Kana Core

Kana Core trains one skill: reading Japanese kana out loud. You look at a word written in hiragana or katakana, sound it out yourself, then check against Japanese audio. Most vocabulary apps play the word first and ask you to recognize it in your native language. Kana Core flips that: you decode a word written in kana yourself, the way you will when reading real Japanese. HOW IT WORKS Learn the characters first in kana units. Then move on to word units: sound out vocabulary written in kana, compare your reading against the Japanese audio, and mark whether you got it or want to revisit it. Spaced repetition keeps reviews efficient — kana and words you know come back less often, while the ones you struggle with return sooner. WHAT'S INCLUDED Complete hiragana and katakana units Vocabulary practice in hiragana and katakana Japanese audio for every word Tap any kana in a word to hear it by itself and see its reading Vocabulary translations in 70+ languages Daily reminder settings Export and import your progress as a file — back up or move to a new device anytime NO FLUFF No romaji in vocabulary drills No gamification, leagues, or points No remote accounts, no ads Works completely offline — all audio is included with the app WHAT'S FREE Full hiragana unit Full katakana unit 100 hiragana words 100 katakana words A one-time purchase unlocks 2,000+ additional vocabulary words. No subscription, ever. GOOD TO KNOW Romaji still appears in help screens and character-learning units, so complete beginners aren't left stranded. Kanji is not included — Kana Core stays focused on reading kana. Kana Core is for learners who want to read kana — not just recognize it.