Kanaate FAQ

These are the questions we are asked most often about Kanaate. For the full rules, see How to play.

Q1. When does the puzzle change?

Both the 4-kana and the 5-kana puzzle change at midnight Japan time (JST) every day. In other time zones this is a different local time; for example, in London during summer time it is 4 pm.

Q2. Is everyone playing the same puzzle?

Yes. Today's 4-kana and 5-kana puzzles are the same for everyone in the world, which is why you can compare results. Only the Practice mode is random and separate.

Q3. Can a kana appear twice in the answer?

Yes. For example, りょうり has り twice. Each repeated kana is colored once per occurrence in the answer. See example 3 on the How to play page.

Q4. How do I type dakuten, handakuten and small kana?

Use the ゛ ゜ 小 keys in the bottom row. They change the kana you typed last (は → ば, は → ぱ, つ → っ and so on). In the settings you can switch the keyboard to "All", which gives が, ぱ, っ and the others their own keys.

Q5. Do katakana words appear?

Sometimes. They are written in hiragana, with the long-vowel mark ー (for example, さいだー). You type everything in hiragana, and ー has its own key.

Q6. The game says the word is not in the list.

Only words in the built-in dictionary are accepted: 4-kana or 5-kana words, written in hiragana. A rejected word does not use up a guess. The dictionary accepts more words than the puzzles use as answers, but it does not contain everything.

Q7. What happens if I do not solve it in 8 (or 10) guesses?

The game goes into overtime: you can keep guessing, and the answer stays hidden. In your stats the day still counts as a miss, but overtime solves are counted separately. You can give up at any time to see the answer.

Q8. How do hints work?

A Hint button appears after your 3rd guess (4-kana) or 4th guess (5-kana). You get one hint per puzzle, telling you which row of the kana table one unsolved letter belongs to. The web version gives hints for free. The app asks you to watch a short video ad.

Q9. I lost my stats.

On the web, your records live only in your browser. Clearing site data, or opening the game in another browser or on another device, shows an empty record. There are no accounts, so records cannot be transferred. If you want to keep them safely, use the app.

Q10. How is the app different from the web version?

The rules and puzzles are the same. In the app, your records are not affected by clearing browser data, you can play puzzles older than yesterday (by watching a video ad or buying the ad-free option), and you can turn on a daily reminder. Links are on the About page.

Q11. Is it free?

Yes, completely free, with no sign-up or log-in. The site is supported by advertising. The app has an optional one-time purchase that removes ads; it does not change the game.

Q12. Can I share my result without spoiling the answer?

Yes. The Share button creates a text with colored squares and your number of guesses. The letters of the answer are not included.

Q13. Where do the answers come from?

They are chosen from everyday nouns in the JMdict dictionary (EDRDG). Because everyone plays the same puzzle, we leave out words that could be hurtful or are too obscure.

Q14. The colors are hard to tell apart.

In the settings, set the color option to "easier to tell apart". It uses a color-blind-friendly palette and adds the marks ● ◆ ▲ to the tiles.

Q15. Can I play if I am still learning Japanese?

Yes. The screen text is available in 21 languages, the keys can show romaji, and on a PC you can type in romaji. The answer pages have English notes too (past answers).

Q16. Where can I see earlier answers?

The past answers list has the answer and notes for every finished day. Today's answer is only published the next day.

Q17. Can I suggest a word?

Yes, with "Send a word" on the home screen. Words that pass the review will one day become a daily puzzle. Names of people, places and products and hurtful words are not accepted. Your name is never shown.

Q18. What data do you collect?

No accounts and no contact details. For the "everyone's record" feature, anonymous guess counts and the words used are sent (you can switch this off in the settings). Details are in the privacy policy (in Japanese).

Q19. I found a bug or a mistake in a word note.

Please write to the contact on the About page. We will check and fix it.

If your question is not here, please use the contact on the About page.