A plan to learn hundreds of words can feel useful on paper and impossible on a busy day. Japan Ready Coach starts smaller: 50 words that support introductions, everyday objects, travel, basic actions, questions, and calm communication. This page makes the complete first block visible before you begin.
How To Read The Pronunciation Line
Each word has two kinds of reading support because there is no recorded audio yet. Romaji is the standard Latin-letter spelling used throughout the course. Say it like is a looser English-friendly approximation that separates the main sound beats with hyphens.
- Use the approximation to make a first attempt, then keep looking back at the Japanese form and romaji.
- Read ah, ee, oo, eh, oh with steady vowel sounds. Avoid turning them into sharply changing English vowels.
- Small っ, long vowels, and the Japanese R sound need more than English spelling can show. The guide flags those patterns below, but it does not replace native audio or feedback.
How The Five Units Work
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Study before checking.
Read all ten Japanese forms, their romaji support, and their practical English meanings before starting the questions.
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Answer every word correctly.
The unit is finite. Correct answers count once, while a missed word stays available for another attempt instead of disappearing.
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Unlock one unit at a time.
The next group opens after the current ten words are complete. That keeps one active job visible without hiding the broader path.
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Return without losing the sequence.
Progress stays in the current browser and is included in the local backup export. There is no account or server-side learner profile.
Unit 1: People, Names, And Japan
Start with identity words that support introductions and simple sentences.
- わたし - watashi
I / me
Say it like: wah-tah-shee - ひと - hito
person
Say it like: hee-toh - ともだち - tomodachi
friend
Say it like: toh-moh-dah-chee - せんせい - sensei
teacher
Say it like: sen-say - がくせい - gakusei
student
Say it like: gah-koo-say - かぞく - kazoku
family
Say it like: kah-zoh-koo - なまえ - namae
name
Say it like: nah-mah-eh - くに - kuni
country
Say it like: koo-nee - にほん - nihon
Japan
Say it like: nee-hohn - にほんご - nihongo
Japanese language
Say it like: nee-hohn-goh
Unit 2: Food And Everyday Things
Add concrete nouns and meet familiar loanwords written in Katakana.
- みず - mizu
water
Say it like: mee-zoo - ごはん - gohan
rice / meal
Say it like: goh-hahn - おちゃ - ocha
tea
Say it like: oh-chah - コーヒー - koohii
coffee
Say it like: koh-hee - パン - pan
bread
Say it like: pahn - ほん - hon
book
Say it like: hohn - でんわ - denwa
telephone
Say it like: den-wah - かばん - kaban
bag
Say it like: kah-bahn - かさ - kasa
umbrella
Say it like: kah-sah - くつ - kutsu
shoes
Say it like: koo-tsoo
Unit 3: Getting Around
Build a practical travel group for stations, rides, tickets, and directions.
- えき - eki
station
Say it like: eh-kee - トイレ - toire
toilet / restroom
Say it like: toh-ee-reh - でんしゃ - densha
train
Say it like: den-shah - バス - basu
bus
Say it like: bah-soo - タクシー - takushii
taxi
Say it like: tah-koo-shee - きっぷ - kippu
ticket
Say it like: keep-poo - みち - michi
road / street
Say it like: mee-chee - みぎ - migi
right
Say it like: mee-gee - ひだり - hidari
left
Say it like: hee-dah-ree - まっすぐ - massugu
straight ahead
Say it like: mahs-soo-goo
Unit 4: Core Actions
Pair the nouns you know with verbs for moving, eating, listening, speaking, buying, and doing.
- いく - iku
to go
Say it like: ee-koo - くる - kuru
to come
Say it like: koo-roo - かえる - kaeru
to return
Say it like: kah-eh-roo - たべる - taberu
to eat
Say it like: tah-beh-roo - のむ - nomu
to drink
Say it like: noh-moo - みる - miru
to see / watch
Say it like: mee-roo - きく - kiku
to listen / ask
Say it like: kee-koo - はなす - hanasu
to speak
Say it like: hah-nah-soo - かう - kau
to buy
Say it like: kah-oo - する - suru
to do
Say it like: soo-roo
Unit 5: Questions And Calm Exchanges
Finish with words for asking, responding, slowing down, and recovering understanding.
- どこ - doko
where
Say it like: doh-koh - なに - nani
what
Say it like: nah-nee - いくら - ikura
how much
Say it like: ee-koo-rah - どう - dou
how
Say it like: doh - はい - hai
yes
Say it like: hah-ee - いいえ - iie
no
Say it like: ee-eh - だいじょうぶ - daijoubu
okay / all right
Say it like: dye-joh-boo - ちょっと - chotto
a little / one moment
Say it like: choht-toh - ゆっくり - yukkuri
slowly
Say it like: yook-koo-ree - わかる - wakaru
to understand
Say it like: wah-kah-roo
Patterns To Notice Without Adding Another Lesson
- Katakana is already useful. コーヒー, パン, トイレ, バス, and タクシー connect the second script to recognizable everyday words.
- Small kana affect the sound. The small っ in きっぷ and まっすぐ marks a pause before the next consonant. Keep the spelling together as one word while learning it.
- Long vowels matter. The long mark in コーヒー and タクシー extends the preceding vowel. Romaji is support, but the Japanese form should become the primary cue.
- One English gloss is not every possible use. These short meanings are beginner memory cues. Context and grammar determine how a word functions in a complete sentence.
A Five-Session Routine
- Session 1: Study Unit 1, complete its check, then say or write three identity words from memory.
- Session 2: Review Unit 1 briefly, complete Unit 2, and separate the Hiragana and Katakana words.
- Session 3: Complete the travel group, then point left, right, and straight while recalling the matching words.
- Session 4: Complete the action group and pair each verb with one noun you already know.
- Session 5: Complete the final group, then review the words that returned after a miss.
Repeat a session when you need it. The sequence is there to reduce decisions, not create a deadline.
What Comes After These 50 Words
The larger product roadmap targets 840 beginner vocabulary words, but that target is not yet a completed course. This first block proves a smaller teaching loop: preview ten words, check all ten, retry misses, save unique progress, and unlock the next finite group.
After the first 50 words, the responsible next step is another reviewed block with the same clear boundaries, followed by short grammar examples that use words the learner has already seen. Japan Ready Coach is an independent learning aid, not official JLPT preparation or a guarantee of vocabulary coverage.
Start Unit 1
Open the vocabulary course, study all ten Unit 1 words, and begin the check only when the group feels familiar enough to attempt.