Best Nihongo Kana Apps

210+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated June 2026

Out of 210+ nihongo kana 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 Nihongo Kana

NihonGo: Hiragana & Katakana#1

NihonGo: Hiragana & Katakana by Nikita Khvatov

Learn Japanese Hiragana
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
5.0(4 ratings)
Free
NihonGo: Hiragana & Katakana screenshot 1
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NihonGo: Hiragana & Katakana screenshot 3
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NihonGo: Hiragana & Katakana screenshot 5
NihonGo: Hiragana & Katakana screenshot 6

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with interactive lessons and multiple practice modes. Designed for beginners, it offers offline learning and progress tracking with native audio. Learn to read and write basic Japanese words effectively.

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji#2

Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji by Luli Languages LLC

Hiragana, Kanji, and Grammar
Strong Contender
📚 Education
4.8😊(22K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 1
Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 2
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Japanese!! Learn Kana & Kanji screenshot 5

Master Japanese writing with comprehensive lessons for Hiragana and Katakana. Build vocabulary and grammar skills through engaging quizzes and spaced repetition. Practice reading and writing with audio pronunciation, all offline.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great language application
  • 🚀 Fantastic app to learn hiragana characters
  • 👍 Helpful and useful for beginners
  • 👍 Well-balanced mix of lessons

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Lacks explanations for some concepts
  • 🐛 Confusing wording in explanations
  • 🐛 Not enough example sentences
Nihongo no Kana#3

Nihongo no Kana by Xhaleera

Learn Japanese
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.8(74 ratings)
Free
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Master the fundamentals of Japanese writing with this app. It teaches the 92 basic signs and their derivatives from the Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries, essential for beginners.

More Nihongo Kana apps to explore

4
Kana - Hiragana and Katakana
Kana - Hiragana and Katakana
Kana - Hiragana and Katakana
Learn Japanese ‱ quiz & draw
Free

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with this app. It offers customizable tables, drawing practice, and various quiz modes including handwriting recognition. Track your learning progress and set study reminders to effectively learn the Japanese alphabets.

Customizable Kana tablesDrawing practiceMultiple quiz modes
📚 Education
(10K)
ad-supported
5
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana
MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana
Free Beginner Kana Practices
Free

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with this engaging app. It offers authentic pronunciation, diverse practice methods, and vocabulary building to make learning enjoyable and effective. Start your Japanese journey with a supportive mascot and smart learning tools.

Learn all Hiragana and Katakana charactersAuthentic Japanese voice recordings14 practice varieties
📚 Education
(15K)
free with in-app purchases
6
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
7
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
8
kawaiiNihongo - Learn Japanese
kawaiiNihongo - Learn Japanese
kawaiiNihongo - Learn Japanese
Learn Kana, Kanji and Grammar!
Free

Learn Japanese for free with engaging flashcards, games, and story-driven lessons. Master Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, and grammar through interactive exercises and native speaker audio. Customize your learning experience and progress at your own pace.

Learn Hiragana and KatakanaJLPT N5 grammar and KanjiOver 450 learning cards
📚 Education
(1K)
free with in-app purchases
9
Learn Japanese: Kana & Kanji
Learn Japanese: Kana & Kanji
Learn Japanese: Kana & Kanji
Study JLPT, Hiragana, Katakana
Free

Master Japanese vocabulary and kanji with a smart learning algorithm. This app offers thousands of words, example sentences, and custom categories. Track your progress with detailed statistics and study offline.

Thousands of Japanese words and phrasesSmart learning algorithmExample sentences
📚 Education
(252)
free with in-app purchases
10
MOJiKana: Hiragana & Katakana
MOJiKana: Hiragana & Katakana
MOJiKana: Hiragana & Katakana
Beginner Cute Kana Practices
Free

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with this beginner-friendly app. Features include pronunciation guides, writing tutorials with stroke order, basic vocabulary, and diverse practice exercises with an intelligent review system for effective learning.

Pronunciation guidance with native audioAnimated writing tutorials with stroke orderBasic vocabulary learning in context
🔍 Reference
(123)
free
11
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
12
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyƍ
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyƍ
Learn Japanese Kanji: Benkyƍ
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
13
Kana Mind: Katakana & Hiragana
Kana Mind: Katakana & Hiragana
Kana Mind: Katakana & Hiragana
Memorize the Japanese Kana!
Free

Learn to recognize and write Japanese Katakana and Hiragana characters through an educational game. It uses an intelligent algorithm to teach character combinations and track your progress, ensuring long-term retention. Ideal for beginners and those looking to maintain fluency.

Learn Katakana and HiraganaIntelligent memorization algorithmTracks progress and stats
📚 Education
(41)
free
14
Kana - hiragana + katakana
Kana - hiragana + katakana
Kana - hiragana + katakana
Learn Japanese alphabet
Free

Master the Japanese writing systems with this app. It offers interactive lessons for learning, pronouncing, and writing hiragana and katakana, complete with audio pronunciation and stroke order guides.

Learn hiragana and katakanaAudio pronunciation for each symbolPractice writing with finger
📚 Education
(377)
free with in-app purchases
15
Kana - type japanese
Kana - type japanese
Kana - type japanese
Kana keyboard practice app
Free

Master Japanese hiragana typing with interactive exercises and a built-in keyboard. Learn new characters and vocabulary while improving speed and accuracy. Offers daily challenges and instant feedback for efficient practice.

Real-time typing practiceBuilt-in hiragana keyboardLearn while typing
📚 Education
(37)
free with in-app purchases
16
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 jƍyƍ 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 jƍyƍ kanjisMaster 10,000 Japanese wordsPractice Hiragana and Katakana
📚 Education
(299)
free
17
Real Kana
Real Kana
Real Kana
Learn Hiragana and Katakana
$2.99

Master Japanese kana with interactive learning modes. Practice with keyboard, slideshow, or swipe, and focus on challenging characters. Enjoy native pronunciation and track your progress with basic scoring in a clean, distraction-free environment.

Keyboard, slideshow, and swipe modesRepeat problem charactersNative pronunciation
📚 Education
(37)
free
18
Kana Quiz Flashcard
Kana Quiz Flashcard
Kana Quiz Flashcard
Master Hiragana and Katakana
Free

Learn and master Hiragana and Katakana with interactive quizzes and flashcards. Practice listening and reading skills with organized lessons and basic word associations. Study offline for flexible learning anytime, anywhere.

Sound-to-Text quizzesText-to-Sound quizzesOrganized learning groups
📚 Education
(2)
free with in-app purchases
19
Kanji Garden Japanese
Kanji Garden Japanese
Kanji Garden Japanese
Grow your kanji knowledge
Free

This app helps Japanese language learners master kanji through personalized study plans and spaced repetition. It focuses on understanding kanji components for easier recognition and retention, with smart reviewing and detailed progress tracking.

Personalized study plansSpaced repetition systemContextual vocabulary testing
📚 Education
(746)
free
20
Japanese Kana Card
Japanese Kana Card
Japanese Kana Card
Simple and practical
Free

This app helps strengthen memory of Japanese kana through a card-based system. It's designed for learners who already have a basic understanding of the Japanese writing system.

Kana card memorizationMemory strengtheningPractical learning tool
📚 Education
(10)
free