Learn to write Japanese, one stroke at a time.
Short, playful lessons from your first stroke to reading real words.
Write it, stroke by stroke
Squidpen teaches each character the way it's written. Watch its strokes in order, trace them, then write it yourself on your screen, with a finger, a pen or a mouse.
Match the pairs
ika
squid
Short lessons, real words
Each lesson takes just a few minutes. Recognise characters, match them to their sounds and type them, then put them together to read real words and sentences.
Section 1 · Unit 1
Vowels あ い う え お
A clear path to follow
Your course is a path of short lessons, a unit at a time, with reviews and tests along the way. Already know some? Find your level and skip ahead.
Stay motivated
Earn XP with every lesson, keep a daily streak going and collect badges as you learn, with Sepi cheering you on.
Practice that feels like play
Between lessons, five games keep what you've learned fresh, and Review brings each character back just as you're about to forget it.
Drill
Draw kana until they stick
Match
Pair kana with their sounds
Words
Build real words
Typing
Type kana at speed
Trace
Perfect your handwriting
Your progress, on every device
Start straight away as a guest, with your progress saved on your device. Make an account with your email address or with Google to keep it safe and pick it up anywhere. With Google, we use only your name and email address, to set up your account.