I’m a Level 60 WaniKani user. But even after mastering the Kanji and vocabulary, I found that my listening comprehension was still lagging way behind. I could read the words, but I couldn’t “hear” them in real-time.
That’s why I created Kikikata - an SRS-based listening app.
The concept is simple: You hear a sentence and type what you hear. The main difference from other apps? If you mishear a specific word, you can add that individual word to your SRS and learn it separately until you can recognize it back in the full sentence.
I posted here a while ago and received a ton of great feedback. I’m happy to share that many of those suggestions are now live:
Dual Study Modes: Choose between Text Input (dictation) or a Simple Mode (correct/incorrect) for faster reviews.
Karaoke-Style Tracking: The text highlights in real-time as the audio plays.
Context & Grammar: Every sentence now includes Politeness Levels, Cultural Context, and tagged Grammar Points.
Speed Control: Adjustable playback for audio.
Total UI Overhaul: A completely new look focused on a smooth, distraction-free study flow
If your listening is lagging behind your reading, I’d love for you to give it a try and share your feedback!
Not only got all my answers wrong despite typing the exact sentence, but everytime I 変換 with space I have to have the audio spam repeated. It wasnt until later i realized it only works with romaji input
By default, the site is set up for Kana-only input with Space as the audio trigger (which is usually easier for beginners). However, if you’re already comfortable with an IME, you can actually toggle it into a more advanced mode.
If you click the Session Settings (top-left corner), you can enable:
Kanji-Based Input: This will check your typed text against the actual Kanji instead of just the Kana.
Audio Hotkey (Backtick `): This moves the audio trigger from space key to the backtick key. Since the backtick isn’t used by the Japanese IME for character conversion, it’s fully compatible and prevents the audio from replaying every time you hit Space to convert your text.
Thank you again for the feedback! I’ll look into making these options more discoverable for experienced users.
I’ve just pushed an update to address the main pain points reported by the community:
Global Settings: You can now access Session Settings directly from the main Settings page - no need to be in a lesson to change your setup.
Smart Input Detection: The app now detects if you’re typing Kanji while in Kana-mode and will warn you immediately so you can switch settings without losing your flow.
“Zen Mode” Options: Added toggles to Reduce Animations and disable Karaoke Highlighting for a cleaner, more focused study experience.
Better Organization: Settings are now clearly grouped into Audio, Input, and Visual sections.
IME Compatibility: A reminder that you can switch the Audio Hotkey to Backtick (`) in settings to avoid Spacebar conflicts during IME conversion.
