StudyX Japanese Letters Table vs Other Ways to Learn the Kana Chart
Hiro ยท Game Designer @ StudyXStudyX Japanese Letters TableComparison
The fifty-sound chart, ใใใใใ่กจ, is the first map of written Japanese that most people see. The question for a parent of a small child, or for an adult starting Japanese, is not whether to learn it but how: a poster on the wall, books and songs, a workbook, or an app.
This post compares StudyX Japanese Letters Table (ใใใใใใฎใขใใช in Japan) with those alternatives. I have tried to be fair, which includes saying where a poster or a book does the job better.
What StudyX Japanese Letters Table Does
Here is what the app offers, as listed on its page:
- A hiragana and katakana chart where you tap any letter to hear it in native Japanese audio.
- Four display modes: hiragana, katakana, uppercase romaji and lowercase romaji.
- A tracing area beside the chart, for writing the letter with a finger or with Apple Pencil on iPad.
- A listening quiz that plays a Japanese word and asks you to tap the kana you hear, in order.
- Dakuten, handakuten and yoon, such as ใ, ใฑ and ใใ.
- No ads and no tracking.
It is not a Japanese course. It does not teach vocabulary lists, grammar or kanji.
Option 1: A Kana Poster on the Wall
A printed ใใใใใ่กจ on the wall, or a waterproof one in the bath, is cheap and quietly effective. It is always there. A child walks past it a hundred times a day, and the grid becomes familiar without anyone planning a lesson. Nothing needs charging, and there is no screen time to manage.
Where it differs: a poster is silent. Someone has to read the letters aloud, and if that person is not confident in Japanese, the child learns the sounds from a guess. A poster also cannot switch to katakana or romaji; you would need a second or third poster for that.
I think a poster and an app work well together. The poster gives constant, low-effort exposure. The app answers the question โwhat does this one say?โ at the moment a child asks it.
Option 2: Picture Books, Songs and Videos
Kana picture books pair each letter with a word and an illustration, and there are many songs and videos built around the ใใใใใ sequence. These are good at something an interactive chart does less well: meaning and story. A picture of a cat next to ใญ ties the letter to a word a child already loves. A song gives the order of the rows a rhythm that is easy to remember.
The difference is who is in control. A book is read to the child, and a video plays at its own pace. With the chart, the child chooses which letter to hear next, and hears it as often as they want. Videos also bring their own questions about screen time and what plays next, which is a decision for each family.
Option 3: A Writing Workbook or a Tracing App
If the goal has moved from recognising kana to writing them, a paper workbook or a dedicated tracing app is the better tool. Paper trains the grip and pressure of a real pencil. A tracing app such as our StudyX Japanese Letters Tracer shows every characterโs stroke order as an animation, with three cell sizes and centerline guides.
The Letters Table does have a tracing area, and it is a pleasant way to write a letter right after hearing it. But it is built around the chart and its sounds. For stroke-order practice as the main activity, the Letters Tracer is the more focused choice.
Option 4: A General Japanese Course App
Adults starting Japanese often begin with a broader course app, and many of those courses include a kana unit. Their advantage is obvious: they continue past kana into words, phrases and grammar, and some add reminders and progress tracking. Courses differ widely in how they handle kana, in whether they show ads, and in whether they need an account or a subscription, so check those points for any course you consider.
The Letters Table is narrower. What it offers an adult is the whole chart at once, in the traditional layout, with audio on every cell and romaji modes to lean on while the kana are still unfamiliar. I think the structure of the syllabary is easier to see in one grid than when you meet it a few letters at a time across lessons.
Side by Side
| Letters Table | Wall poster | Picture books, songs, videos | Workbook or tracing app | Course app | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native audio for each letter | Yes | No | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Whole chart in one view | Yes | Yes | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Katakana and romaji views | Yes, four modes | Separate posters | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Writing practice | Tracing area | No | No | Yes, the main focus | Varies |
| Learner chooses what to hear | Yes | No sound | No | Varies | Varies |
| Ads or tracking | None | None | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Screen time | Yes | None | Books: none | Workbook: none | Yes |
When Another Option Is the Better Choice
- If you want no screen at all, a poster and a picture book will do a great deal, especially if someone at home can read the letters aloud.
- If you want letters tied to words and stories, picture books are better at that than a chart.
- If the goal is correct stroke order, use a workbook or StudyX Japanese Letters Tracer. The tracing area here is a companion to the chart, not a stroke-order course.
- If you are an adult who wants to go beyond kana, a course app, a class or a textbook will carry you further. The Letters Table covers the chart and stops there.
- If kana are already familiar, you do not need it.
Where the App Fits
The Letters Table is useful when you want native audio on demand, the whole chart in the traditional layout, and a safe app to hand to a small child. It sits comfortably next to a poster, a picture book or a workbook.
For a first session, see Getting Started with StudyX Japanese Letters Table. For ways to use it day to day, see everyday ideas for the app, and for the learners it suits, Who Is StudyX Japanese Letters Table For?. The app itself is described on the StudyX Japanese Letters Table page.
