Kotobask
JLPT N5 – N1 · iPhone
Japanese vocabulary,
one quiz at a time.
1,700 essential words with audio and examples built into the app. Four quiz modes that fit in a train ride. No ads, no account, no subscription.
Free to download · Choose any four decks · iPhone only
Built for the part of vocabulary that actually takes time
Reading a word list is easy. Recalling a word under pressure is not. Kotobask is built around recall, not reading.
Every word comes with context
Move beyond a bare translation. Each word has the information you need to understand, hear, and remember how it is actually used.
- Reading, English meaning, and part of speech
- A complete example sentence with English translation
- Audio for both the word and its example
- Recent answers and mastery shown together
Every example becomes a question
Choose the exact word form that fits the blank, then review the complete sentence with its reading, meaning, and audio.
- One reviewed sentence question for every built-in word
- Answer choices match the form that goes directly into the blank
- Show the full sentence reading in hiragana or romaji
Progress you can actually see
Streaks, accuracy and study time in one place, so a short session still feels like it counted.
- New → Weak → So-so → Good → Perfect mastery
- Words mastered, tracked against the decks you've unlocked
- Study time by day, and a running streak
- Per-deck progress at a glance
Your own words, alongside the lists
The words you meet in class, in a drama, or at work matter as much as the ones in a study deck.
- Add your own vocabulary with My Vocab
- Search every word in the app and save the ones you want
- Filter by JLPT level, mastery, saved words, or your own
- Start focused quizzes from Saved Words and My Vocab
Audio for every built-in word, bundled and ready offline
Audio for all 1,700 built-in words and example sentences ships inside the app, together with the decks and quiz data. Built-in study content works without a connection, with nothing to stream or download word by word.
- Every built-in word and example sentence has audio
- High-quality synthesized speech, reviewed word by word
- Pronunciation and pitch-accent corrections applied where needed
- Tap to replay as often as you like, with no wait
Pay once for what you need. Nothing recurring.
Kotobask is not a subscription. You unlock only the decks you need with one-time purchases. There's no recurring charge.
Free
Four decks
Choose any four decks when you first open the app. That gives you 400 words with full audio and all quiz modes. No account, no trial timer, no card.
US $1.49
Per additional deck
A one-time purchase unlocks one additional 100-word deck for your Apple Account. Buy only the levels you're actually studying.
Thirteen additional decks are available as individual one-time purchases. The US price is $1.49 per deck; local App Store pricing may vary. No subscription or recurring charge. A few words may change to improve quality, including in purchased decks. Purchased access and the 100-word deck size remain unchanged.
No account. No ads. No tracking.
You open the app and start studying. There is no sign-up screen, because there is nothing to sign up for. Kotobask shows no ads and does not track you across apps or websites.
Questions people ask
What do I get for free?
Four decks of your choice give you 400 words with audio and every quiz mode. There's no trial period and no card required.
Is Kotobask a subscription?
No. Each additional deck is a one-time purchase, and there's nothing recurring. The US price is $1.49 per deck; local App Store pricing varies by region.
How many words are there?
1,700 words across 17 decks covering N5 to N1, with 100 words per deck. Each one has a reading, an English meaning, an example sentence, and audio.
Do I need an account?
No. There's no sign-up, no email, and no password. You open the app and start.
Will more decks be added?
Yes. We plan to add more decks in future updates. New decks are sold the same way as the current ones, as individual one-time purchases, so they're additions to the catalogue rather than something included with a deck you've already bought.
Do I have to buy every deck?
No. Decks are sold individually so you can buy just the level you're studying. Most people won't need all of them.
Can a deck's contents change after I buy it?
A few words may change to improve quality, including in purchased decks. Your purchased access and the 100-word deck size remain unchanged.
Does Kotobask work without a connection?
All built-in decks, words, sentence questions, and audio ship inside the app, so you can open and study them without a connection. Words you add yourself with My Vocab need a connection the first time their audio is generated; after that it's stored on your device.
Who recorded the audio?
It's high-quality synthesized speech rather than a studio recording. The audio was reviewed word by word, with pronunciation and pitch-accent corrections applied where needed.
Good to know before you download
What happens to my progress if I delete the app?
You'd start over. Progress is tied to an anonymous ID stored on the device, and because there's no account, there is currently no way to sign in and pull it back. Moving to a new phone may or may not carry it across, depending on how you restore the device. Purchased decks are separate. Those can be restored with the same Apple Account.
Is Kotobask affiliated with the JLPT?
No. Kotobask is an independent study app for people preparing for the exam. It has no connection to the organisations that run it, and it can't promise you a result.
Is there an Android version?
Not at the moment. Kotobask is iPhone only, and there's no Android timeline to share yet.
Does it work on iPad?
Kotobask is designed for iPhone. There's no iPad version at the moment.
Why can't I download it in my country?
Kotobask is not currently available in EU countries. Availability may expand in the future.
Start with four decks, free.
No account to make, nothing to cancel, and audio for every built-in word already on your phone.
Download on the App Store