Frequently Asked Questions

Japanese has three writing systems. Hiragana (e.g., あ, い, う) is the primary phonetic script used for grammatical particles, verb endings, and native Japanese words. Katakana (e.g., ア, イ, ウ) is a sharper phonetic script used specifically for foreign loanwords, technical terms, and sound effects (onomatopoeia).

Yes, Sakana Drill is 100% free. I am committed to keeping this platform entirely free of charge, with no paid tiers, locked features, hidden fees, or intrusive advertisements.

Kana is the phonetic foundation of the entire language. Mastering Hiragana and Katakana is the first essential step to pronouncing, reading, and writing Japanese. While Kanji represents meanings, it is always read phonetically using Kana. Sakana targets rapid phonetic recall to build your initial fluency.

In Words Mode, Numbers Mode, and Cities Mode, we display Kanji alongside the Kana readings. This helps you associate the phonetic spellings you write with their real-world written symbols (e.g., linking the reading juu with the symbol 十 for 10). It bridges phonetic mastery with visual vocabulary.

In English, numbers are grouped by thousands (1,000 = thousand, 1,000,000 = million). In Japanese, large numbers are grouped by 10,000 (万 / man). For example, 100,000 is written and read as 10 ten-thousands (十万 / juu man). Translating these in your head requires practice, which is why we built the dedicated Numbers Mode.

Cities Mode is a geography-focused spelling mode. You are shown a Japanese city's Kanji, Kana reading, and a cultural or historical clue, and you must spell the name of the city in Romaji (e.g., typing niigata for 新潟 / にいがた). The direct city names are hidden from the clues to challenge your memory. It drills all 80 designated, core, and specialty cities in Japan.

You customize a session size and deck in the parameters sidebar. During a run, type the matching Romaji reading or numerals translation and hit Enter or Space to submit. If you make a mistake, that card is logged so you can review and practice it in the recap.

The Speed Leaderboard measures your completion speed in milliseconds. To qualify, you must complete a session with 100% accuracy (0 mistakes) for finite sizes (10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 cards). This encourages both speed and absolute correctness.

It acts as a built-in Japanese input method (IME) that converts your typed Romaji characters into Hiragana or Katakana on the fly (e.g., typing ha turns into は, and ssen becomes っせん). You don't need a Japanese keyboard layout installed on your device to practice spelling drills directly in Japanese script. We also auto-resolve trailing n characters so that inputs like hassen match and advance instantly once the single n is typed.