Languages
Best Websites to Practice Japanese Listening and Speaking
There are hundreds of Japanese listening practice websites. Only a few give you good native audio, a transcript you can check, and a way to practice speaking too.
This guide compares 10 websites and tools we checked on their official pages. For each one, you will see what it does, which level it fits, whether it helps listening, speaking or both, and what it costs.
Most of the best resources are free. They come from public organizations like NHK, the Japan Foundation and the University of Tokyo. A few useful browser tools are paid or have paid plans, and we say so clearly.
We put Corodomo first because it is our own platform and it covers both skills in one place: you can turn any YouTube video into a listening and shadowing lesson. It is not the only good choice, and the free resources below work very well together with it.
- What makes a good listening and speaking website?
- 1. Corodomo: learn from real videos
- 2–5. Free courses and news from NHK and the Japan Foundation
- 6–7. OJAD and Tatoeba: pronunciation and sentence audio
- 8–10. Language Reactor, LingQ and Migaku
- Comparison table
- Quick listening check and a plan for your level
- FAQ
- Conclusion
What makes a good listening and speaking website?
Listening and speaking grow together. When you can hear a sound clearly, you can say it. When you say it, you start to hear it better. So the best websites support both: clear audio to listen to and lines short enough to repeat.
English speakers face some typical problems with Japanese audio. Long vowels (おばさん vs おばあさん) and the small っ are easy to miss. English stress patterns make Japanese sound choppy. Romaji hides these details, so a site with kana or furigana helps a lot.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Native audio, natural pace | You copy real rhythm, not a robotic reading |
| Transcript with kana or furigana | You can check exactly what you heard |
| Right level | If you understand most of it, you can repeat it |
| Replay by sentence, speed control | You drill hard lines instead of skimming |
| A way to speak and get feedback | Listening alone does not build speaking |
- Pick one main source and one or two support tools. Ten tabs open is not a study plan.
- Short daily sessions (15–20 minutes) work better than one long session a week.
- Always say the lines out loud, even when the site is "only" for listening.
1. Corodomo: learn from real videos
Corodomo is a video-based platform for learning Japanese. You paste a YouTube link or upload a video, and it creates bilingual subtitles with furigana. The video is split into sentences, so you can replay one line at a time.
For listening, you get dictation, AI word lookup, quizzes and summaries on any video you choose. For speaking, the shadowing mode lets you mimic native speakers sentence by sentence at an adjustable speed. AI then gives feedback on your pronunciation and fluency. CoroAI role-play adds speaking practice in real-life scenarios.
Honest limits: the Free plan lets you try it with a limited number of videos, up to 3 uploads and limited AI use. Full AI features, such as pronunciation scoring and CoroAI, are in the Plus plan (from $6/month, billed yearly). The AI scores accuracy and fluency; it does not grade pitch accent. For pitch accent, use OJAD (number 6 below).
- Level: all levels; beginners can start with slow, short videos.
- Skills: listening and speaking.
- Best for: learners who want to study with anime, vlogs, interviews or podcasts they actually enjoy.
- How to use: watch a 3–5 minute clip once with subtitles, then shadow it line by line. Save hard lines and repeat them the next day.
2–5. Free courses and news from NHK and the Japan Foundation
These four are free, official and made by teams of Japanese language educators. If you are a beginner, start here. They give you clean audio, clear scripts and a structured path.
2. NHK WORLD-JAPAN "Easy Japanese"
Easy Japanese is a beginner course from NHK WORLD-JAPAN. The site says it offers 48 lessons with audio, animated video and text, covering daily greetings and travel phrases. MP3 audio files and PDF textbooks can be downloaded free of charge for personal use.
Each lesson has a short skit with key phrases. The lines are short and clearly spoken, which makes them ideal for your first shadowing practice.
- Level: complete beginner, around JLPT N5.
- Tip: put the MP3s on your phone and shadow one skit a day during your commute.
- Limit: focused on travel and basic conversation; you will outgrow it.
3. Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese.
Erin's Challenge! is a video series from the Japan Foundation. It follows Erin, an exchange student at a Japanese high school. There are 25 lessons, each with a basic skit, an advanced skit and key phrases. According to the site's FAQ, video subtitles and download materials are available in 11 languages, including English and Indonesian.
Because it is video, you see faces, gestures and real places like a convenience store or a train station. That context helps you copy the emotion of a line, not just the sounds.
- Level: beginner to upper beginner (about N5–N4).
- Tip: master the basic skit first, then move to the advanced skit of the same lesson.
- Limit: school life setting, so little work vocabulary. Videos are for watching on the site; downloading them is not allowed.
4. Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan
Irodori is a Japan Foundation coursebook for people who live in Japan or plan to. It has four parts: Starter (A1), Elementary 1 (A2), Elementary 2 (A2) and Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1), each with 18 lessons. The textbook is available online as PDF, with MP3 audio files.
The dialogues are very practical: shopping, work, going to the doctor, talking with neighbors and coworkers. The FAQ also mentions a free online course with videos to practice speaking.
- Level: A1 to A2/B1 (roughly N5 to N3).
- Best for: workers and residents in Japan, including people preparing for JFT-Basic.
- Tip: shadow each lesson's dialogue, then record yourself and compare long vowels and っ.
5. NHK NEWS WEB EASY
NHK NEWS WEB EASY (NHKやさしいことばニュース) publishes news in simple Japanese for foreign residents and children. Articles are short, with furigana. It is a great bridge from textbook audio to real Japanese.
Note: since NHK moved its online services to NHK ONE in October 2025, the site first shows a terms-of-use screen in Japanese before you can read. Read it carefully before you continue.
- Level: around N4–N3 and up.
- Tip: read the article first, then listen and shadow one paragraph at a time.
- Guide: see our post on learning Japanese with NHK Easy News.
6–7. OJAD and Tatoeba: pronunciation and sentence audio
These two are not courses. Think of them as tools you open when you need them: one for pitch accent, one for example sentences with audio.
6. OJAD (Suzuki-kun)
OJAD, the Online Japanese Accent Dictionary, comes from the University of Tokyo. Its best-known tool, Suzuki-kun, takes a Japanese sentence and shows its predicted pitch pattern, with synthesized audio.
Many English speakers say Japanese words with English-style stress. Pitch accent works differently: the voice goes high or low. 箸 (はし, chopsticks) and 橋 (はし, bridge) differ only in pitch. OJAD lets you see what your ear may not catch yet.
- Level: all levels.
- Tip: paste a hard line from a video into Suzuki-kun, study the pitch curve, then shadow the original again.
- Limit: the pitch is a machine prediction, so it is not always perfect. More in our pitch accent checker guide.
7. Tatoeba
Tatoeba is a free, open, community-built collection of sentences and translations. When we checked, it listed 6,332 Japanese sentences with audio. The number changes over time.
Search for a word you just learned, filter for sentences with audio, and shadow three to five of them. Because the data is community-made, quality varies. Prefer sentences with audio and double-check anything that looks odd.
- Level: beginner to intermediate.
- Best for: learning new words through sentences with sound.
- Limit: single sentences, no long conversations.
8–10. Language Reactor, LingQ and Migaku
These tools help you learn from native content such as shows, YouTube and articles. They are strongest for listening and vocabulary. None of them is mainly a speaking tool, so combine them with shadowing.
8. Language Reactor
Language Reactor is a Chrome extension. Its Chrome Web Store page says it adds dual-language subtitles, a popup dictionary and precise playback controls on Netflix, and also supports YouTube. It runs on Chrome on Windows and macOS desktops. The extension is free to install and offers in-app purchases for paid features.
- Level: upper beginner and above.
- Best for: watching Japanese shows on a computer with two subtitle lines.
- Limit: no speaking feedback; desktop Chrome only.
9. LingQ
LingQ is a platform for learning from content like podcasts, books and news. It supports Japanese, and you can tap words for meanings and track new vocabulary. The site offers free sign-up and a paid Premium membership; check its pricing page for current limits and prices.
- Level: upper beginner and above.
- Best for: learners who like reading while listening.
- Limit: mainly input; speaking practice is up to you.
10. Migaku
Migaku is a browser extension with iOS and Android apps. Its site says you can click words in subtitles or web pages to see definitions, pronunciations and AI explanations, then turn them into spaced-repetition flashcards. It works with sites like Netflix and YouTube and supports Japanese. Its site offers a 10-day free trial with no credit card required; see its pricing page for the plans after the trial.
- Level: upper beginner and above.
- Best for: building vocabulary from shows you watch.
- Limit: check the pricing page before the trial ends; focused on input and flashcards.
Comparison table
Here is a quick overview. "Free" means the core content is free. Paid plans are noted.
| Website | Level | Listening / Speaking | Free? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corodomo | All levels | Both, with AI feedback | Free plan with limits; Plus from $6/month (yearly) | Shadowing and listening with any YouTube video |
| NHK Easy Japanese | N5 | Listening; short skits to repeat | Yes | First steps, free MP3s |
| Erin's Challenge! | N5–N4 | Listening; skits to repeat | Yes | Video skits with subtitles in 11 languages |
| Irodori | A1–A2/B1 | Listening; dialogues to repeat | Yes | Life and work in Japan |
| NHK NEWS WEB EASY | N4–N3+ | Listening | Yes | Simple real news |
| OJAD | All levels | Speaking (pitch accent) | Yes | Seeing pitch patterns |
| Tatoeba | N5–N3 | Listening (sentence audio) | Yes | Example sentences by keyword |
| Language Reactor | N4+ | Listening | Free to install; paid features | Dual subtitles on Netflix and YouTube |
| LingQ | N4+ | Listening and reading | Free sign-up; Premium | Reading while listening |
| Migaku | N4+ | Listening and vocabulary | 10-day free trial; see pricing page | Flashcards from shows |
Quick listening check and a plan for your level
Not sure where to start? Listen to this short casual conversation between two friends. Play it twice, without looking at the transcript, and answer the questions.
- What time does the movie start?
- What time do they meet, and where?
- Why do they meet earlier than the movie?
Show transcript and answer
Answers: 1. At seven. 2. At six, in front of the station ticket gates (改札, kaisatsu). 3. Because they want to eat first.
| Line | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| A: 明日の映画、何時からだっけ？ | あしたのえいが、なんじからだっけ？ | What time does tomorrow's movie start again? |
| B: 七時からだよ。でも、その前にご飯を食べたいから、六時に会わない？ | しちじからだよ。でも、そのまえにごはんをたべたいから、ろくじにあわない？ | At seven. But I want to eat first, so shall we meet at six? |
| A: いいよ。どこで待ち合わせる？ | いいよ。どこでまちあわせる？ | Sure. Where shall we meet? |
| B: 駅の改札の前はどう？映画館もすぐ近くだし。 | えきのかいさつのまえはどう？えいがかんもすぐちかくだし。 | How about in front of the station ticket gates? The cinema is close by, too. |
| A: わかった。じゃあ、六時に改札の前でね。 | わかった。じゃあ、ろくじにかいさつのまえでね。 | OK. See you at six in front of the gates, then. |
Listen for だっけ (asking to confirm something you forgot) and 会わない？ (a friendly "shall we meet?").
Use your result to choose a plan. This is a rough guide, not a test score.
| Your result | Main source | Support tools |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 correct | NHK Easy Japanese | Erin's Challenge!, OJAD |
| 2 correct | Erin's Challenge! or Irodori | Tatoeba, slow YouTube videos with subtitles |
| 3 correct | Corodomo with real videos | NHK NEWS WEB EASY, OJAD |
| Living or working in Japan | Irodori | Daily-life vlogs, shadowed line by line |
- Shadow each line at least five times: first with the script, then without.
- Record yourself once a week and keep the files. Progress is easier to hear than to feel.
- Do not move on while a lesson still makes you stumble.
- For the bigger picture, see our zero to N1 roadmap.
Related reading: Learn Japanese with Anime: A Practical Guide for Beginners · Japanese Podcasts for Learners: 10 Channels by JLPT Level
FAQ
What is the best free website for Japanese listening practice?
For beginners, NHK WORLD-JAPAN's Easy Japanese and the Japan Foundation's Erin's Challenge! are excellent and free. For intermediate learners, NHK NEWS WEB EASY is a good free source of simple real news. Choose by level, not by popularity.
Which website helps me practice speaking Japanese, not just listening?
Most sites give you audio to repeat, which already works for shadowing. Corodomo adds AI feedback on pronunciation and fluency and CoroAI role-play (full features in the Plus plan). OJAD helps with pitch accent. You can also record yourself and compare with the original audio for free.
Can I improve Japanese listening with anime and dramas?
Yes, if you choose shows with everyday dialogue and work with them actively. Replay lines, check the transcript and repeat them. Tools like Corodomo, Language Reactor or Migaku make this easier. Be careful with exaggerated character speech; it is not always how people talk.
How much time should I spend on listening practice each day?
About 15–20 minutes of focused practice a day is a realistic goal for most learners. Daily practice beats a long weekly session. Add passive listening on top if you have time.
Do I need to read kana before using these websites?
For most of them, yes. Hiragana and katakana let you check transcripts properly. Romaji hides long vowels and small っ, which are exactly the sounds English speakers tend to miss.
Conclusion
You do not need ten subscriptions to practice Japanese listening and speaking. Remember three points:
- Match the level: NHK Easy Japanese, Erin and Irodori for beginners; news and real videos as you improve.
- Combine tools: one main source, plus OJAD for pitch accent and Tatoeba for sentence audio.
- Always speak: shadow every line, record yourself, and get feedback where you can.
When you want to practice with videos you actually enjoy, try Corodomo's video lessons.
Practice with Corodomo: Learn Japanese · Learn with videos · JLPT practice