Kotoba Tanken — Learn words with fun
A sister app of BrainySprouts for preschool learning and school prep
A flashcard app for preschoolers to learn words. Grow vocabulary naturally with cards and audio!
Some content is paid.
Kotoppi & Pentan are waiting!
Try it free with no ads and no account required.
Why Kotoba Tanken
Learn safely and joyfully. Six points that support your child’s growth.
1) 1,000+ rich words
From everyday items to Japanese culture and seasonal events. 👉 Build a big vocabulary!
2) Learn with photos + audio
Every card includes a photo and Japanese audio. See, hear, and remember with a multi-sensory approach.
3) Two learning modes
Auto-play mode: cards flip and play audio automatically. Swipe mode: learn at your own pace. 👉 Fits your child’s focus and rhythm.
4) Multilingual support
Translations in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. 👉 Great for bilingual and international families.
5) Great for school prep
Build foundational vocabulary from daily words to culture and traditions. 👉 Ideal for early school readiness.
6) No ads & safe by design
A simple, safe UI with no ads. 👉 Easy for children to use on their own.
Watch the video
A great first step for hiragana and katakana, including stroke order
Perfect for children starting to get interested in letters. They can enjoy learning the shapes and stroke order of hiragana and katakana by watching and listening.
Latest News
Get the latest updates and announcements for Kotoba Tanken.
User Voices
What families are saying about Kotoba Tanken
Parent of a 3-year-old
Since starting, we’ve noticed a bigger vocabulary. New words show up in everyday conversations.
Parent of a 4-year-old
The controls are simple, so my child keeps going on their own. I love that I don’t have to hover.
User
Learning action words with images helps a lot. It’s easy to understand right away, so it’s great for Japanese learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three quick answers before you get started
Kotoba Tanken is mainly designed for children ages 3 to 5. With audio flashcards and intuitive word learning, it is easy to use from preschool through early school preparation.
Kotoba Tanken does not display ads, and the interface is designed to be safe and simple. Even when children use it on their own, it is built to avoid accidental purchases and confusing actions.
There are more than 1,000 flashcards covering animals, vehicles, food, seasons, and everyday life. Children can expand their vocabulary while enjoying photos and audio.
Meet the Characters
Our adorable characters support your learning. (Except USA Map Master)
Kotoppi
Kotoppi is a fluffy bunny from the "Forest of Words." Often mistaken for a sheep, Kotoppi loves looking up words. A little dictionary is always in the pouch. When a new word appears, Kotoppi can’t help but look it up.
Curious
Friendly
Pentan
Pentan the penguin loves adventures and is Kotoppi’s partner. With a tiny professor hat and magnifying glass, Pentan is great at finding "words." Energetic and a little clumsy, Pentan loves bringing new words to Kotoppi.
Adventure-loving
A bit clumsy
Download Kotoppi & Pentan coloring pages and wallpapers!
Tanken Flashcards
A learning app series that grows curiosity and knowledge
Word Explorer
Ages: 3–6
Learn words in English with a sister app to Kotoba Tanken. Supports Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish as secondary languages.
Aventuras de Palabras
Ages: 3–6
Learn words in Spanish while exploring Latin American culture. Supports English, Japanese, and Chinese as secondary languages.
USA Map Master
Ages: 12+
Learn US geography with flashcards and quizzes: states, capitals, flags, and landmarks. Includes map challenges and trivia on GDP and more. (English only; Japanese version in development. Contains ads.)
Download
Download the app and start learning words right away
FREE START
Start with Kotoba Tanken for free
No ads and no account required. Start learning words right away.
※ Some content is paid.
Continue Learning
Next steps for kids who want to learn more
Preschool learning & school entrance prep
BabyTech® Awards 2024 winner!
Fun learning materials for school entrance prep
After getting familiar with words in Kotoba Tanken, we recommend BrainySprouts for school prep and early learning.
Learning with both PDF and digital
BrainySprouts Prints lets you download printable learning sheets for home. It combines the best of paper materials and IT. Also recommended as a companion to BrainySprouts. Completely free to use.
- Includes categories hard to cover in apps, like crafts and drawing
- Covers content through the end of elementary school
- Explains kana, kanji stroke order, and written calculation steps with animations
Kotoba Tanken | Tanken Flashcard Series
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