Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Master hiragana
10 days
Hiragana is the first of Japan's two phonetic syllabaries (46 base characters). Each character represents one mora (syllable). Begin with the five vowels (あいうえお), then learn the consonant columns (ka, sa, ta, na, ha, ma, ya, ra, wa, n) in order. Learn the dakuten (゛) and handakuten (゜) diacritics that modify consonants. Practice writing each character with correct stroke order — stroke order is tested in formal settings and builds muscle memory.
Proof required
Submit a handwritten hiragana chart (photo or scan) showing all 46 base characters arranged in the standard 5×10 gojūon grid, written in your own hand with correct stroke order — no pre-printed templates.
What gets checked
- All 46 base hiragana characters present in gojūon order
- At least 5 dakuten variants (が、ざ、だ、ば、ぱ) correctly shown
- Characters are distinct and legible — common confusion pairs (ぬ/め, わ/ね, れ/ね) clearly differentiated
Common mistakes
- Using recognition apps without handwriting — production and recognition are separate skills and production requires pen practice
- Memorising rows in isolation without testing recall under pressure — practice reading unfamiliar kana combinations from day 3
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Check all 46 base characters are present — missing characters are knowledge gaps
- Dakuten variants should be correctly formed (e.g. が not か゛)
- Ask the learner to identify 5 randomly chosen characters by sound to test recall vs. chart copying
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Master katakana
10 days
Katakana is the second Japanese syllabary, used for foreign loanwords, onomatopoeia, and emphasis. It maps to the same 46 sounds as hiragana but uses a distinct set of characters. The visual similarity between katakana pairs (シ/ツ, ソ/ン, ア/マ) is the main challenge. Learn the base 46 characters plus the combined sounds used in loanwords (ファ、ティ、ウィ etc.).
Proof required
Submit a handwritten katakana chart (photo or scan) showing all 46 base characters in gojūon order, plus at least 3 combination sounds used in loanwords (e.g. ファ、ティ、ウィ), written in your own hand.
What gets checked
- All 46 base katakana characters present in gojūon order
- At least 3 loanword combination characters shown
- Commonly confused pairs (シ/ツ, ソ/ン) are visually distinct
Common mistakes
- Learning hiragana and katakana simultaneously — sequential learning (hiragana fully solid before katakana) is significantly faster
- Underestimating katakana exposure — katakana appears constantly in menus, product names, and signs, making it as critical as hiragana
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- Check that シ and ツ are visually distinct — this is the most common persistent confusion
- Check that ソ and ン are distinct — second most common confusion
- Ask the learner to read back a short katakana word (e.g. コーヒー) to test sound production
Own a milestone like this? Submit proof and invite verifiers — sign in to get started.
Read aloud a hiragana/katakana passage
1 week
Demonstrate genuine decoding ability by reading aloud a mixed hiragana and katakana text chosen on the day of recording — not a text you have memorised. At this milestone, kanji are not expected; the text should be written entirely in kana (as in children's texts or furigana-annotated materials). The goal is fluent sound production from script, not comprehension.
Proof required
Record a 2–3 minute video of yourself reading aloud a short kana-only or heavy-furigana Japanese text (at least 60 words), chosen and shown on the day of recording — hold the text visible in frame.
What gets checked
- All words attempted without skipping
- Hiragana and katakana characters correctly differentiated in pronunciation
- Long vowel marks (ー) in katakana and small tsu (っ) correctly voiced
Common mistakes
- Testing only with familiar texts — reading a fresh kana passage on camera is the only way to prove decoding rather than memorisation
- Ignoring pitch accent — while not required at this stage, learners who record pitch accent from the start develop better long-term pronunciation
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
What a verifier looks for
- The text must be visible in the recording — verify that the words read match what is written
- Small characters (っ、ゃ、ゅ、ょ) should affect pronunciation — e.g. きって vs. きて
- Katakana long vowel marks (コーヒー) should be voiced as lengthened vowels, not separate syllables
Own a milestone like this? Submit proof and invite verifiers — sign in to get started.