# Kana Practice — Grades your writing skill!

> Learn and practice Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with stroke checking and spaced repetition. (iPhone/iPad app by Ray Price.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-practice/id401989350 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ray Price](https://appshunter.io/developer/327250499)
- Category: Education, Travel
- Price: $0.99
- Rating: 4.67/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 12 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 6 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2010-11-20
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-practice/id401989350/reviews.md

## What is Kana Practice?

Kana Practice is an application designed to help you memorize how to read and write the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana alphabets.

The writing portion has a unique stroke checker that will check your stroke order and positioning and pass/fail you based on how close you were to the original strokes.  All Kana come compete with full stroke order animations.

Kana Practice also uses the Leitner-SRS card based repetition system that makes sure you play the cards you get stuck on more frequently.  This maximizes your learning time and efficiency.

Note:
Please, please, please.  If you are having issues, contact support@rakudasoft.com and we will work with you to address them.  With so many versions of iOS and devices now, there it's impossible to test on them all, but we are dedicated to fixing any issues quickly.  Thank you.

## Key features

- Stroke order and positioning checker
- Full stroke order animations
- Leitner-Spaced Repetition System (SRS)
- Memorize Hiragana and Katakana
- Writing skill grading

## Recent user reviews (10 of 12)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-practice/id401989350/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Exactly what I was looking for - PERFECT!

*2022-07-31, version 3.9*

I finally found a Kana WRITING Practice tool, which is what this application should be called. Then I would have found it a lot sooner.
Every other Kana application is focused on READING Kana ONLY, so they only have the option to look at a Kana character and submit the corresponding romaji. But for writing one needs the opposite: show me the romaji and I will enter the Kana. This app does just that. In addition it detects and shows sloppy writing. It also lets you pick an arbitrary set of characters that you can focus on. I could not have asked for a better tool!

### 5/5 — Great for learning strokes

*2013-09-16, version 3.1.5*

Many apps focus on helping you recognize the characters and not necessarily on writing them. This app is very helpful for learning the strokes and helping increase your ability to draw them accurately. The ability to choose sections and decks is incredibly worthwhile!

### 3/5 — Nice, but ...

*2013-03-01, version 1.3*

I like this so far, and it works on my iPad 1 with iOS 5.1.1, but crashes when I try to open on my iPhone 4S with iOS 6.1.2.

**Developer response:** Unfortunately there was no way for me to respond to this until recently, but please contact us at support@rakudasoft.com at anytime if you're having these kind of issues.  Thanks!

### 2/5 — Meh

*2012-08-14, version 1.2.5*

The stroke order in も is incorrect and the number of strokes in そ is incorrect as it should be two in handwritten style. You need to turn the sensitivity down in order for it to accept correct characters but then it is too loose and also accepts incorrect characters. It's odd that it shows you the correct character in normal script but you write them in handwritten script, especially because some characters vary significantly between the two.

### 3/5 — Buggy, but helpful for practicing the kana

*2012-06-19, version 1.2.5*

I was recently looking for something to help me practice writing the kana, and this app fit the bill. 
Pros:
This app allows you to select either hiragana or katakana, and then to designate exactly what to include in your practice session (i am, for instance, only halfway through the hiragana and it allows me to focus just on what i have covered). For each syllable, it gives you the English and you write in the appropriate kana.  Unlike most flash cards that show you one of the kana and the you pronounce it, this app actually helps you work on generating the kana yourself based on the romanji. After using it for a few days, I have found that it is nice to have this additional practice to help me work on both types of memory.
Cons:
This app seems a bit buggy.  I have found that about a third of the time, it does not seem to read what I have written: marking a correctly drawn character as wrong or even indicating that I have drawn a completely different symbol. Additionally, it also does not display things in a true random order, so you will still notice some patterns to the order of the syllables. This is only a bit annoying, as part of the reason I wanted to use this app is to randomly test my knowledge (it is easier to remember the kana in order than it is to pull a random one from memory).

On the whole, I am happy with my purchase.  It is a very useful tool for working on writing the hiragana and katakana properly (it even judges you based on line order and direction) and is decent practice for writing/recall. Perhaps in an update or two some of these issues will be addressed.

### 5/5 — What I needed

*2012-01-09, version 1.2.3*

As a visual/tactile learner this is exactly what I was looking for. It doesn't include sounds, but I can get that elsewhere. The provided symbols aren't drawn as nicely as I would have liked, but the point is to remember the different characters and not specific ways of writing them. I can select which specific characters I want to practice. I'm presented with the Roman characters I need to write, and if I need a reminder I can press a button to see an outline. It's limited but perfect for me.

### 5/5 — Does what it says on the packet

*2011-04-28, version 1.2.3*

This application is pretty basic, but being able to draw the characters really helps me remember them.  That's pretty much all I use it for.  Would be nice if it had sound samples to go with the flash cards.

### 1/5 — Complete crap!

*2011-04-23, version 1.2.3*

Don't waste your buck.  This is completely useless.  You have to draw the characters the exact size and shape as their templates for each character - but their templates are sloppy and inaccurate.  On top of it there is no context, like how to pronounce the character (how hard is it to drop an audio file into each character?) or even how the character is used in words.  It completely removes the act of creating the characters from language - you could be learning how to tag gang symbols for all this program teaches you about Japanese.

### 2/5 — Meh.

*2011-02-02, version 1.2.2*

I bought this to try out the program instead of getting Japanese my way (didn't want to pay full price), and I won't be buying it. All it is is a flashcard program when you practice writing, and if you weren't taught to write the kana in a handwritten font, it won't accept them as right. I guess you could have the outline of it up but then it wouldn't be much practice. If I wanted flash cards I would just make them. I just was not too impressed with the format of the program, and so I bought kanji ls touch instead of Japanese my way. If you are looking for just a flashcard program though, this is a good buy.

### 5/5 — My New Fave

*2010-12-01, version 1.2*

Wish I had found this sooner.  As the other reviewer said... simple but fun.  Love that you get a % score of how well you drew the character.  Great app!

## Frequently asked questions about Kana Practice

### What is the learning methodology used by Kana Practice?

Kana Practice utilizes the Leitner-Spaced Repetition System (SRS) for flashcards, which prioritizes cards you struggle with. It also includes a unique stroke checker for writing practice, grading your stroke order and positioning against original strokes.

### How does Kana Practice help with writing skill?

Kana Practice features a stroke checker that analyzes your stroke order and positioning for each Kana character. It provides feedback and a pass/fail based on how closely your writing matches the correct strokes, ensuring accuracy in your practice.

### What is the price of Kana Practice?

Kana Practice is a paid application, available for a one-time purchase of $0.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscriptions required to access its full features.

### What devices is Kana Practice available on?

Kana Practice is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. It is designed to run on Apple's iOS operating system.

### How often is Kana Practice updated?

The latest version of Kana Practice is 3.9, which was last updated on March 31, 2020. While updates may not be frequent, the developer is dedicated to fixing issues.

### What is the age rating for Kana Practice?

Kana Practice has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for children aged 4 and older, making it accessible for younger learners as well.

### How does Kana Practice compare to other Japanese learning apps?

Kana Practice offers a specialized focus on Hiragana and Katakana with its unique stroke checker and SRS. This provides a targeted approach to mastering the foundational Japanese alphabets, which may differ from broader language learning apps.

### Does Kana Practice offer offline play?

The provided information does not specify whether Kana Practice supports offline play. However, its core functionality of learning and practicing alphabets typically does not require a constant internet connection.

## Version history (last 1 release)

### 3.9 — 2020-03-31

Added support for dark mode.

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## More apps by Ray Price

- [Japanese My Way](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japanese-my-way/id327250496)
- [Kanji Renshuu](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-renshuu/id571709155)
- [Gramma](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gramma/id1149212963)
- [Where Was I At?](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/where-was-i-at/id1440690364)

All apps by Ray Price: https://appshunter.io/developer/327250499

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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 2026-06-10.*