· 6 min read
Best App to Learn Japanese: What to Check
By Language Lab editorial team
Best app to learn Japanese: seven things to check before you choose, what Japanese asks of an app, official material to pair it with and a one-week test.
The best app to learn Japanese is the one that teaches the writing system properly and makes you speak. Nothing makes Japanese quick: the US State Department places it in Category IV, super-hard languages, and allows 88 weeks, or 2,200 class hours. Over that distance, method matters more than features. Check seven things before you choose: hiragana and katakana taught first, native audio, spoken practice with a response, self-testing, spaced review, real-life situations, and levels tied to the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, from N5 to N1. An app that keeps you in Latin letters will hold you back. Pair it with NHK WORLD-JAPAN's free Easy Japanese lessons and the Japan Foundation's free courses, and try it for a week before you pay.
What Japanese asks of an app
- The two phonetic scripts first. Hiragana and katakana come before anything else, because they are the phonetic scripts.
- Kanji in words. Characters should be introduced inside vocabulary, a few at a time, and brought back for review.
- Listening and speaking every day. The app should play every sentence and ask you to say it.
- A named target. The JLPT has five levels, from N5, the ability to understand some basic Japanese, up to N1.
Seven things to check
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Speaking | You say sentences aloud and get a spoken or written response, in situations you will meet. |
| Audio | Recordings by native speakers for every sentence, at natural speed. |
| Writing system | Hiragana and katakana from the first lessons, then kanji inside words. Avoid apps that rely on Latin-letter spellings for long. |
| Self-testing | The app makes you produce the answer before it shows it. |
| Spaced review | Old material comes back after days and weeks, not only in the lesson where you met it. |
| Real situations | Lessons are built on things you will do: meeting people, shopping, travelling, working. |
| Levels | Stages are named, and you can see how they relate to an official scale or exam. |
Why testing and spacing come first
A 2013 review of ten learning techniques, led by John Dunlosky, rated two as high utility: practice testing and distributed practice. Rereading and highlighting were rated low. So an app that makes you produce an answer, and brings items back after a gap, is using your time better than one that lets you tap through and move on.
Test an app in one week
- Day 1: do the first lesson. Did you speak aloud, or only tap?
- Day 2: start a new lesson. Did the app bring back yesterday's material?
- Day 3: check the audio. Is every Japanese sentence recorded, and can you replay it?
- Day 4: look for the level map. Can you see where the course ends?
- Day 5: try to say five sentences from memory. If you cannot, the app is not testing you enough.
- Day 7: decide. Keep the app only if you spoke every day.
Pair it with official material
- Easy Japanese, from NHK WORLD-JAPAN: free conversation lessons, 48 in all, with grammar lessons alongside.
- Minato and Marugoto Plus, from the Japan Foundation: free online courses from A1.
- Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan, from the Japan Foundation: free course books from A1 to B1.
Aim at a level
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test has five levels. N5 is the ability to understand some basic Japanese, and N1 is the ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances. Choose an app that tells you which JLPT level each stage corresponds to.
A note on our own app
Language Lab is our app, so judge it by the same list. Language Lab's Japanese course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor. Use the one-week test above on it as you would on any other.
Frequently asked
What is the best app to learn Japanese?
The one that makes you speak Japanese aloud, tests you before showing the answer, brings old material back for review and shows you clear levels. Try it for a week before paying.
Can I learn Japanese with only an app?
An app can carry daily practice, but Japanese is a very long project: the US State Department allows 2,200 class hours. Plan to add a structured course, such as the free ones from NHK WORLD-JAPAN and the Japan Foundation.
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
The US State Department places Japanese in Category IV and allows 88 weeks, or 2,200 class hours. An app does not shorten that; it helps you use the time well.
Are free Japanese apps enough?
Official learning material is a strong start: Easy Japanese, from NHK WORLD-JAPAN is one example. Whatever you use, check that you are speaking and being tested.
What features matter most in a language app?
Practice testing and spaced review, the two techniques a 2013 research review rated as high utility, and spoken practice with a response.
Can an app make me fluent in Japanese?
An app can carry your daily practice. You will also need conversation with people and a structured course or exam target for the higher levels.
Sources: US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Japan Foundation and JEES, Japanese-Language Proficiency Test; NHK WORLD-JAPAN, Easy Japanese; The Japan Foundation, Minato, Marugoto Plus and Irodori; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Himeji Castle, Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
