Question 1

How many words do I need for JLPT N1?

Accepted Answer

The core vocabulary for N1 is approximately 3,400 words. Combined with N2–N5, that's roughly 8,200 words total.

Question 2

Why does this JLPT word list have fewer words than textbooks?

Accepted Answer

JLPT stopped publishing official word lists in 2010. Many publishers inflate their counts with loosely related vocabulary. This list focuses on exam-verified core words.

Question 3

What do the star frequency ratings mean?

Accepted Answer

Stars (1-5) indicate how often a word appears in real Japanese media. Within each JLPT level, the top 20% most frequent words get 5 stars.

Question 4

Is this JLPT vocabulary list free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The full vocabulary list, search, frequency ratings, and spaced repetition are completely free with no account required.

JLPT Vocabulary List — N1 to N5