Best apps to learn Japanese vocabulary
WaniKani for kanji and the words written with them; Memrise for the most everyday words, from clips of native speakers, in kanji or in romaji; Lingvist or Drops if you are starting from kana; uTalk for words by topic, spoken first; and Clozemaster for words in whole sentences once you can read.
Prices checked 6 Sept to 13 Oct 2026 · How we check
How many Japanese words each app says it teaches, and in which script
Each app's drill in a line, its Japanese course and its size as its maker states them, what it teaches of the writing, how to try it and its cheapest yearly plan.
- WaniKani
A short lesson on a few radicals, kanji or words, each with a mnemonic for its meaning and reading, then reviews of each one, spaced further apart as you remember it.
- Memrise
Short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review.
- Lingvist
Fill in the missing word in a sentence while the app adapts to what you already know.
- Drops
Five-minute picture games that teach words by topic.
- uTalk
Picture games for words and phrases by topic, with native-speaker audio.
- Clozemaster
Fill in the missing word in real sentences, in quick rounds.
- Skritter
Learn a character's meaning, reading and tone, then write it on the screen stroke by stroke and get graded as you go; the ones you get wrong come back sooner.
- MosaLingua
Flashcards of everyday words and phrases with audio: recall each one, rate yourself, and MosaLingua schedules the next review; dialogues and listening practice sit alongside.
Our picks
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Best for your first Japanese words, spoken first
uTalk
Vocabulary and flashcards
$24.99 or $29.99 a yearfor Japanese alone, or $3.99 or $4.99 month to month; uTalk's page shows the lower or the higher price from visit to visit
Why it's here. Phrase and vocabulary games with native-speaker audio in many languages. Works offline.
Free: Starter Words, a free 26-word pack in every language, plus an online demo at demo.utalk.com.
Skip it if you want to build sentences and learn grammar: it teaches words and phrases.
160 languages · offline lessons
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Best for Japanese words in sentences, once you can read
Clozemaster
Vocabulary and flashcards
$79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly
Why it's here. Fill-in-the-blank sentences make you recall words in context instead of recognising them on a flashcard. It is useful extra practice once you already know the basics.
Free: Up to 30 sentences a day; Pro adds unlimited play and advanced features.
Skip it if you are starting from zero: it is sentence practice, not a course.
71 languages · offline lessons
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Best free start
Drops
Vocabulary and flashcards
FreeFree access capped at 5 minutes of play every 10 hours, with topics unlocked one at a time through gameplay.
Why it's here. A free account with limits. Five-minute visual vocabulary sessions.
Paid upgrade: $69.99 a year ($5.83 a month, billed yearly)
Skip it if you want more than vocabulary, or more than 5 minutes every 10 hours without paying.
55 languages · offline lessons
8 of the 52 apps we cover are vocabulary apps that teach Japanese.
Each maker counts in its own unit (words, kanji, words and phrases, or sentences), so each size on this page is the app's own figure, not a common measure. Japanese adds a question the other languages don't: whether the app teaches you to read the words. WaniKani teaches kanji, Lingvist and Drops start with kana, Memrise lets you learn in kanji or in romaji (Latin letters), uTalk puts speaking first, and Clozemaster expects you to read already.
Every vocabulary app for Japanese, compared
In the order the answer at the top names them. Sort any column or filter by what matters to you.
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| Best for | Free tier | Speech | Tutor | Offline | CEFR | Refund or trial | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary and flashcard apps | ||||||||||||
| WaniKaniVocabulary and flashcards | Learning to read kanji, with mnemonics and reviews | $89 a year$7.42 a month, billed yearly | $9 | $299 | Free sample Levels 1 to 3 are free with no time limit (about 100 kanji and 200 vocabulary words); Level 4 and above need a paid plan. | 1 | — | — | No | — | No separate trial: levels 1 to 3 are free. You can ask for a refund for any reason within 60 days of a payment, on monthly, annual and lifetime plans. | |
| MemriseVocabulary and flashcards | Native-speaker clips and review | $61.99 a year$5.17 a month, billed yearly | $24.99 | $329.99 | Free to keep using Limited free version of the app; the paid plan unlocks the rest. | 149 | Yes | — | No · The current experience needs cloud-based tools | — | 30-day money-back guarantee; monthly plans have a 14-day refund window. Apple purchases require a refund from Apple. | |
| LingvistVocabulary and flashcards | Fast vocabulary with a placement test | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $9.99 | — | Free trial Free level placement before subscribing, and a 14-day free trial on the annual plan; the monthly plan has no trial | 16 | Yes | No | — | — | 14-day free trial on the annual plan; cancel before it ends and you are not charged | |
| DropsVocabulary and flashcards | Five-minute vocabulary sessions | $69.99 a year$5.83 a month, billed yearly | $11 | $150 | Free to keep using Free access capped at 5 minutes of play every 10 hours, with topics unlocked one at a time through gameplay | 55 | — | — | Yes | — | 7-day free trial on the Yearly plan; affiliate terms reference a 14-day refund period | |
| uTalkVocabulary and flashcards | Phrases in 160 languages | $24.99 or $29.99 a yearfor Japanese alone, or $3.99 or $4.99 month to month; uTalk's page shows the lower or the higher price from visit to visit | $3.99 or $4.99for Japanese | — | Free sample Starter Words, a free 26-word pack in every language, plus an online demo at demo.utalk.com | 160 | No | No | Yes | A1 to A2 | 28-day money-back guarantee | |
| ClozemasterVocabulary and flashcards | Free vocabulary practice in context | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $12.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account with up to 30 sentences a day; Pro adds unlimited play and advanced features | 71 | — | — | Yes · on Pro, in the mobile app | — | 30-day money back guarantee on the Yearly plan; no refunds on Monthly plans | |
| SkritterVocabulary and flashcards | Writing Chinese and Japanese characters from memory | $99.99 a year$8.33 a month, billed yearly | $14.99 | — | Free to keep using A guest account keeps free access to selected decks for good; a subscription unlocks review mode and every deck. | 2 | — | — | — | — | A 7-day free trial, then a 30-day money-back guarantee on a first purchase made with Skritter; App Store and Google Play purchases follow Apple's and Google's rules. | |
| MosaLinguaVocabulary and flashcards | The most useful words first, on a review schedule | $71.88 a year$5.99 a month, billed yearly | $9.99 | — | Free trial Free download and a free trial; the full set of features needs a Premium subscription. | 11 | — | — | Yes | — | A free trial first, then a 30-day money-back guarantee on website and Android purchases; not on App Store purchases. | |
Which to choose
You want to read the words, kanji included
WaniKani
WaniKani teaches kanji from their parts, with mnemonics, and then the words written with them: over 2,000 kanji and over 6,000 vocabulary words across 60 levels, by its count. Levels 1 to 3 are free for good (about 100 kanji and 200 words); then it costs $89 a year. It asks you to learn hiragana first and does not teach handwriting: for that, Skritter has you write each character on the screen, stroke by stroke.
You want the most everyday words
Memrise
Memrise says its Japanese course has 5,000+ words, learned from short clips of native speakers with spaced review, in a kanji course or a romaji course in Latin letters. A limited free version comes first; the full app costs $61.99 a year.
You are starting from kana
Lingvist or Drops
Lingvist's Japanese course has 3,107 words; it starts with hiragana and katakana decks, then moves to the easiest kanji, with a 14-day free trial on the yearly plan. Drops teaches 2,000+ Japanese words in five-minute picture games, and teaches katakana, hiragana and kanji too; the free version gives five minutes every ten hours.
You want to speak the words first
uTalk
uTalk's Japanese course has 2,500+ words and phrases in 60+ topics, with native-speaker audio, for $24.99 or $29.99 a year. It puts speaking and listening first and does not teach the three scripts in depth. A 26-word starter pack is free.
You can read and want words in context
Clozemaster
Clozemaster has you fill the missing word in real Japanese sentences, through a 10,000-sentence Fast Track in 10 levels, and says it is most useful once you know the writing and some basic grammar; it is free up to 30 sentences a day.
You want to make your own cards, or start from a shared deck
Anki
Anki brings no Japanese course of its own: you make the flashcards, or download a deck another learner has shared, and Anki brings each card back just before you would forget it. It is free on a computer and Android, with free sync; only the iPhone app, AnkiMobile, is a one-time $24.99 purchase. Anki's own manual warns that a downloaded list of words and translations will not teach you a language: cards made from what you read and hear work better, and a shared deck saves time when it follows a textbook you are using.
Questions people ask
What is the best app to learn Japanese vocabulary?
WaniKani to read kanji and the words written with them, Memrise for the most everyday words (5,000+ by its count), Lingvist or Drops if you are starting from kana, uTalk to speak the words first, and Clozemaster for words in sentences once you can read. Skritter is the one that has you write the characters.
How many Japanese words do these apps teach?
By each maker's own count: WaniKani over 6,000 vocabulary words and over 2,000 kanji, Memrise 5,000+ words, Lingvist 3,107, uTalk 2,500+ words and phrases, Drops 2,000+ words, and Clozemaster a 10,000-sentence Fast Track. MosaLingua and Skritter give no count for Japanese. Each counts in its own unit, so the figures are not a common measure.
Is there a free app for Japanese vocabulary?
WaniKani's first three levels are free for good, Memrise has a limited free version, Clozemaster is free up to 30 sentences a day, Drops gives five minutes every ten hours, uTalk's Starter Words pack of 26 words is free, and Skritter keeps some decks free on a guest account. Lingvist and MosaLingua start with free trials. Anki is free on a computer and Android, with cards you make or download.