Reviews of Ringotan: Learn Japanese Kanji

By: Ringotan

List of user reviews and ratings for Ringotan: Learn Japanese Kanji

Total ratings

4.96 (Rating count: 1,314)

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Review summary

Most users appreciate Ringotan for its effective kanji stroke order training, clean interface, and support for multiple writing systems and textbook orders. Key advantages include its spaced repetition system and WaniKani integration. Common criticisms are about strictness in stroke order, intrusive stroke snapping that alters user input immediately, limited customization options for study pacing, confusing audio cues tied to multiple words, and visual clutter in stroke guides. Users desire more flexibility to tailor the app to their learning preferences without compromising its core functionality.

Pros

Effective for learning and memorizing kanji stroke order through guided practice and spaced repetition.
Supports multiple Japanese writing systems (kanji, hiragana, katakana) and various textbook orders (e.g., Heisig, WaniKani).
Clean, simple, and straightforward user interface without unnecessary gamification or distractions.
Integration with WaniKani for synchronization enhances learning experience.
Allows gradual removal of writing aids, helping learners build confidence in writing kanji independently.

Cons

Strict stroke order enforcement with limited options to relax or customize it frustrates some users.
Stroke snapping modifies user's drawn strokes immediately, which some find intrusive; desire for an option to compare own strokes with correct ones after completion.
Lack of finer control over daily lesson limits and study pacing; users want more precise adjustments on new characters per day.
Audio prompts tied to words can be confusing due to homophones; users want ability to select audio cues or use English meanings instead.
Visual clutter in the learning grid caused by many stroke start/end points and dots is distracting for some learners.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 4.40

All time rating average: 4.96

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Date	Author	Comment
2024-12-01	Ma*****	The only thing I think is missing is that I would like to be able to review with JUST the RTK kanji definition instead of having a word be the memory cue. I think this would simplify things for me.
The only thing I think is missing is that I would like to be able to review with JUST the RTK kanji definition instead of having a word be the memory cue. I think this would simplify things for me.
2024-11-30	Na*****	This is an excellent app for starting to learn to write (and by extension read) Japanese. The main feature that I would love to see added would be one where it doesn't snap each stroke to be more "correct" in between strokes. There is a way to make it so that while you are making the stroke it doesn't draw the corrected one, but as soon as I lift my stylus it replaces my stroke with the correct one.
This is an excellent app for starting to learn to write (and by extension read) Japanese. The main feature that I would love to see added would be one where it doesn't snap each stroke to be more "correct" in between strokes. There is a way to make it so that while you are making the stroke it doesn't draw the corrected one, but as soon as I lift my stylus it replaces my stroke with the correct one.
2024-11-19	Ил*****	I would like to have another difficulty level, one where you write kanji without lines snapping to perfectly written kanji, and evaluation happening after you wrote last stroke or when you press button that you've done. The reason is that sometimes i starting to write incorrect stroke that will count as correct by app and will snap to radical revealing that i was thinking of a wrong radical to begin with
I would like to have another difficulty level, one where you write kanji without lines snapping to perfectly written kanji, and evaluation happening after you wrote last stroke or when you press button that you've done. The reason is that sometimes i starting to write incorrect stroke that will count as correct by app and will snap to radical revealing that i was thinking of a wrong radical to begin with
2024-11-10	Yo*****	Amazing App to stay fit with the Kanas or learn Writing and common Usage of Kanji. The Support of many different Books is a huge Deal for me, as I can safely go in the same Order as Heisig. I only wish we had more control over how much to learn. I can't limit my new Characters so that I study at my own Pace, so I have to awkwardly manually stop learning and then only do reviews the next Day. Hard to explain, but other than that, superb App, already recommended it to many People!
Amazing App to stay fit with the Kanas or learn Writing and common Usage of Kanji. The Support of many different Books is a huge Deal for me, as I can safely go in the same Order as Heisig. I only wish we had more control over how much to learn. I can't limit my new Characters so that I study at my own Pace, so I have to awkwardly manually stop learning and then only do reviews the next Day. Hard to explain, but other than that, superb App, already recommended it to many People!
2024-11-02	Ja*****	A great application to learn all three Japanese writing systems. There are two features missing that I feel keep it from being a 5-star app: 1. You should be able to select which word the audio plays for when a review comes up. This would help me focus on words I'm already familiar with and avoid confusion when the same word is used as the reference for multiple kanji. 2. There should be an option to rewrite a kanji when a mistake is corrected other than just marking it right or wrong.
A great application to learn all three Japanese writing systems. There are two features missing that I feel keep it from being a 5-star app: 1. You should be able to select which word the audio plays for when a review comes up. This would help me focus on words I'm already familiar with and avoid confusion when the same word is used as the reference for multiple kanji. 2. There should be an option to rewrite a kanji when a mistake is corrected other than just marking it right or wrong.
2024-10-26	Da*****	I'm barely getting started on hiragana and katakana, but so far I'm loving the way it guides your hand with increasingly fewer help to write the kanas. One thing I wished it had is control over how strict the drawing is and at some point it would show you only precisely what you're drawing (without drawing the perfect kana) until you've finished drawing it. All in all this is a pretty good app!
I'm barely getting started on hiragana and katakana, but so far I'm loving the way it guides your hand with increasingly fewer help to write the kanas. One thing I wished it had is control over how strict the drawing is and at some point it would show you only precisely what you're drawing (without drawing the perfect kana) until you've finished drawing it. All in all this is a pretty good app!
2024-10-16	Pa*****	I've been using Ringotan for a few months now and I find it to be very effective for memorising kanji stroke order. The initial lesson for each kanji takes you very quickly from recalling with full hints, to no hints at all. Then the SRS system transfers them into long term memory. I like how for each kanji you can choose a hiragana/audio prompt that works for you.
I've been using Ringotan for a few months now and I find it to be very effective for memorising kanji stroke order. The initial lesson for each kanji takes you very quickly from recalling with full hints, to no hints at all. Then the SRS system transfers them into long term memory. I like how for each kanji you can choose a hiragana/audio prompt that works for you.
2024-10-07	Ma*****	Having used the app for half a year now, I am even more amazed at how well it works. It does not get in the way, no gamification, but really good practice. Works wonders! Totally recommend it.
Having used the app for half a year now, I am even more amazed at how well it works. It does not get in the way, no gamification, but really good practice. Works wonders! Totally recommend it.
2024-09-13	Th*****	Especially with the synchronization to WaniKani (but even without it) is this app amazing! Writing the Kanji helps reinforcing the look immensely and that you hear the pronaunciation every time is good training too! The accuracy is great even with strict setting, only sometimes it gets marked as wrong even though my drawn line os exactly on top of the blue one. Even with the occassionally marked wrong review, I can recommend this app not enough for everyome learning japanese! 🙏
Especially with the synchronization to WaniKani (but even without it) is this app amazing! Writing the Kanji helps reinforcing the look immensely and that you hear the pronaunciation every time is good training too! The accuracy is great even with strict setting, only sometimes it gets marked as wrong even though my drawn line os exactly on top of the blue one. Even with the occassionally marked wrong review, I can recommend this app not enough for everyome learning japanese! 🙏
2024-09-13	Ni*****	I've tried a lot of different apps for studying kanji, and this one is definitely the best one. The only drawback I would mention is the lack of statistics. But overall, it's a great app.
I've tried a lot of different apps for studying kanji, and this one is definitely the best one. The only drawback I would mention is the lack of statistics. But overall, it's a great app.