This is a bit tilting xD

[ubayuzu]

Hi guys. Can someone explain to me the logic behind the review, where when why if i’m asked for the ON and put the KUN, it alerts me that wanikani is asking for the ON, while when i’m asked for the KUN and put the ON, it simply takes it as an error?

[Talos]

I’m still a bit new, but the logic as I understand it is roughly this:

When answering for the reading of a kanji (pink background), technically the on-yomi and the kun-yomi are equally acceptable answers as both are valid readings for the kanji in different contexts. (Hence the prompt letting you know that WaniKani wants the other one - it’s technically arbitrary so they’re not going to mark you off for it)

But when answering for the reading of a single-kanji vocabulary word (purple background), the word only has one correct pronunciation. (Which is often, though definitely not always the kun-yomi).

It can be frustrating to get the vocabulary word wrong for sure, but I think it helps you better know the difference between “just a kanji” and an actual word that uses only a single kanji.

[QuackingShoe]

That doesn’t happen in Kanji reviews. What you might be experiencing is when you are asked for a vocabulary word and put the ON reading of the kanji, which is incorrect.
Wanikani logic is that their request for on or kun readings is arbitrary, so it doesn’t punish you for entering the wrong one. However, for vocabulary, there is a definitive correct answer. So if you put a reading instead of the word, you’re marked incorrect.

[Leebo]

Yeah, it’s not a strictly on versus kun thing. If you put the kun reading for something like 点 in when reviewing the vocabulary item, you’ll be marked wrong, because the reading for 点 as a word uses the onyomi.

[ubayuzu]

Oke, understood. But i’m tilting anyway with all those readings. xD

[Talos]

Believe me, I know the feeling. It’ll get easier, I promise!

To quote a much more experienced user, commenting on the difficulties I’ve had juggling all these readings:

@riya

The other thing is that the most basic kanji tend to have the largest variety of readings to learn so it’s a problem that’s worst in the very beginning but eventually evens out. I think it’s part of what makes kanji learning so intimidating when starting out.

…made me feel a lot better!