How to Play｜Ayatoki - Japanese Word Guessing Game

Overview

Ayatoki is a free daily word guessing game for Japanese learners. Guess the hidden Japanese word (4–6 characters) in up to 10–12 tries using color-coded hints. Choose from 4 JLPT levels — one new word per level, every day. No account or app required.

Basic Rules

1

Type the word in romaji (e.g. "tsu" for つ) and press "Enter"

2

The tile colors will reveal how close your guess was to the answer

3

Use the color hints to narrow down candidates and guess the word within 10–12 tries! (4 or fewer characters: 10 tries, 5+ characters: 12 tries)

What the Colors Mean

あ

Green: Correct position
The character is in the answer at this exact position

い

Yellow: Wrong position
The character is in the answer, but at a different position

う

Gray: Not in word
The character does not appear in the answer

Example

Example: answer is「とうきょう」(Tokyo)

つ

き

み

そ

う

→ 「う」 is confirmed in position 5 (green), 「き」 is in the word but wrong position (yellow), the rest are not in the word (gray)

Example: answer is「にまいがい」— contains「い」twice

① Guess with only one「い」

お

い

る

ば

す

→ Even though「い」appears twice in the answer, only one color is shown since you only guessed one

② Guess with two「い」, both in wrong positions

せ

い

た

い

し

→ Both show yellow

③ Guess with two「い」, one in the correct position

い

ぞ

ん

せ

い

→ The one in the correct position turns green, the other turns yellow

Romaji Input Guide

Type romaji on your keyboard or tap the on-screen keyboard. Here are some common conversions:

Hiragana	Type	Hiragana	Type
つ	tsu	し	shi
ち	chi	ふ	fu
じ	ji	ん	nn, or n before a consonant
っ	double consonant (e.g. kk, tt, ss)	ー	-
きゃ	kya	しゃ	sha
ちゃ	cha	じゃ	ja

💡 To type っ (small tsu / geminate), double the following consonant. For example: "kitte" → きって, "ippai" → いっぱい

💡 To type ん, type "n" followed by a consonant (e.g. "sannpo" → さんぽ). Use "nn" before a vowel (e.g. "anna" → あんな).

4 JLPT Levels

One new word per level every day. After solving, the kanji and English meaning are shown.

📕

Advanced JLPT N1

Near-native level vocabulary. Challenging even for advanced learners.

📙

Upper Intermediate JLPT N2

Business and academic vocabulary used in real-life situations.

📘

Intermediate JLPT N3

Everyday vocabulary for natural conversation.

📗

Beginner JLPT N4

Basic vocabulary from JLPT N4 and N5. Great for beginners.

Hint Feature

Stuck? Use the Hint button to get a clue. Watch a short 3-second ad to unlock a hint.

💡 Hints get stronger as the game progresses. Early hints give you the row group of a character; later hints reveal the exact character.

Tips & Strategy

🔍 Japanese words often contain small kana (っ, ゃ, ょ) and ん or ー. Try testing for these early — it narrows down candidates significantly.

🔥 Your streak continues if you clear at least one level per day. Try to play daily!

📚 After solving, the kanji and English meaning are shown. Use it as a vocabulary study opportunity!

Rank System

Your rank increases as your total win count grows. Check your current title on the home screen.

Title	Total Wins
🔰 Beginner	0–4
📖 Word Explorer	5–19
⚔️ Vocab Challenger	20–149
🧠 Word Tactician	150–299
🌟 Language Sage	300–499
👑 Ayatoki Master	500+

FAQ

Q. How many puzzles can I play per day?

One word per JLPT level — up to 4 puzzles a day (N1, N2, N3, N4). Words of 4 or fewer characters allow 10 attempts; words of 5 or more characters allow 12. New words appear every day at midnight JST.

Q. When do the words reset?

New words become available every day at midnight Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9).

Q. Where is my streak saved?

Your streak is saved in your browser's local storage. Clearing your browser data will reset it.

Q. Can answers include voiced sounds like が or ざ?

Yes. Voiced (ga, za, da, ba) and semi-voiced (pa) sounds can appear. Use the on-screen keyboard or type the romaji directly.

Q. Can answers include ー (long vowel mark)?

Yes. Words borrowed from other languages often contain ー. Type it with a hyphen ( - ).

Q. What does "candidates left" mean?

It shows how many words in the dictionary are still possible answers based on the hints revealed so far. Use it to track your progress.

Q. Is it free to play?

Yes, completely free. No registration or login required.

📖 How to Play