and culture company Tofugu. The name WaniKani translated into English means crocodile crab, and a crocodile/crab chimera is the mascot of this Japanese language learning app.

WaniKani claims that its app will teach you 2,048 kanji and 6,349 vocabulary words in just over a year by using mnemonics, SRS, teaching radicals, and employing helpful lessons and reviews. This means you will be prepared for the JLPT N2 level kanji. However, you will need to supplement for listening, speaking, reading and vocabulary.

WaniKani is broken up into 60 levels and each level has about 140 items to learn. According to their website, it is possible to get through all 60 levels in 368 days, however, it is recommended that you take a year-and-a-half to two years. The first four levels are free, after that, the pay rates are as follows:

  • About $9 a month for full access to all 60 levels.
  • About $90 a year, which gives you 2 months free, for full access to all 60 levels.
  • About $300 lifetime purchase for full access to all 60 levels.

WaniKani has a clean and colorful layout that is easy and intuitive to use. In the top section of the screen you will be shown a kanji character or radical with its English meaning or constituent just below it. In the center you may select between the name and examples tab.

The bottom half of the screen shows the name or examples. For the name option, you are given a mnemonic and an area to add your own notes. Under the examples section you are given examples where the kanji character or radical is used.

After you are introduced to a set of radicals or kanji characters, the app provides you with a quiz. These quizzes use SRS to determine the information the app will show you in the future, as well as how frequently the app will show it to you.

The WaniKani system works much like James Heisig’s mnemonic method discussed earlier. However, WaniKani has created its own stories using its own version of radical constituents.

Wanikani is an excellent resource for learning kanji and vocabulary in an organized, intuitive and contextual manner. Since WaniKani offers its first four levels for free, you can try it out before you commit to a purchase.

You have nothing to lose! You can sign up for WaniKani here.

3. Genki

Universities, high schools, and individual learners use Genki’s Japanese language textbooks around the world. The two Genki textbooks will bring you to about the JLPT N4 level before you will need supplemental materials and books. Genki has a great set three of apps that follow the lessons of their textbooks.

  • Genki Vocab App – These cards cover the 1,200 vocabulary words encountered in the Genki I and Genki II textbooks.

Each vocabulary card has a Japanese word at the top, and its phonetic kana spelling beneath it. Below that there is an option to hear the word spoken, then a picture, and an option to reveal the answer.

  • Genki Kanji App – With this app you will study the 317 basic kanji learned in the Genki textbooks, with their associated 1,100 kanji words (most kanji of more than one meaning).

The cards show the kanji with a written and visual mnemonic hint. You can also see a card with the word written in phonetic kana, and there is an option to view stroke order and the other meanings of the kanji.

  • Genki Conjugation App – This app covers the elementary verb and adjective conjugation covered in the Genki textbooks. That’s 18 verb forms and 10 adjective forms.

These cards offer a lot of information. At the top of one card there is the English meaning of the Japanese word beneath it. The name of the grammar point is in the center of the card, and below that you can reveal the conjugated answer. There are also options to check the sound of the conjugated word.

Each Genki app costs about $6.

You can choose to discard a card once you feel that you have memorized it. Otherwise, the app will ask you if you remembered the answer after each word and you can select ‘Yes’, ‘Unsure’, or ‘No’. You can also review cards within one section of a chapter, one chapter, or you can review all of them at the same time.

The greatest part of the Genki apps is that they are in line with the Genki textbooks. You can study a chapter, or a particular grammar point, and then refresh your memory throughout your day with the Genki apps.

If you choose to buy the Genki textbooks then purchasing these apps is a no brainer. With these resources you have everything you need to get you to the JLPT N4.

4. Duolingo

Duolingo is a general language learning app that has over 30 languages available to learn. It took Duolingo years to perfect their Japanese course because of the difficulty integrating the Japanese writing system. However, they have come a long way, and it’s a great way to study Japanese.

The app is great at gamifying the language learning experience, so it can be addictive!

Duolingo uses SRS to aid learning and retention, but it also has a leveling system to help motivate you to continue studying. Leveling up unlocks rewards so that you can customize your user experience.

Other ways that Duolingo gamifies language learning are through achievement badges, goal tracking and leaderboards and leagues. You can compete with friends, or other Japanese language learners using the app.

This social learning not only encourages competition, but also accountability. You can link up with your Facebook friends and make sure they are studying!

The app organizes language learning by topics and themes rather than grammar or difficulty. This allows you to use what you learn more quickly because you are learning it in context.

So, what’s covered in the Japanese Duolingo course?

  • About 1000 vocabulary words, which is good enough for the JLPT N5, and maybe the N4.
  • As far as grammar, you will learn about what you need for the JLPT N5 and N4. But you should use supplemental materials if you are planning on taking the N4.

The grammar in Duolingo is not really explained as it would be in a textbook, so make sure to look up grammar points once you get an intuitive understanding of them.

Duolingo Japanese is a great resource for those just beginning to learn Japanese. If you are studying for the JLPT N5 or N4, I would suggest you get the app to help make the learning experience fun once you’ve become bored with textbooks, or other, more traditional learning resources.

You can learn more about Duolingo on their website or download the app for free at the app store. While the app is free, you will have to pay about $7 for the premium version.

4. Learning Japanese with Tae Kim

If you have been learning Japanese for a while you are probably familiar with Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese. If you are not familiar with it, it is a free online resource that teaches Japanese grammar from a Japanese perspective.

What does that mean? I’ll let Tae Kim tell you.

“This guide is an attempt to systematically build up the grammatical structures that make up the Japanese language in a way that makes sense in Japanese. It may not be a practical tool for quickly learning immediately usable phrases such as for travel. However, it will logically create successive building blocks that will result in a solid grammatical foundation.”

Basically, when we teach Japanese grammar from an English grammatical perspective, a lot gets lost in translation. Grammar, as we know it, was created as a measurement of linguistic habits of mostly European languages. When we try to explain Japanese in terms invented to describe, say, romance languages, confusion ensues.

Tae Kim gives a great example of this when he reminds us that while in English, we may say something like, “My name is Smith”, the Japanese would simply say, “Smith”. However, many Japanese textbooks will introduce the exact Japanese translate of “My name is Smith” so as not to confuse learners early on.

You can buy the Tae Kim’s “A Guide to Japanese Grammar” on amazon or download it for free on kindle.

Now that you have some background on Tae Kim, let’s get to the app.

Obviously, this is going to be a grammar focused app. Each lesson is based on a topic. For example, a beginner might choose to be introduced to Japanese writing systems, while someone more advanced may choose conditional expressions.

There are English translations of vocabulary used in the grammar examples, and the new words you learn are shown in Kanji.

While this app is meant to be grammar focused, it is also a great, indirect way to brush up on your reading, vocabulary, and kanji skills.

5. Memrise

This app is already used by over 50 million people. You can choose to learn Spanish, French, German, Korean, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Turkish, Danish, and of course, Japanese.

According to Memrise, their app is a fun alternative to textbooks. You won’t even notice you’re learning.

“You’re too busy watching fun video clips, seeing real locals in bucket-list destinations and playing little quiz-type games. The opposite of textbook learning.”

One of the main aims of Memrise is to ‘get you speaking like a local’. They use video of native speakers talking about everyday topics to help you with listening and speaking. Because their aim is fluency, they don’t shy away from swear words. Their videos aren’t like the cheesy videos you watched in your high-school Spanish class.

You can use Memrise for free, or sign up for a paid subscription to access more Japanese course modules. It’s under $5 a month for a pro membership.

Memrise is a fun way to interact with natural Japanese and work on your fluency. It might not line up perfectly with what you need for the JLPT, but you probably aren’t studying Japanese just to learn the grammar. You want to speak it like a native speaker.

According to Memrise, their app is, “Perfect for making your loo break a lot more fun.”

Download at the Appstore here.

6. HelloTalk

Speaking Japanese to native speakers can be difficult if you are living in an English-speaking country. While there is no speaking portion of the JLPT, talking with native speakers helps you integrate the language into your memory, and has the added benefit of learning the nooks and crannies of the language from those most familiar with it.

HelloTalk connects language learners with native speakers for a language and cultural exchange. While speaking is a huge part of HelloTalk, you can also practice your reading and writing skills through text messages.

The app also uses an AI grammar correction system for your text messages. If you find yourself making grammar mistakes, go online and look up the grammar point (think Kae Tim’s grammar guide).

The app also provides other language learning resources like foreign language podcasts, and the ability to speak one-on-one with foreign language teachers.

“Learning with HelloTalk is based on communication, not curriculum. You don’t have homework!

Instead, just chat and have fun while learning a new language.”

From HelloTalk.

While the basic features of HelloTalk are free, they offer a paid version called “HelloTalk VIP”. The paid version offers extra features like unlimited translations, filtering options for finding language partners, no ads, and learning more than one language concurrently.

Here are the subscription plans.

  • About $7/month
  • About $40/year
  • About $90/lifetime

If you are living outside of Japan or don’t have access to native speakers, then this app is for you.

Download it here.

7. FluentU

FluentU is the app offered by the language learning website and blog fluentu.com. The app is very video focused, offering authentic materials like music videos, movie trailers, news and motivational talks.

They even have a Japanese version of ‘Let it Go’ and Japanese cartoon clips of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.

“No matter what your skill level or interest, we’ve got you covered.”

From FluentU.

There is Japanese text which follows along with the video clips. You can select any word to look it up in English. You are provided with definitions, common usages, drawings and images, and pronunciations.

This is a great app for audio-visual learners and Japanese learners who want to interact with authentic content in Japanese.

You can try it free for two weeks. Otherwise the PLUS subscription prices are as follows:

  • About $30/month
  • About $240/year

Download the app here.

8. LingoDeer

This app was designed by professional language teachers. The interactive lessons focus on reading, listening, speaking and writing skills. It’s a great app to use in short, 10-minute bursts.

Here are some of the features LingoDeer offers.

  • Introductions to the Japanese alphabet
  • Offline mode for learning anywhere
  • 2,000 commonly used words/phrases (JLPT N4/N5)
  • Grammar notes
  • Recordings of native speakers
  • You have options to learn Japanese with Kana, Kanji and/or Romaji
  • SRS flashcard review system
  • Gamified with skill points

LingoDeer does not offer a free version. The pricing for a membership, which includes all courses, is as follows.

  • About $12/month
  • About $30/quarter
  • About $60/annual

LingoDeer is great for those studying for the beginner levels of the JLPT. I would suggest purchasing it for a short time, just before you take the JLPT N5 or N4.

9. Renzo

Renzo is a Japanese dictionary app, that claims to be ‘more than a dictionary’. It is also a great vocabulary study tool with over 175,000 dictionary entries and 58,000 example sentences.

It is equipped with an SRS flashcard system so that you can study the words that you look up, and the vocabulary has references to give you a more global understanding of the meanings.

The greatest part of the app, with regard to the JLPT, is the JLPT dedicated study lists. It also has handwriting recognition so you can make sure that your written kanji are recognizable!

It’s free to download here.

10. Mindsnacks

Great for beginners, Mindsnacks has more than 800 words and phrases to help you become confident before you take the JLPT N5/N4.

Each of the eight games gradually introduces the Japanese language, starting with kanji, kana and romaji, and escalating to more complex words and phrases.

“Learning Japanese can be intimidating, but we make it easy with 8 addictive games designed to build essential reading, writing and conversational skills.”

From Mindsnacks.

You can get your first lesson for free, while the paid upgrade allows access to 50 lessons, each containing 20 words or phrases, and bonus side quests.

This app is good for adults and children, so if you are learning Japanese and have kids, get them to learn along with you!

You can download Mindsnacks here. The paid version is about $5.

How to Use the Apps Together

The best way to go about using these apps is understand your learning goals and choose accordingly. I think that everyone should download Anki because it is free and versatile. Also, Renzo and Kae Tim’s Grammar Guide offer great free references.

If you are just beginning to learn Japanese, I highly recommended the Genki texts and apps. It will give you a structured and tested way to get to the JLPT N4 level.

The others on list should be added accordingly. If you feel you need more speaking practice, tag on HelloTalk. If you want more listening practice, check out FluentU.

Have fun!

My Recommendations for your Japanese learning

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