v1.6.0 - ChangelogChangelog, Development • July 15, 2025The KanjiKen dictionary is here! This update exposes the internal dictionary used in the app.
Summary• 📗 Added the KanjiKen dictionary!
• 💬 Improved word list and learn order!
For the app to function the way it does, it needs to know the following:
• What words and kanji exist
• How common these words and kanji are
• What components a kanji has
• What kanji are used in what words
• And so on…
Since KanjiKen already has all this data collected and prepared, why not expose this to the user?
Introducing the KanjiKen Learners DictionaryThe KanjiKen Learners Dictionary does not replace a comprehensive dictionary. However, it’s designed for language learners and contains the most useful 15k words and all kanji and kana. Here are some selling points:
• Offline Dictionary: Like the rest of the app, the dictionary is fully functional offline.
• Made for learners: Edited to avoid ambiguous or rare english translations, and aligned with kanji meanings.
• Lookup Components: Recognize a component but not the kanji? Look up the component to find the kanji!
• Smart lookups: KanjiKen searches every meanings, spelling and reading for every entry!
• Romaji support: No need to switch keyboard, just spell it out in latin letters.
• Filter and sort: Limit you search to only words, or sort after JLPT levels!
To allow the new dictionary module to work, the underlying data has been cleaned up and reorganized. One major change has been storing every words in their kanji forms. This let’s us avoid word clashes with words that are usually spelled the same!
In addition, some limitations on what words are allowed have been removed! You can now expect to see place names and particles in the word list.
Finally, the learn order has been improved. We now push back all kanji, bushu, and hiragana to their first usage in a real word. This means that for each kanji you learn, you will get a real word example soon after. This has made made the order better, and less common words have been pushed back.
Next updateI’ve been working on grammar, a web-reader, and a “dialog” module. I am quite excited for all three! Next update will probably one of these. Look forward to it!
Check out the appThanks for reading! If you’re interested in learning Japanese, check out KanjiKen on the App Store or Google Play. It contains Hiragana, Katakana, 2000+ Kanji and 10000+ words with interactive exercises and a spaced repetition algorithm built in. Essentially, everything you need to go from beginner to proficiency!