You type the answer from memory. You do not need a Japanese keyboard. Roman letters convert to
kana as you type, so tabe becomes たべ.
How typing works
- Roman letters turn into kana as you type:
tabe→ たべ. - A trailing lone
nbecomes ん when you submit, sohon→ ほん works.
What the field accepts
| You enter | Result |
|---|---|
| Roman letters | Convert to kana (tabe → たべ) |
| Kana directly | Taken as you type them |
| A Japanese keyboard | Its full output, kanji and all |
| Either kana script | Accepted when the sounds match |
Script does not have to match when the sounds do: まんしょん is accepted for マンション. The answer reveals the spelling the entry actually uses.
Small kana are their own sounds
| This | Is not | Why |
|---|---|---|
| きって | きて | the small っ is its own beat |
| きゃ (kya, one sound) | きや (ki-ya, two) | small ゃ fuses; full や does not |
A single slipped keystroke can land as Slow rather than a Miss, so type carefully.
No keyboard on your device
On a device with no text entry at all, the exercise shows you the answer and lets you move on rather than blocking the session.
How much of the word you see
How much you are handed shrinks as you master the word.
At the start
The word is written in kana. The whole task is finding those sounds on the keyboard. たべる
While you learn to convert
The word appears in its usual spelling with the reading printed above. You choose the right characters. 食べる (reading たべる)
Once you are steady
The word appears on its own. You supply the reading as well as the spelling. 食べる
From the second stage on, the word starts covered and a control uncovers it. Type it first if you can, then reveal to check.