Japanese Typing Practice
61 free lessons, typed in romaji on the keyboard you already have. How Japanese typing works
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平仮名 • The Foundation of Japanese Writing
46 pure syllables, voiced dakuon (ガ〜ポ), and contracted sounds (キャ〜ピョ) for native words.
Hiragana Basics: あ & い
Build muscle memory for the primary vowels "あ" (a) and "い" (i) with alternating repetition and finger alignment.
Hiragana Vowels: う, え, お
Master "う" (u), "え" (e), and "お" (o) using finger guides, pronunciation cues, and stroke order feedback.
All Vowels Drill: あ い う え お
Flawlessly cycle through all five vowels. Form the foundation that powers all 46 Japanese syllables.
The Ka-Line: か, き, く, け, こ
Master the K family: か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke), and こ (ko) with two-key combinations.
The Sa-Line: さ, し, す, せ, そ
Train muscle memory for "さ" (sa), "し" (shi), "す" (su), "せ" (se), and "そ" (so). Note both "shi" and "si" are accepted!
The Ta-Line: た, ち, つ, て, と
Practice the distinctive T sounds including "ち" (chi/ti) and "つ" (tsu/tu). Both standard and IME inputs are supported.
The Na-Line: な, に, ぬ, ね, の
Conquer the N family: な (na), に (ni), ぬ (nu), ね (ne), and の (no) using your right index finger with precision.
The Ha-Line: は, ひ, ふ, へ, ほ
Master は (ha), ひ (hi), ふ (fu/hu), へ (he), and ほ (ho). Note "ふ" can be typed as "fu" or "hu".
The Ma-Line: ま, み, む, め, も
Learn the M family: ま (ma), み (mi), む (mu), め (me), and も (mo) with swift right index finger strokes.
The Ya-Line: や, ゆ, よ
Build agility on the Y row: や (ya), ゆ (yu), and よ (yo). Essential for forming contracted sounds.
The Ra-Line: ら, り, る, れ, ろ
Master ら (ra), り (ri), る (ru), れ (re), and ろ (ro) with quick R-key taps from your left index finger.
Wa, Wo & N: わ, を, ん
Complete the basic 46 Hiragana with わ (wa), grammatical particle を (wo/o), and the syllabic nasal ん (n/nn).
Voiced Dakuten: が, ざ, だ Lines
Type voiced Hiragana: が (ga), ぎ (gi), ぐ (gu), げ (ge), ご (go), ざ (za), じ (ji), ず (zu), ぜ (ze), ぞ (zo), だ (da), で (de), ど (do).
Voiced & Semi-Voiced: ば & ぱ Lines
Practice the Ba-line (ば, び, ぶ, べ, ぼ) and Pa-line with handakuten circle (ぱ, ぴ, ぷ, ぺ, ぽ).
Contracted Sounds I: きゃ, しゃ, ちゃ
Learn to type compound glide digraphs: kya (きゃ, きゅ, きょ), sha (しゃ, しゅ, しょ), and cha (ちゃ, ちゅ, ちょ). Type "kya" directly, or "ki" + "xya".
Contracted Sounds II: にゃ, ひゃ, みゃ, りゃ
Master compounds with に, ひ, み, and り: nya (にゃ, にゅ, にょ), hya (ひゃ, ひゅ, ひょ), mya (みゃ, みゅ, みょ), and rya (りゃ, りゅ, りょ).
Voiced Contracted Sounds: ぎゃ, じゃ, びゃ, ぴゃ
Practice voiced dakuten and handakuten compound syllables: gya (ぎゃ), ja/jya (じゃ), bya (びゃ), and pya (ぴゃ). Essential for numbers like じゅう (10) and everyday words like ぎゅうにゅう (milk).
Contracted Digraphs Drill: All 33 Yōon Sounds
Rapid-fire test through the complete 33 Hiragana contracted digraphs and high-frequency compound vocabulary.
Hiragana Master Fluency: Full Syllabary & Digraphs
Grand master review! Type full Japanese sentences, common words, and contracted sounds across every single Hiragana family.
Full Syllabary Vowel Alternation Drill
Train muscle memory across all 10 consonant rows by cycling through matching vowel columns: A-column, I-column, U-column, E-column, and O-column.
Cross-Keyboard Hand Agility Drill
Develop swift cross-keyboard reflexes. Switch back and forth between left-hand dominant keys (E, R, T, A, S, D, F) and right-hand keys (Y, U, I, O, H, J, K, L, N, M).
Double Consonant Mastery (促音 っ)
Master typing the double consonant stop (促音 っ). Type the following consonant twice (e.g. "tt" for きって, "kk" for がっこう, "pp" for きっぷ, "ss" for ざっし) or type "xtsu".
Grammar Particles & Natural Spacing
Type authentic Japanese sentence clauses connected with grammatical particles: は (topic), を (object), が (subject), に (direction), and で (location).
All 71 Hiragana Mixed Speed Gauntlet
No patterns, no row order. Pure reflex training mixing basic characters (あ〜ん) and voiced characters (が〜ぽ) in random combinations to simulate real typing.
Everyday Phrases & Greeting Expressions
Type essential daily Japanese greetings and polite expressions used every day across Japan.
Classic Japanese Proverbs (ことわざ)
Type timeless Japanese wisdom and idiomatic proverbs (ことわざ) with fluid pacing and rhythm.
Hiragana Grand Master Challenge
The pinnacle test of Hiragana typing mastery. Blends vocabulary, contracted digraphs, small tsu, grammar particles, and conversational greetings in a high-speed sprint.
Real Japanese Typing: Tokyo Daily Life Paragraph
Advance beyond beginner cards into real continuous touch typing. Type authentic multi-sentence passages describing daily life in Tokyo with natural particles and word rhythm.
Real Japanese Typing: Classic Literature Sprint
Experience genuine typing fluency with one of the most celebrated openings in Japanese literature (吾輩は猫である): rhythmic, poetic, and uninterrupted.
Japanese Touch-Typing Speed Championship
The ultimate Japanese typing mastery gauntlet. Unbroken multi-sentence paragraph combining verbs, particles, loanwords, greetings, and high-speed dexterity.
Folklore: The Tale of Momotarō (ももたろう)
Type Japan’s most famous folk tale in authentic continuous Hiragana. Follow Momotarō, the brave boy born from a river peach, as he befriends a faithful dog, monkey, and pheasant.
Folklore: Princess Kaguya (かぐやひめ)
Type the ethereal opening passages of Japan’s oldest narrative prose: the discovery of Princess Kaguya, the miraculous infant found inside a luminescent stalk of mountain bamboo.
Motivational Speech: The Kaizen Mindset (かいぜんのちから)
Type an inspiring motivational speech about steady progress. Even the smallest daily step compounds into life-changing mastery when guided by resilience.
Cultural Article: Serenity of the Japanese Garden (にほんのていえん)
Type an evocative article describing the contemplative beauty of Japanese traditional gardens: lush moss, swimming koi, and serene stone paths.
Motivational Speech: Walk Your Own Path (じぶんのみちをあるく)
An inspiring Japanese speech encouraging confidence in your unique journey. Never compare yourself to others—trust your inner light.
Folklore: The Grateful Sparrow (したきりすずめ)
Type the famous moral fable of the kind old man who nursed a wild sparrow and received blessings of fortune through humility.
How Japanese typing works
Most Japanese is typed on an ordinary keyboard. You type each sound in romaji, your computer turns it into kana as you go, and you press Space when you want kanji.
- 1
Type the sound
Type ka and you get か. Type sushi and you get すし.
- 2
Kana appear as you type
A Japanese input method (IME) turns each syllable into hiragana, or into katakana when you switch to it.
- 3
Space for kanji, Enter to keep it
Type the reading, press Space to choose from the kanji that match, then press Enter.
This course practises the first two steps: you type romaji and it checks every kana. In the kanji lessons you type each kanji’s reading; it doesn’t simulate choosing kanji with Space.
Spellings worth knowing
| You type | You get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| nn | ん | A single n works before most consonants. Use nn before a vowel or y: kanni gives かんい, kani gives かに. |
| kitte | きって | Double the next consonant to get a small っ. |
| xa · ltu | ぁ · っ | Put x or l in front of a kana to type its small form on its own. |
| ko-hi- | コーヒー | The hyphen key gives the long-vowel mark ー, used mostly in katakana. |
| wo | を | Type wo for を, the object particle. |
| ha · he | は · へ | Particles are typed as written, not as said: は is pronounced wa but typed ha. |
| sha/sya · chi/ti · tsu/tu | しゃ · ち · つ | Both Hepburn and Kunrei-style spellings work in standard input methods. |
The course accepts Hepburn and Kunrei-style spellings and n or nn for ん. It also accepts wa for は, e for へ and o for を, so typing by sound isn’t marked wrong; a real input method needs ha, he and wo.
What the course covers
61 lessons, 36 in hiragana, 16 in katakana and 9 with kanji, in this order:
- Lessons 1–27HiraganaVowels first, then each consonant row, voiced sounds, contracted sounds like きゃ, and short words.
- Lessons 28–38KatakanaThe katakana chart, voiced sounds and loanwords such as カメラ.
- Lessons 39–41First kanjiNumbers, nature and elements, typed by their readings.
- Lessons 42–44Continuous typingLonger lines of continuous text instead of single words.
- Lessons 45–61Reading passages17 folk tales, speeches and articles in hiragana, katakana and kanji.
Type Japanese on your own device
To type Japanese outside this course, add a Japanese keyboard (input method). It is built into every major system.
- Windows 11
- Settings → Time & language → Language & region → Add a language → Japanese. Switch keyboards with Windows + Space, and turn kana input on or off with Alt + `.
- Mac
- System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit → + → Japanese – Romaji. Switch with Control + Space or the Globe key.
- iPhone and iPad
- Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Japanese → Romaji.
- Android
- In Gboard’s settings, open Languages → Add keyboard → Japanese, then pick a QWERTY layout.
Menu names can differ a little between system versions.
Questions
Do I need a Japanese keyboard or input method?
No. You type romaji on the keyboard you already have, and the course checks each kana. An on-screen keyboard shows which finger to use, and you can switch between QWERTY and Dvorak layouts.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
It’s free and works without an account. Your progress saves in this browser. If you sign in, you can sync it to your account and see it on your profile.
I can already read hiragana. Can I skip ahead?
Yes. The first hiragana, katakana and kanji lessons are open from the start, and so are several reading passages. Other lessons unlock as you finish the one before, and you can still open a locked lesson after confirming.
How are speed and stars worked out?
Speed is words per minute, counting five correct keystrokes as one word. Every finished lesson earns at least one star. Two stars need 80% accuracy, three need 90%, four need 95% at the lesson’s target speed, and five need 98% at 1.2 times the target. Target speeds run from 15 to 40 WPM.
Why does the course accept wa for は?
So that typing by sound isn’t marked wrong while you learn. The lessons point out that the particle は is typed ha, and a real input method needs ha: typing wa gives わ.
Will this help with the JLPT?
Not directly: the JLPT doesn’t test typing. Typing practice does build quick kana recognition and the link between each character and its sound, which helps with reading. Pair it with reading and vocabulary practice.