Best Japanese Learning Apps for Speaking, Grammar and Kanji

Speaking Japanese involves choosing particles, verb endings and the right level of politeness while you form an answer. ChickyTutor gives you guided practice using those choices aloud. You can also find tools here for grammar explanations, character study and listening.

Guided speaking and feedback: ChickyTutor

ChickyTutor Japanese practice gives you sentences to translate into Japanese, with feedback on your answers and help when you get stuck. The tutor leads the practice at your level.

Beginners can work on short sentences and familiar verb forms. Intermediate learners can practise connecting ideas and using more varied sentence patterns. Advanced practice can focus on nuance and choosing wording that suits the person you are speaking to. Ask for an explanation or another attempt whenever you need it.

Use native recordings for pitch accent and pronunciation, and check uncertain politeness or register advice with a teacher or trusted reference. AI feedback can make mistakes.

Try guided Japanese speaking practice.

Grammar explanations and lesson paths

LingoDeer

LingoDeer Japanese combines sequenced lessons with grammar notes and native-speaker audio. It suits beginners who want explanations alongside compact exercises rather than learning mainly through trial and error.

Most course access requires payment. Try the available material before subscribing, and still schedule open listening and speaking outside its guided tasks.

Bunpro

Bunpro organizes Japanese grammar by level, with explanations, example sentences, and review. Its current materials cover grammar from beginner through advanced JLPT bands, so it can help you diagnose a recurring particle or sentence-pattern error.

Grammar recognition is not spontaneous use. After each review, say one personal example and check disputed nuance with a teacher or another trusted reference.

Kanji reading and vocabulary: WaniKani

WaniKani is a focused kanji and vocabulary system built around lessons, mnemonics, and scheduled reviews. Choose it when recognizing kanji readings is the bottleneck that stops you from reading.

It is deliberately narrow. It does not replace kana practice, grammar, listening, or conversation, and its review queue can become demanding if you add lessons too quickly.

Listening and dialogue lessons

JapanesePod101

JapanesePod101 offers a large library of audio and video lessons, dialogue breakdowns, notes, and level pathways. Pick one pathway if you want short explanations and repeated native dialogue.

The catalogue is easy to browse and easy to scatter across. Follow one sequence, and confirm which tools are included in the current subscription before paying.

NHK Easy Japanese

NHK World's Easy Japanese lessons provide free situational lessons with audio and cultural context. They are a useful secondary source when you want a small amount of practical Japanese from a public broadcaster.

The lesson set is finite and is not an adaptive course. Shadow one short exchange, then reuse its pattern with a different place, time, or request.

A daily study habit: Duolingo

Duolingo Japanese is useful for short daily lessons and early exposure to all three writing systems. Its character tools make it a reasonable free starting point if maintaining a habit is your first problem.

The course is not a complete guide to Japanese politeness, natural conversation, or pronunciation. Read each answer aloud, then make one new sentence without the word bank.

Japanese appeared in Duolingo's official course selector when checked on August 8, 2026. The course also has dedicated practice for hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

Choose your next practice session

Choose the part of Japanese you want to work on this week. For speaking, start guided practice in ChickyTutor at your level. If kanji is slowing your reading, try WaniKani; for a grammar question, consult Bunpro or a LingoDeer lesson. Keep listening to Japanese audio alongside your speaking practice.

Start Japanese speaking practice.