How to Win at Ayatoki:
Tips & Strategies for Every Level
A practical guide to reading the feedback correctly,
using your attempts efficiently, and choosing the right level.
How the Game Works
Ayatoki is a daily word-guessing game. Each day, one Japanese word is chosen for each JLPT level (N4, N3, N2, N1). You guess the word by entering hiragana characters, and after each guess the tiles change color to show how close you were.
Color feedback:
あ
= This character is in the correct position
い
= In the word, but in the wrong position
う
= Not in the word at all
How Many Attempts Do You Get?
The number of attempts depends on the length of the target word. This scales up to give you a fair chance on longer words:
| Word length | Attempts allowed |
|---|
| 4 characters or fewer | 10 attempts |
| 5 or more characters | 12 attempts |
You also see a "remaining candidates" count below the board — this tells you how many words from the dictionary still match all the clues you have so far. Watching this number drop is a key part of the strategy.
Which Level Should You Start With?
N4 — Recommended starting point for most learners.
N4 vocabulary consists of words from common everyday situations. If you have studied Japanese for 6 months or more, N4 is both challenging and achievable.
N3 — Upper-intermediate challenge.
N3 words are more varied and less frequently encountered in daily conversation. A good next step once N4 feels comfortable.
N2 / N1 — Advanced.
These levels include literary, formal, and specialized vocabulary. Even native speakers sometimes struggle with N1 words.
Strategy Tips
1Lock in green tiles as fast as possible.
When a character turns green, it is confirmed. On your next guess, keep that character in the same position — every guess that moves a green tile is wasted. Build out from your confirmed characters.
2Yellow tiles tell you where NOT to put a character.
A yellow tile means the character is in the word but not in that position. Try it in every other slot on your next guess. Don't put it back where it turned yellow — that's a guaranteed miss.
3Watch the remaining candidates count.
If the count is still in double digits after 3 guesses, spend a guess exploring — try a word with characters you haven't tested yet, even if it doesn't match your confirmed clues. Narrowing the pool early is more efficient than guessing known-bad words.
4Use hints before you're desperate.
Hints in Ayatoki reveal a character's position. The best time to use a hint is when the remaining candidates number is high and you feel stuck — not when you're down to your last two attempts. A hint mid-game narrows the field much more than a hint at the end.
5Think in word families, not characters.
Japanese vocabulary often clusters by meaning or reading pattern. If your confirmed characters suggest a verb ending like 〜る or 〜す, run through common verbs with those endings. If you see 〜てい or 〜さく, think about compound nouns in that domain.
6Don't skip gray tiles.
Gray (absent) tiles are valuable — they tell you definitively that a character is not in the word. Keep a mental note of all gray characters. Guessing them again is one of the most common mistakes beginners make.
Level-Specific Approaches
N4: Common two- and three-character words dominate. If you know your JLPT N4 vocabulary list, many words will be recognizable from the first one or two clues. Focus on confirming the reading pattern quickly.
N3: More compound words appear here. Look for noun + noun patterns or verb stem + noun combinations. If the first character confirms a common prefix (like 高〜, 自〜, 無〜), use that to narrow your guesses quickly.
N2 / N1: At these levels, guessing strategically is more important than vocabulary alone. Use your first two or three guesses to map out as many unique characters as possible, even if neither guess could be the answer. Then apply the information.
A Note on Losing
Even fluent Japanese speakers miss some words — especially at N2 and N1. When you lose, the answer is shown. Rather than just noting it, try to recall it the next time you encounter it reading NHK Web Easy or watching Japanese media. A missed word in Ayatoki is often a word you'll recognize for years afterward.