KanaRead

David Badin

About this app

KanaRead is a clean, distraction-free way to learn to *read* hiragana and katakana — the two basic Japanese alphabets — by practicing on real words.

Instead of drilling isolated symbols, KanaRead shows you a word written in kana and asks you to type its reading in romaji. You build kana fluency the same way children do: by reading actual words, getting instant feedback, and slowly speeding up.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Practice hiragana, katakana, or both mixed together.
• Type the romaji reading and check your answer instantly.
• Track your best score, average response time, and progress per mode.
• Switch between light and dark themes.
• Pick up where you left off — your records are saved on your device.

WHY KANAREAD
• 100% offline — no internet, no account, no sign-up.
• No ads, no tracking, no personal data collected.
• Lightweight: under a few megabytes, fast on any modern Android device.
• Modern Material You design that adapts to your system theme.
• Built and maintained as a personal project — feedback always welcome.

WHO IT'S FOR
• Beginners who already know a few kana and want to read words confidently.
• Self-learners who don't want yet another social/gamified language app.
• Anyone preparing for JLPT N5 / N4 reading practice.
• Travellers wanting to read Japanese signs, menus, and product labels.

KanaRead does not teach grammar or vocabulary meaning. It focuses on one thing — recognising kana fast — and tries to do that one thing well.

PRIVACY-FIRST
KanaRead works completely offline. There is no analytics, no ads, no cloud sync. Your scores stay on your phone.

Have a suggestion or found a typo? Reach out at [e-mail].

がんばって！(Ganbatte! — Good luck!)

What’s new

Release v1.0
20.05.2026