A kanji can have different readings in different words. Read the whole word and use the sentence for context.
The idea
In 学校 the small っ doubles the following consonant and the final う lengthens the vowel: がっこう. 二人 is ふたり, while 水 is みず alone but すい in 水曜日. Learn words with their readings, not isolated character-to-sound rules. The JLPT includes kanji-reading questions, but publishes no official N5 kanji list.
| Word | Reading |
|---|---|
| 学校 | がっこう |
| 二人 | ふたり |
| 水 | みず |
| 水曜日 | すいようび |
| 今日 | きょう |
Examples
- 日曜日に本を読みます。I read a book on Sunday.
- 今日は学校へ行きます。Today I go to school.
- 先生は日本の方です。The teacher is from Japan.
- 二人で映画を見ます。The two of us watch a film.
- 水曜日に水を買います。I buy water on Wednesday.
- 大きい山を見ます。I look at a big mountain.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Similar-looking choices may differ by just one kana; きょう and にちようび also show that 日 changes reading. These exercises are original, not official test questions.
Try it yourself
How is 学校 read? 「がっこう／がっこ」
Show answer or example answer
がっこう
学校 is がっこう, with small っ and final う.
How is 二人 read? 「ふたり／ににん」
Show answer or example answer
ふたり
二人 is the irregular word ふたり, not ににん.
How is 水曜日 read? 「すいようび／みずようび」
Show answer or example answer
すいようび
水曜日 is すいようび; 水 alone is commonly みず.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
How is 学校 read? 「がっこう／がっこ」
How is 二人 read? 「ふたり／ににん」
How is 水曜日 read? 「すいようび／みずようび」
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Cover the readings, read each example aloud, then write the reading and check the small kana and long vowels.