The best Japanese listening app depends on how you want to replay and read along. Satori Reader plays one sentence at a time, LingQ keeps audio and a matching transcript in a library you can add to, Language Reactor adds subtitles to video, and NHK gives you free MP3 lessons to download. This page compares transcripts, replay, speed, offline audio and who made the voices. For courses, tutors and speaking, see our Japanese app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Japanese. You learn from Japanese you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Japanese lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Each Japanese lesson has its text beside read-aloud audio, at your level and about things you like.
- Ask Poppy to explain any Japanese sentence you can't follow, or paste a passage or send a photo for her to explain.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Japanese Hiragana course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- You can't turn a Japanese podcast into a lesson. But Poppy will explain a passage you paste or a page you photograph.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Kana
Mobile
Satori Reader
Satori Reader suits learners who want to hear a hard sentence again without losing their place in the story. Its speed steps are not listed.
- Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it read by a voice actor, then read its translation and notes.
- You can play one sentence or a whole episode, and the native apps download content for offline listening.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Kana (partly)
MobileWeb
LingQ
LingQ suits learners who want to listen to a long stretch of Japanese while the text follows along. Some recordings come from the source and some are AI text-to-speech.
- Japanese library audio comes with matching transcripts, and you can import content you picked yourself.
- Playlists pick up where you left off, and the app syncs between online and offline use.
- Flashcards
- Teaches Kana (partly)
MobileWeb
Language Reactor
Language Reactor suits learners who already watch Japanese video and want to listen with subtitles. The extension is free to install, and the video services you watch on are separate.
- Language Reactor shows Japanese and English subtitles together on Netflix and YouTube, with a pop-up dictionary and playback controls.
- You hear the original voices from the video.
- Doesn't teach Kana
Browser extension
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- NHK Easy JapaneseA free course of 48 lessons with audio, animated video and text. The MP3 lessons and the PDF textbook download free for personal use.
- Todaii JapaneseVideo and podcast transcripts, audio reading exercises and adjustable playback speed, with an iPhone menu in English. The app downloads free and sells in-app purchases.
- TadokuFree graded book PDFs that you can download or print. Filter for Audio available, because not every book has narration.
| App | Audio and transcript | Replay | Speed | Offline | Voices | English help | Free boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Lesson text with read-aloud audio | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | AI voices | Partly | Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro |
| Satori Reader | Story text with sentence audio | One sentence or a whole episode | Not confirmed | Download in the native apps | Voice actors | Yes | First two episodes of each series and some special series free, subscription for the rest |
| LingQ | Library audio with matching transcripts | Playlists resume | Not confirmed | Syncs online and offline | Source recordings and AI text-to-speech | Yes | Free plan with 20 saved words, 5 imports and 1 playlist |
| Language Reactor | Video with dual subtitles | Playback controls | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Original video voices | Partly | Free extension, streaming services separate |
| Todaii Japanese | Video and podcast transcripts | Not confirmed | Adjustable | Not confirmed | Advertised voices, source not confirmed | Unconfirmed | Free download, in-app purchases |
| NHK Easy Japanese | Audio, video and text in 48 lessons | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | MP3 lessons download free | Not confirmed | Yes | Audio and text downloads free |
| Tadoku | Graded book PDFs, some with audio | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | PDFs download, audio depends on the book | Depends on the book | Unconfirmed | Free books |
If you want to choose between reading, listening and watching apps, our Japanese comprehensible input app comparison covers all three. For listening apps in any language, see apps for listening practice.
Which Japanese listening app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Japanese, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with NHK Easy Japanese, which has 48 free lessons with audio and text.
Which Japanese listening apps work offline?
Satori Reader's native apps download content, and LingQ syncs between online and offline use. NHK's MP3 lessons and PDF textbook download free for personal use, and Tadoku's PDFs download too, though narration depends on the book. Language Reactor needs a streaming source in desktop Chrome.
Which Japanese listening apps show a transcript?
Satori Reader shows the story text with translations beside the sentence audio, and LingQ matches transcripts to its library audio. Todaii Japanese lists transcripts for its video and podcasts, and Language Reactor shows subtitles when the video has them.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Satori Reader: features
- Satori Reader: iPhone App Store listing
- LingQ: learn Japanese
- LingQ: sign up and free plan
- LingQ: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing
- Todaii Japanese: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- NHK: Easy Japanese lessons
- Tadoku: free Japanese books
- Bubblegum
- Satori Reader
- LingQ
