Japanese Flashcards

Anki is a spaced-repetition system that schedules each card individually based on your accuracy history. This tool is simpler: you pick a JLPT level, run through every card in a single session, and mark each as 'got it' or 'review'. Your marks persist in browser storage, so the next visit starts from where you left off and prioritises the review pile. It's intentionally lightweight — perfect for the first 200 cards of a new level when you just need fast exposure, not yet an algorithm tuning your schedule. Move to Anki once a level feels comfortable and you want true SRS.

Yes. Click 'Print as PDF (3x2 per page)' and a print-formatted view appears with 6 cards per A4 page laid out as a 3x2 grid. Save as PDF from your print dialog. Each card shows the word, reading, meaning, and a JLPT-level badge, with dashed cut lines between cards so you can scissor the page into physical flashcards. Many students print 2-3 pages, fold them in half for double-sided word/meaning cards, and stick them in a pocket for spare-moment review.

Most flashcard apps flip once between word and meaning. We add an intermediate step that reveals only the reading first. This forces you to (1) recognise the kanji shape, (2) recall the reading aloud, then (3) check the meaning — three retrieval events per card instead of one. Cognitive science research on testing effect shows that splitting the retrieval into smaller validated steps roughly doubles retention vs a single-step flip. Skip step 2 by pressing SPACE twice fast if you're confident.

Yes — locally in your browser. Your 'got it' and 'review' marks per JLPT level are kept in localStorage, which means they persist across visits on the same device and browser but never leave your machine. There's no account required and no data sent to our servers. Trade-off: switching devices means starting fresh. Click 'Restart progress' on the deck picker if you want to wipe the slate.

Realistic ranges based on community data: JLPT N5 (~800 words) in 4-6 weeks at 20 new cards per day. N4 (~1500 words) in 8-10 weeks. N3 (~3700 words) in 4-6 months. N2 (~6000 words) in 8-12 months. N1 (~10,000+ words) in 1-2 years. These assume daily 20-30 minute sessions and consistent review. The biggest factor is review consistency, not daily new-card count — skipping reviews wipes 40% of your retention within a week.

Reading first, then meaning. Recognising the kanji visually and recalling its reading (the second flip state) is the gate skill that makes everything downstream possible — once you can read a word, you'll meet it dozens of times in real text and the meaning will stick from context. Cards that fail at the meaning step but succeed at the reading step should still count as partial wins; mark them 'review' rather than 'got it' and they cycle back at a higher prior.