Question 1

How many kanji are on the JLPT?

Accepted Answer

About 2,000 kanji span JLPT N1–N5: roughly N5 ~80, N4 ~170, N3 ~380, N2 ~400, N1 ~1,200. JLPT itself does not publish official lists post-2010 — these counts come from KANJIDIC2 plus community-curated post-reform mappings.

Question 2

What is the difference between on-yomi and kun-yomi?

Accepted Answer

On-yomi (音読み) is the Chinese-derived reading, used most often in compound words. Kun-yomi (訓読み) is the native Japanese reading, used when the kanji stands alone or with okurigana. Knowing which to use is the core challenge for learners.

Question 3

Why does this kanji list focus on phonetic radicals?

Accepted Answer

Chinese-speaking learners already have phonetic intuition for Chinese characters. Kanji sharing the same phonetic radical (e.g. 経/軽/茎/径 all read ケイ) form learnable groups. This is a leverage point native Chinese speakers have that Western learners don't.

Question 4

How is this different from WaniKani or Heisig?

Accepted Answer

WaniKani and Heisig teach English speakers to recognize kanji from zero, with mnemonics referencing English-language concepts. We assume you already recognize Chinese characters and focus on Japanese readings, on/kun patterns, look-alike confusions, and Japan/China form pairs (経 ≠ 經 ≠ 经).

Question 5

Can I practice these kanji with spaced repetition?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Click any kanji to expand, then "Practice" to start an SRS session. Or use the level filter and hit the green button — it queues the visible kanji for review. Progress is saved in your browser; sign in to sync across devices.

JLPT Kanji N1~N5