Character Details

This page displays detailed information about a Japanese character, including stroke order visualization, readings, meanings, and component structure. You reach it from any character in a word, from the Kanji tab, or from a kana chart. One page serves every character, so no Dictionary tab lights up while you are on it. For kana characters, pronunciation information and audio playback are also available.

Character Type Badge

The badge below the character indicates its type and classification:

Kana characters may display additional sub-classification badges:

Toolbar Actions

The toolbar provides quick access to common actions:

Stroke Order Viewer

The stroke order viewer displays the character with interactive animation and controls:

Playback Controls

Progress Slider

The progress bar shows the current stroke position. When animation is paused, drag the slider to jump to any stroke in the sequence.

Settings Menu

Click the gear icon to access display options:

• Grid: Show reference grid overlay for proportions
• Stroke Label: Number each stroke in a small bubble beside the character
• Stroke Direction: Show directional indicators for stroke movement
• Preview Animation: Show animated preview of next stroke path
• Stroke style: Brush draws the pen's strokes; Line draws each stroke as one plain line (handwritten characters only). Write it uses the same choice.

Every option is saved for every character.

Write it

Write it under the viewer, or in a character's More options menu, lets you trace the character by hand.

• Settings, left of Reset. Each choice is remembered:
  • Stroke style: Brush or Line (handwritten characters only)
  • Guides: All, Next stroke, Start arrows or None
  • Strictness: how closely strokes must match: Strict, Normal or Relaxed
• Tries: 5 per character, shown as dots above the box
• Reset: Clear the box and write it again
• Hint: Show more of the stroke you are writing
• Close: Close Write it

Writing in study

Structure Map

For characters with component data, a structure map appears alongside the stroke viewer showing the hierarchical breakdown of the character's parts.

• Interactive Highlighting: Hover or click a component to highlight its strokes in the viewer
• Component Details: Click a component to see a pop-up with meanings, readings, position, and stroke count
• Navigation: Click through to view the full character page for any component

Component badges indicate special roles:

Readings

Kanji have multiple types of readings:

• ON readings (音読み): Chinese-derived pronunciation, typically used in compound words
• KUN readings (訓読み): Native Japanese pronunciation, often used when the character stands alone
• Nanori (名乗り): Special readings used in names

On mobile, readings are organized in tabs. On desktop, all reading types are shown together. Each reading may include audio playback and romaji display based on your preferences.

Note: Kana characters (hiragana and katakana) display their pronunciation directly in the header since they represent a single sound.

Related Characters

The page groups related characters in several places: glyphs that look alike, kanji that share a reading, and kana that sound close. Each grouping measures one specific thing.

Display Settings

The following settings in Preferences affect how this page displays:

• Font Family: Choose the Japanese font for character display
• Show Romaji: Display romanized readings for kana characters
• Pronunciation Style: Choose between IPA, English approximation, or katakana for pronunciation display
• Preferred Voice: Select male or female voice for audio playback