Read
See the Japanese word with its kana reading on top, pick the English from four answers.
WORLD 3 · 日本語
Japanese vocabulary game
WRDLRNR is a free Japanese vocabulary game that runs in your browser. Built like a Japanese arcade game, it has you race the clock to match Japanese words with English and beat a boss for every topic. It covers 3,195 words from JLPT N5 to N3, with the kana reading above every word.
In the game: Start, pick a mode, then the Japanese world.
3,195Japanese words
N5 to N3JLPT levels
Kanareadings on every word
Freeno download, no sign-up
JLPT levels
The words, level by level
Every word has its English meaning, part of speech and topic. A few real examples from each level:
N5 Beginner · 672 words
Time, family, the body and first verbs.
時間time電話telephone車car書くto write早いearlyN4 Elementary · 633 words
Feelings, plans and the words of daily life.
世界world島island心配worry今夜tonight連絡contactN3 Intermediate · 1,890 words
The bridge to native material: books, shows and news.
城castle愛love金money, metal教えteachings暮れyear's end
ゲーム How you play
Three ways to drill Japanese
Three modes: Practice (pick your levels, parts of speech and topics), Arcade (a map of levels with stars and boss fights) and Marathon (one endless run for a high score). Each round uses one of these games:
Recall
See the English, pick the Japanese. Readings sit over the kanji, so you can play before you know them all.
Match
Five Japanese words, five English ones. Tap the pairs. Every match slides a new pair in.
Plus: readings on every word
Every word shows its kana reading above the kanji, and a natural Japanese voice says it out loud. No Gender game: Japanese nouns have no gender.
In Practice and Arcade rounds:
- +1 second for every right answer, 2 seconds off for a miss.
- 10 in a row adds 5 seconds. 20 in a row is a Super streak.
- Miss a word 3 times and it drags you into Purgatory.
ボス 19 topics, 20 bosses
A boss for every topic
In Arcade Mode every level ends in a boss fight: three hearts, a 7 second timer on every word and a Rage twist for the last 10 words. Word Golem guards the Core levels, the Grab-Bag Goblin guards the mixed levels, and every topic has its own boss.
- Core words Word Golem
- Family and People Auntie Gossip
- Food and Drink Chef Chomp
- Home Dust Bunny
- Time Clock Oni
- Travel Lost Luggage
- City Traffic Titan
- Work Overtime Ogre
- Money and Shopping Cashzilla
- Education Professor Pop Quiz
- Health and Body Germ King
- Feelings Mood Swing
- Free Time Couch Potato King
- Exercise and Sports Coach Crunch
- Nature and Weather Typhoon Tengu
- Animals Neko Shogun
- Clothing Sock Thief
- Tech and Media Glitch Lord
- Society The Bureaucrat
- Grab bag Grab-Bag Goblin
Built to make words stick
Missed words come back
A word you miss returns within three questions and leads your next round. Spaced review, without the flashcard chore.
Recall, not rereading
Every answer is a quick test of your memory. Retrieval practice like this beats rereading lists.
Your trouble words
WRDLRNR keeps every word you have played, worst first, and lets you drill just the ones you keep missing.
Questions
Is the Japanese vocabulary game free?
Yes. WRDLRNR is free to play in any web browser on a phone, tablet or computer. There is nothing to download and no account needed. Signing in with Google is optional and only syncs your progress between devices.
Which JLPT levels does it cover?
JLPT N5, N4 and N3: N5 (672 words), N4 (633 words) and N3 (1,890 words). That is 3,195 words. N2 and N1 are not in the game yet.
Do I need to know kanji or kana to play?
Kanji, no: every word shows its kana reading above it. It helps to read hiragana and katakana first, since the readings are written in kana.
Can I use it to study for the JLPT?
Yes, for the vocabulary section. Pick N5, N4 or N3 in Practice Mode, then drill the words you miss until they are fast. WRDLRNR does not teach grammar or listening practice for the test.
Does it say the Japanese words out loud?
Yes. A natural Japanese voice reads every word, so you learn the sound with the kanji and the reading.
Why does it look like a Japanese arcade game?
On purpose. WRDLRNR borrows from rhythm and arcade games: timers, streaks, bosses with Japanese names and big effects. It makes vocabulary practice fast enough to feel like a game.