Best Kanji Lookup Apps

220+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated July 2026

Out of 220+ kanji lookup apps on iOS, 19 are free and the rest sit in the paid tier. This page sorts them so you can compare both sides before you commit.

Top Picks for Kanji Lookup

Kanji Lookup#1

Kanji Lookup by telethon k.k.

Editor's Choice
🔍 Reference
4.7😊(3K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Kanji Lookup screenshot 1
Kanji Lookup screenshot 2
Kanji Lookup screenshot 3
Kanji Lookup screenshot 4
Kanji Lookup screenshot 5

Quickly find the meaning and pronunciation of unknown Kanji characters by drawing them. This app focuses on fast, easy lookup without complex methods, offering definitions and relevant word examples. It also supports keyboard and pasteboard searches.

What We Love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Accurate kanji recognition
  • 💡 Comprehensive kanji information
  • 👍 Helpful for learning Japanese

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional recognition issues
  • 💰 Ads can be intrusive
  • 🐛 Camera function not reliable
Shirabe Jisho#2

Shirabe Jisho by Blazej Stanek

Offline dictionary and more
Strong Contender
🔍 Reference
4.9😊(8.6K ratings)
Free
Shirabe Jisho screenshot 1
Shirabe Jisho screenshot 2
Shirabe Jisho screenshot 3
Shirabe Jisho screenshot 4
Shirabe Jisho screenshot 5

This app provides a comprehensive offline Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionary. It includes extensive entries, kanji details with stroke order, name databases, and example sentences. Features handwriting recognition and advanced search options for efficient language learning.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Comprehensive dictionary with many features
  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Ability to draw kanji for lookup
  • 🚀 Offline functionality

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Search history can get cluttered
  • 👎 Lack of pitch accent information
  • 👎 Some example sentences are of poor quality
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary#3

Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary by Nomad AI OU

with Optical Recognition
Worth Considering
🔍 Reference
4.7😊(1.1K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary screenshot 1
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary screenshot 2
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary screenshot 3
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary screenshot 4
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary screenshot 5
Yomiwa - Japanese Dictionary screenshot 6

This app helps you read, write, and learn Japanese with a powerful dictionary, offline OCR, and interactive flashcards. It offers advanced text analysis and a unique social feature for community support.

What We Love

  • 👍 Helpful for looking up words
  • 🚀 Excellent OCR and kanji recognition
  • 💡 Convenient features like flashcards and word lists
  • 👍 Comprehensive dictionary with good example sentences

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable text recognition, especially for complex layouts
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs reported by some users
  • 💰 Expensive premium version

More Kanji Lookup apps to explore

4
Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!
Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!
Kanji Study - Learn Japanese!
Learn via vocab, JLPT N5–N1
Free

This app teaches Japanese kanji by focusing on vocabulary words. It offers writing practice with stroke detection and spaced repetition reviews for effective memorization. Learn kanji readings naturally through over 5,000 JLPT-aligned words.

Vocabulary-first kanji learningWriting lessons with stroke detectionSpaced repetition reviews
📚 Education
(6.8K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Japanese
Japanese
Japanese
More than a dictionary
Free

This comprehensive language learning tool offers an extensive dictionary with over 175,000 entries and 58,000 example sentences. It includes advanced features like handwriting recognition, conjugation search, and a text reader, alongside flashcard study tools and JLPT-specific lists. Learn Japanese offline with this pocket-sized study companion.

Extensive dictionary with 175,000+ entries58,000+ example sentencesHandwriting recognition for kanji/kana
🔍 Reference
(3.4K)
paid
6
Kanji Lookup Pro
Kanji Lookup Pro
Kanji Lookup Pro
by telethon k.k.
$1.99

Quickly find the meaning and pronunciation of Japanese Kanji by drawing them on your screen. Access definitions, relevant words, and animated stroke-order diagrams. Ideal for learners seeking a simple and efficient reference tool.

Instantaneous handwriting recognitionSearchable list of relevant wordsAnimated stroke-order diagrams
🔍 Reference
(55)
paid
7
Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo
Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo
Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo
Kanji, kana, vocab and grammar
Free

This app is an offline Japanese study tool that functions as a dictionary, translator, and flashcard creator. It helps users learn Japanese by analyzing text from their surroundings, such as signs and menus, and creating personalized study materials.

Offline Japanese dictionaryPicture-to-text translation (OCR)Automatic flashcard creation
🔍 Reference
(1.8K)
freemium
8
Kanji-Kun
Kanji-Kun
Kanji-Kun
Kanji Lookup and Dictionary
Free

This app helps users learn and look up Kanji characters. It offers multiple search methods, including handwriting and radicals, along with pronunciation, meaning, and stroke order details. A built-in Japanese-English and Japanese-Japanese dictionary and translator are also included.

Kanji lookup by handwriting, radicals, or direct inputPronunciation, meaning, and stroke order displayJapanese-English dictionary
🔍 Reference
(84)
free with in-app purchases
9
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyō
JLPT, Vocab & SRS Flashcards
Free

Master Japanese kanji and vocabulary with AI-powered drills and spaced repetition. Track your progress, practice writing, and review efficiently with customizable quizzes. Works offline for convenient study anytime, anywhere.

AI-powered SRS quizzesHandwriting recognition for kanji practiceOffline access to over 10,000 Kanji
📚 Education
(3.3K)
free with in-app purchases
10
imiwa?
imiwa?
imiwa?
Japanese dictionary
Free

A comprehensive offline Japanese dictionary supporting multiple languages for definitions. It includes kanji information, example sentences, and conjugation tools, making it suitable for learners of all levels.

Offline Japanese dictionaryMultilingual definitionsKanji database
🔍 Reference
(239)
free
11
MOJisho: Japanese Dictionary
MOJisho: Japanese Dictionary
MOJisho: Japanese Dictionary
Learn Japanese more naturally.
Free

This app helps millions of Japanese learners by providing extensive vocabulary and recognition for Kana, Kanji, and Romaji. It offers advanced search, handwriting and image recognition for quick input, sentence translation, and personalized learning tools like word lists and spaced repetition.

Kana, Kanji, Romaji recognitionExtensive vocabulary databaseHandwriting and image input
🔍 Reference
(1.4K)
free with in-app purchases
12
Kanji Draw
Kanji Draw
Kanji Draw
Practice writing and reading
Free

Master Japanese Kanji with interactive study and quiz modes. Learn through association, writing practice, and reading comprehension exercises. Features native speaker audio and real-world word examples to prepare you for exams.

Interactive Kanji writing practiceReading comprehension quizzesAssociate kanji with images/stories
📚 Education
(15)
free with in-app purchases
13
French Conjugation.
French Conjugation.
French Conjugation.
Vatefaireconjuguer
Free

Easily conjugate French verbs in any tense or mood. This tool provides instant conjugations for thousands of verbs, supporting searches with or without accents. Its simple interface makes it ideal for learners and fluent speakers alike.

Conjugate any French verbAll tenses and moodsThousands of verbs indexed
📚 Education
(2.8K)
free
14
Simple Furigana
Simple Furigana
Simple Furigana
Add Furigana to Japanese Text
Free

Easily add ruby characters (furigana) to Japanese text. This app supports both hiragana and romaji annotations for kanji, and works with both vertical and horizontal layouts. Share or print your annotated text, or use the extension to add furigana directly within other apps like Safari.

Add furigana to Japanese textSupports hiragana and romajiVertical and horizontal layouts
🔧 Utilities
(245)
free with in-app purchases
15
Kanji Camera - Reading Search
Kanji Camera - Reading Search
Kanji Camera - Reading Search
by Yuki Mishima
Free

Instantly identify and look up kanji characters in real-time using your device's camera. Perfect for deciphering unfamiliar kanji encountered while reading books or other materials.

Real-time kanji recognitionSearch kanji instantlyUse with books and other materials
🔍 Reference
(0)
ad-supported
16
DaKanji
DaKanji
DaKanji
by Dario Klepoch
Free

Learn Japanese with this comprehensive tool. Look up words in a multi-language dictionary, identify Kanji by drawing them, and add pronunciation guides to text. Organize your studies with custom word lists and practice with audio and mnemonics.

Kanji recognition by drawingMulti-language dictionaryFurigana addition to text
📚 Education
(12)
free
17
Learn Japanese Kanji and Kana
Learn Japanese Kanji and Kana
Learn Japanese Kanji and Kana
Learning Hiragana & Katakana
Free

Master Japanese writing with interactive lessons for Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Practice stroke order, writing, and pronunciation with animated guides and feedback. Unlock comprehensive content and track your progress.

Handwriting practice for Kana and KanjiAnimated stroke order guidancePronunciation audio
📚 Education
(2K)
free with in-app purchases
18
Kanji Teacher - Learn Japanese
Kanji Teacher - Learn Japanese
Kanji Teacher - Learn Japanese
Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana
Free

Master Japanese reading and writing with this comprehensive app. It covers all 2,136 jōyō kanjis, 10,000 common Japanese words, and includes practice for Hiragana and Katakana. Features include stroke analysis, intelligent multiple-choice tests, and a Leitner system for efficient learning.

Learn 2,136 jōyō kanjisMaster 10,000 Japanese wordsPractice Hiragana and Katakana
📚 Education
(299)
free
19
読めないと恥ずかしい漢字
読めないと恥ずかしい漢字
読めないと恥ずかしい漢字
by nullhouse Inc.
Free
📚 Education
(42)
20
小学校の漢字 勉強 : ひとコマ漢字
小学校の漢字 勉強 : ひとコマ漢字
小学校の漢字 勉強 : ひとコマ漢字
Study Kanji writing with Fun!
Free

This app helps elementary school students learn Kanji writing through interactive drills and fun quizzes. It focuses on stroke order and dynamic pen width for beautiful letter formation, aiding in reading comprehension and test preparation.

Kanji writing practiceStroke order guidanceDynamic pen width
📚 Education
(15K)
free with in-app purchases

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