Sumi: Hiragana & Katakana
Learn Japanese kana
Only for iPhone
Free · Designed for iPhone. Not verified for macOS.
iPhone
Sumi walks you through the 214 hiragana and katakana, the two syllabaries that form Japanese''s base alphabet, then opens onto the 80 kanji of the JLPT N5 level.
New to Japanese?
Sumi assumes you''ve never seen a kana in your life. You learn to read them, write them, hear them, and watch your progress build session by session. No prerequisites, no mandatory placement test, your first kana in under five minutes.
— THE 4 QUIZ MODES —
To anchor each kana from every angle:
• Reading: you see the kana, you identify its pronunciation
• Listening: you hear the sound, you find the kana
• Drawing: you trace the kana with your finger, in the correct stroke order
• Writing: you read the romaji, you pick the kana
— WHAT YOU LEARN —
• 46 base hiragana: あ い う え お…
• 25 dakuten and handakuten: が ぱ ば…
• 36 yōon, combined sounds: きゃ しゅ ちょ…
• All of it in katakana: ア イ ウ エ オ…
• 214 kana total, organised in clear chapters
• Plus the JLPT N5 Kanji module (~80 characters), unlocked at 80% kana mastery
— FEATURES —
• Adaptive quiz based on spaced repetition (SM-2 algorithm, same as Anki)
• Automatic detection of pairs you mix up (シ and ツ, ン and ソ, ぬ and ね…)
• Japanese vocabulary that unlocks as you progress
• Visual progress map, by chapter and by kana
• Streaks, detailed stats, session history
• Finger drawing with stroke order verification
• Audio for every kana
• Available in 7 languages: French, English, Spanish, Portuguese (PT + BR), German, Italian
• No ads, no in-app purchases, no paywall
— THE VOCABULARY THAT UNLOCKS —
As you progress, real Japanese words open up: greetings, animals, numbers, family, food, daily life. A hundred or so words and sentences that only become readable once you master the kana inside them, the tangible reward of your sessions.
頑張って. Good luck.
Ratings & Reviews
Thanks for using Sumi! This update includes a few small improvements and bug fixes to keep the app smooth and enjoyable to use every day.
We're always working to make Sumi better. If you have ideas or suggestions, we'd love to hear them.
Keep going, you're improving faster than you think. 頑張って!
The developer, Vivien Gontier, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Vivien Gontier
- Size
- 97.9 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 15.1 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 15.1 or later. - iPod touch
Requires iOS 15.1 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 12.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
English and 5 more
- English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Vivien Gontier