# iKana - Hiragana and Katakana — Learn Japanese Characters

> Learn and practice Japanese hiragana and katakana with interactive tools. (iPhone/iPad app by ThinkMac Software.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikana-hiragana-and-katakana/id288805273 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [ThinkMac Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/288805276)
- Category: Education, Games, Word
- Price: $2.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 323 App Store ratings · 172 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 49 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-02-11
- Data updated: 2026-09-11
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikana-hiragana-and-katakana/id288805273/reviews.md

## What is iKana?

iKana touch is the fun and easy way to learn Japanese hiragana and katakana! The app features flash cards, a beginners dictionary and quizzes to teach you how to read and write kana and learn Japanese words.

Practice with flash cards which let you easily toggle romaji on and off, see stroke order animations, shuffle them around and practice writing each character on the screen as much as you need to. Each character is voiced by a native Japanese speaker so you can learn how to pronounce them correctly. Select subsets of kana to practice or build up a practice set from any of the flash card decks.

The Speed Recognition Quiz gets you to try and match romaji and kana characters against the clock! Improve your memory and try and beat your best times! This quiz will help speed up your ability to read Japanese over time.

The Stoke Order Quiz gets you to trace the strokes in each character in the correct order to help teach you to write them. This quiz will help improve your kana writing abilities.

The Romaji Replacement Quiz gets you to complete Japanese words by replacing the missing character from a choice of kana. This quiz will help you to read and understand Japanese words.

The Kana Sound Match Quiz plays kana sounds to you which you then need to match to the correct character. This quiz will help with your ability to understand spoken Japanese and transcribe Japanese characters from speech.

The app features a beginners dictionary with hundreds of useful words you can use as a quick reference. Easily search by kana, romaji or English meaning and hear words pronounced.

## Key features

- Interactive flashcards with romaji toggle
- Stroke order animations
- Native speaker pronunciation
- Speed recognition quizzes
- Stroke order writing quizzes
- Kana sound match quizzes
- Beginner's dictionary

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $2.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hiragana Sets Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Katakana Sets Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Sets Pack for iKana | $2.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of iKana?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 💯 Excellent for learning kana
- 🎓 Helpful for beginners and intermediate learners
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🔊 Clear audio pronunciations
- ✍️ Useful writing practice
- 🕰️ Effective speed tests

**Cons**

- 💰 Relatively expensive for an app
- 🔍 Limited customization options in tests
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔀 Lack of randomization in practice sets

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Speed test feature not working properly
- Writing practice not functioning for certain kana
- Recent wrong answers not saving correctly

**Most requested features**

- Add kanji learning functionality
- Provide more vocabulary practice
- Allow toggling of romaji display
- Implement timed writing tests

## Recent user reviews (10 of 172)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikana-hiragana-and-katakana/id288805273/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Speed Test

*2026-03-31*

My speeds makes me feel very smart so Im happy yippee

### 5/5 — Mazen 🇱🇧🇯🇵

*2026-02-16*

Great app to learn Japanese 💛

### 5/5 — Jimbobjunior

*2025-04-24*

This app was great for studying and helped me get a higher grade😊

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2025-04-06*

Would love to see dictation practice added to this app! Otherwise, it’s perfect — the best app for learning kana on iOS by far.

### 2/5 — .

*2025-02-10, version 2.9*

Не могу сказать что это достойно денег,мне кажется можно найти такое же самое только бесплатно.Оформлено некрасиво,нету разнообразия и очень скучно,программа вроде хорошая,но не заслуживает денег так точно

### 5/5 — Perfektes Übungsprogramm

*2024-01-23*

In der Bahn, Pause oder wo man mal 1min Zeit hat. Gerade für Nichtmuttersprachler, welche es nicht regelmäßig schreiben oder lesen. Vorallem Katakana!

### 1/5 — Bad

*2022-03-29*

Bad

### 5/5 — Hiragana and katakana learning tools

*2021-10-06, version 2.9*

This is a great app. There are many quizzes to consolidate your study after learning them.

### 5/5 — Vraiment une aide précieuse pour apprendre et mémoriser les kana!

*2021-09-14*

J’ai appris les kana, katakana et hiragana à mon rythme avec iKana. J’ai pu apprendre à les reconnaître, puis à les écrire. La forme est très ludique, ce qui favorise l’apprentissage.

### 5/5 — Learning Japanese

*2020-05-21*

I love this app because is mostly free without a pay wall of some sort and you can use it for travel or learning hiragana or katakana, or even kanji the most hardest. Even you know Chinese but Japanese kanji and Chinese letters are a little bit of different meanings. And I’m using this on my iPhone if this app would come to the Mac or pc I would use it every day. And I can practice my Japanese language skills. And right now I know two languages almost three. The first one is English of course and the second one is Cantonese and the third one is obviously Japanese. The one I’m practicing right now.

## Frequently asked questions about iKana

### What does iKana - Hiragana and Katakana do?

This app helps you learn and practice Japanese hiragana and katakana characters. It offers flashcards with stroke order animations and native speaker pronunciations, along with various quizzes to test your reading, writing, and listening comprehension.

### What are the key learning features?

Key features include interactive flashcards that can toggle romaji, stroke order animations for writing practice, native Japanese pronunciation for each character, and multiple quiz types like Speed Recognition, Stroke Order, Romaji Replacement, and Kana Sound Match.

### How much does iKana - Hiragana and Katakana cost?

The app is free to download and use, with options for in-app purchases. These purchases likely unlock additional content or features beyond the basic learning tools.

### What is the best way to use this app to learn Japanese characters?

Start with the flashcards to familiarize yourself with the characters, stroke order, and pronunciation. Then, use the various quizzes to reinforce your learning and identify areas for improvement. The dictionary can be used for quick reference of words and their meanings.

### Can I practice writing the characters with this app?

Yes, the app includes a Stroke Order Quiz where you can trace the strokes of each character in the correct order directly on your screen. This feature is designed to help improve your kana writing abilities.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.9 — 2020-06-26

- Dark mode!
- Various fixes and improvements.

### 2.8.3 — 2019-08-27

- Bug fixes and improvements.

### 2.8.2 — 2018-12-21

- Fixes some minor bugs and an issue that could cause a crash when viewing certain flash cards with romaji turned off.

### 2.8.1 — 2018-11-28

- Score over 80% in a quiz and get the ability to share one of seven award images with friends.
- Bug fixes and improvements.

### 2.8 — 2018-11-12

- New Kana Sound Match Quiz - listen to the kana sound and tap the correct character.
- We've moved the app back to a paid-upfront model for new customers. If you downloaded the free version you will still have access to the in app purchase options.
- Minor bug fixes and improvements.

## Apps similar to iKana

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Bunpo: Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052) | 4.9 (17,972) | Free | Education |
| [Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-study-learn-japanese/id1078107994) | 4.7 (7,142) | Free | Education |
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| [Write It! Japanese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/write-it-japanese/id1268225663) | 4.8 (2,290) | Free | Education |
| [Lirer: Learn Japanese](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lirer-learn-japanese/id1520427633) | 4.7 (654) | Free | Education |
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## More apps by ThinkMac Software

- [iKanji - Learn Japanese Kanji](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikanji-learn-japanese-kanji/id311920885)
- [iKana Nōto - Kana Notepad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikana-noto-kana-notepad/id449916517)
- [WordLine - Letters Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordline-letters-game/id6768048954)

All apps by ThinkMac Software: https://appshunter.io/developer/288805276

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-11.*