Kanjidle - Kanji Guessing Challenge

The Kanjidle is a daily guessing game, inspired by the popular Wordle, but with a special twist for students and enthusiasts of the Japanese language. Instead of letters, your challenge is to guess a secret kanji character based on a series of contextual hints. It’s the perfect tool to test and expand your vocabulary in a playful and engaging way.

If you are just starting out and feel unsure, our guide to kanji and their readings is a good companion. To get a feel for the difficulty tiers, the JLPT levels at a glance helps you pick the right starting point.

How to Play: The Challenge Rules

The objective of Kanjidle is to guess the secret kanji in as few attempts as possible. With each guess, the game will provide colored feedback to guide you to the correct answer.

• Green: indicates an exact match or a perfect hit.
• Yellow: indicates a partial match or a close hint (for example, a common reading).
• Red: indicates that there is no match.

Understanding the Clues in the Table

Each attempt reveals valuable information about the kanji you entered, comparing it to the secret kanji:

• Kanji: the character you tried. The background color indicates the overall proximity of your attempt.
• Meaning: shows if your kanji shares any meaning with the secret kanji.
• On'yomi and Kun'yomi Reading: compares the Sino-Japanese (On'yomi) and native (Kun'yomi) readings. It turns yellow if there is any common reading and green if it is an exact match of a single reading.
• School Grade: compares the grade of Japanese elementary school in which the kanji is learned.
• JLPT: indicates if the level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) matches.
• Number of Strokes: shows if the secret kanji has more (<), less (>), or the same number (=) of strokes.
• Frequency: compares the usage ranking of the kanji. A smaller number means the kanji is more common. The arrow indicates if your guess is more frequent (↑) or less frequent (↓) than the target.
• Classification: compares the category of the kanji (e.g., Jōyō, Jinmeiyō).

Benefits of Kanjidle

Beyond the fun of the daily puzzle, playing Kanjidle regularly brings a few solid benefits to your learning:

• Train Your Memory: forces your brain to actively search your kanji vocabulary, reinforcing long-term memorization.
• Learn in a Fun Way: a dynamic alternative to flashcards, making the study process less repetitive.
• Challenge Your Knowledge: tests not only the meanings but also the properties of each kanji, such as readings, number of strokes, and classification.
• Compete with Friends: use the “Challenge a Friend” mode to create custom puzzles and see who the real kanji expert is.

Ready for the daily round? Pick your maximum JLPT level above, type in a single kanji, and let the colored hints guide you. Good luck – and have fun growing your kanji vocabulary!