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Japan Know How archive

kanji readings

Writing & Language

Why the Same Kanji Sounds Different

The same kanji can sound completely different from one word to the next. This guide explains the compound-versus-okurigana shortcut, compares on’yomi with kun’yomi, and shows the exceptions that make guessing dangerous.

Megan Rothwell

Writing & Language

The First Hundred Kanji and Why Those

Not the school order and not the JLPT order. Which kanji repay learning first, how the readings work, and what to do with characters you only read.

Megan Rothwell