# Kana Only — Japanese Hiragana and Katakana > Learn Japanese Hiragana and Katakana without romanization for better pronunciation. (iPhone/iPad app by Tyler Kaplan.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-only/id1626097768 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Tyler Kaplan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626097770) - Category: Education - Price: Free - Rating: 4.87/5 from 15 App Store ratings · 13 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.4 · 13 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2022-09-30 - Data updated: 2026-07-07 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-only/id1626097768/reviews.md ## What is Kana Only? You may be wondering, why use Kana Only? Unlike all other apps, Kana Only does not feature the romanization (rōmaji) of these characters. Although it makes reading easier in the beginning, the more and more you use it, the more it will mess with your intonation when you try to speak the language later on. Your accent and pronunciation will be off, which is crucial! If you want to be understood, use Kana Only! Kana Only will teach you the two Japanese phonetic alphabets Hiragana and Katakana, accompanied by high quality audio examples done by real, native Japanese speakers. Users can see what the characters look like and press on them to hear proper pronunciation. This hiragana and hiragana learning / practice app is fully customizable in how the characters are presented and how they are heard. Features - Get access to the complete table of Hiragana and Katakana characters. - Characters are organized into three categories: Basic Gojūon, Dakuten / Handakuten, and Yōon - Completely customizable appearance! Display Hiragana, Katakana, or both. You can change the color and font as well. - Completely customizable sound! Choose from multiple voices and speeds. - High-quality sound examples from real native Japanese speakers. - Easily readable, with smooth navigation that everyone can understand! - Fun way to enhance your learning! So what are you waiting for? Download Kana Only today and start learning Japanese Hiragana and Katakana the proper way! If you have any recommendations regarding our app, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We will consider all suggestions and accept all criticisms as early as possible. Thank you for downloading and don’t forget to share with your friends! ## Key features - Learn Hiragana and Katakana without romanization - High-quality audio from native speakers - Customizable character display (color, font) - Customizable sound (voices, speed) - Organized character categories - Smooth navigation ## Recent user reviews (10 of 13) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-only/id1626097768/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Awesome for us anti-romaji learners 😄 *2024-04-11* I’m definitely in the avoid romaji camp, so this app is great for me. However I just realized some katakana combinations are missing, for instance sounds that use a small イ and small エ. Otherwise it’s awesome and has been very helpful as I haven’t memorized everything yet (almost there!) ### 5/5 — Exactly what I was looking for *2024-01-21* I’ve been looking for a kana app that has pronunciation and no romaji. I learned Chinese (as used in Taiwan) and reached fluency after 5-7 years. One thing that truly helped my pronunciation and sense of immersion was to drop pinyin and learn zhuyin as unique sounds instead of mapping them to English sounds. After all, that’s what Taiwanese people use, so since I was going to live there I felt I should use it too. It worked, and for that reason I wanted to learn kana without mapping English sounds to the characters. I know there’s a large number of people who feel the same, clearly the developer understands this as well. Thank you for creating this. One small note: the back button doesn’t seem necessary once we’ve seen the welcome screen. ### 5/5 — User friendly and helpful *2022-12-27* Incredibly easy to use!! Great options to help you learn ### 5/5 — Great app! *2022-11-08* I never write reviews but this app has been so useful! I have been wanting to learn Japanese for awhile now but haven’t been able to find an app that is user friendly. Kana has exceeded all expectations and I am so glad I found it. Highly recommend!! Blaire ### 4/5 — Awesome *2022-10-15* Awesome and easy to use, can’t wait to learn. ### 5/5 — Kana *2022-10-15* The best ap ever. I always wanted to learn Japanese and this is great!!! ### 5/5 — Great app - user friendly and informative *2022-10-13* I don’t usually write reviews but I wanted to write one for Kana Only to show my appreciation. The app is very easy to use and helped me learn proper pronunciation! ### 5/5 — Exceptional App *2022-10-13* This is an app that is a long time in coming; and fortunately, it is here now……and so easy to use!!!! Thank You - Thank You - Thank You !!! ### 5/5 — Finally an App that Works for Me *2022-10-12* Great way to introduce yourself to the language! Home page is a quick introduction to the language which is good to know before going into the pronunciations. I personally love the different settings available that you can choose from to fit your learning style. You can choose from 2 voices, the speed of the pronunciations, color of the symbols, and more. Only been on this app 10 minutes and already love it. ### 5/5 — Helped me learn Japanese so much quicker! *2022-10-08* Thank you for whoever thought up this app! I have been studying Japanese and kept googling a service like this so I didn’t have to hire tutors. I just downloaded this today, but I am already using it. The voices are so clear and it makes it easier for me to practice both writing systems. ## Frequently asked questions about Kana Only ### Why should I use Kana Only instead of apps with romanization? Kana Only avoids romanization to prevent interference with your Japanese intonation and accent. This helps ensure you can be understood when speaking the language later on. ### What Japanese characters does Kana Only teach? Kana Only teaches the two Japanese phonetic alphabets: Hiragana and Katakana. It covers the Basic Gojūon, Dakuten/Handakuten, and Yōon characters. ### Does Kana Only offer audio examples? Yes, Kana Only provides high-quality audio examples for each character, performed by real, native Japanese speakers. You can hear proper pronunciation by pressing on the characters. ### Can I customize how characters and sounds are presented in Kana Only? Absolutely. Kana Only is fully customizable in how characters are presented, including display options for Hiragana, Katakana, or both, as well as color and font choices. You can also customize the sound with multiple voices and speeds. ### What is the user rating for Kana Only? Kana Only has an excellent rating of 4.9 stars, based on 15 user ratings. ### On what devices can I use Kana Only? Kana Only is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. ### How often is Kana Only updated? The latest version of Kana Only is 2.0.0, which was last updated on April 16, 2023. This indicates regular updates. ### Does Kana Only have ads? No, Kana Only does not contain advertisements. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.0.0 — 2023-04-16 Sorry for the delay in update for the new iOS version. Please continue to use and share this free resource to help you and friends learn kana pronunciation! Monetization - completely removed System - fixed an issue where app would crash on iOS 16 ### 1.1 — 2022-10-20 UI/UX - improved formula for showing alerts - added cancel button to purchase alert - added additional button for premium purchase Minor bug fixes and system improvements - fixed Google ads Monetization - adjusted pricing structure ### 1.0.3 — 2022-10-13 Minor bug fixes and system improvements - fixed typo on home screen - updated in-app purchase prices ### 1.0.2 — 2022-10-04 Minor bug fixes - fixed an issue with iPad ads crashing app - enabled 'Rate Kana Only' button in settings ### 1.0 — 2022-09-30 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Kana Only | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Japanese!! 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Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-07.*