596 words, five levels, nothing repeated
SilkCode JP publishes a free multiple-choice vocabulary quiz for every level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, from N5 up to N1. No account, no app, no paywall โ open a page and start answering.
Every question shows a Japanese word with its rลmaji reading and asks you to pick the English meaning from four options. After you answer, an explanation gives the kana reading, the meaning, and โ the part that actually matters โ a note on nuance: which of a pair is transitive, which synonym is the formal one, which adverb only works with a negative.
The five levels at a glance
| Level | Words here | What the level covers | Quiz |
|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | 104 | Beginner. Concrete nouns, basic verbs, adjectives, time expressions | Open |
| N4 | 102 | Pre-intermediate. Everyday life, common verb pairs, basic adverbs | Open |
| N3 | 120 | Intermediate. Abstract nouns, transitive/intransitive pairs | Open |
| N2 | 130 | Upper-intermediate. News, business and formal writing | Open |
| N1 | 140 | Advanced. Editorial and academic language, nuanced adverbs | Open |
No word appears in two of these quizzes. Each level is checked against every level below it before publication, so clearing one and moving up gives you 100% new vocabulary rather than a partial review of what you already knew.
Which level should you start at?
The honest answer: one level below where you think you are. Almost every self-taught learner overestimates by exactly one level, because recognising a word in context is much easier than recalling it cold.
Here is a two-minute test. Open the level you are aiming for, choose All, set it to 20 questions, and see where you land:
| Your score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 90% or above | This level is behind you. Move up one and test again. |
| 70โ90% | This is your level. Drill it category by category. |
| Below 70% | Drop down one level. You will make faster progress there. |
N5 โ the first 104 words
N5 is the entry level: around 800 vocabulary words and 100 kanji. Everything is concrete and physically present โ ๆฐด, ๅฑฑ, ๅญฆๆ ก, ้ป่ป โ with basic verbs and adjectives on top.
The 104 words here are split into 40 nouns, 25 verbs, 22 adjectives and 17 time expressions. That last category is unusual for a vocabulary quiz but deliberate: days of the week, ไปๆฅ๏ผๆๆฅ๏ผๆจๆฅ and ๆ๏ผๆผ๏ผๅค appear constantly in N5 listening, and they are easy points if you drill them separately.
N4 โ everyday life
N4 roughly doubles N5 to around 1,500 words and 300 kanji, and the vocabulary starts describing situations rather than objects: ็ดๆ, ไบๅฎ, ็ต้จ, ไบๆ .
The 102 words here are 30 nouns, 28 verbs, 24 adjectives and 20 adverbs. N4 is also where verbs start coming in pairs that learners confuse โ ๅงใใ and ็ตใใ, ๅใใ and ่ฒธใ, ่ฆใคใใ and ๆขใ โ so the explanations spell out which direction each one points.
N3 โ the biggest jump in the whole exam
If there is one place where self-study stalls, it is here. N3 asks for around 3,750 words and 650 kanji โ roughly double N4 โ and two things change at once.
First, the nouns turn abstract. N4 gives you ่ฒกๅธ and ็ผ้ก; N3 gives you ่ฒฌไปป, ๅคๆญ, ็ซๅ ด, ๅธธ่ญ. You can point at a wallet. You cannot point at a standpoint, so these words have to be learned through use rather than through pictures.
Second, the transitive/intransitive pairs arrive in force. ๅคใใ and ๅคใใ. ๅขใใ and ๆธใ. ็ถใ โ which is the intransitive partner of ็ถใใ, a word you already met at N4. Learners mix these up for years, so every one of the 120 explanations that involves a pair says explicitly which is which.
The 120 words here are 36 nouns, 34 verbs, 26 adjectives and 24 adverbs. The adverbs deserve attention: ใใใจ and ใใใใ both translate as "on purpose," but one is an accusation and the other is a thank-you.
N2 โ the level employers actually ask for
N2 is the level named in job postings. Around 6,000 words and 1,000 kanji, and the register shifts from conversation to newspapers, reports and business email.
The 130 words here are 40 nouns, 36 verbs, 28 adjectives and 26 adverbs. Three patterns are worth knowing before you start:
- The vocabulary of news and business. ้่ฆ and ไพ็ตฆ, ๆ นๆ , ๅฏพ็ญ, ๅน็, negotiation and contracts. These dominate the reading section.
- The -็ adjectives come in opposing pairs. ็ฉๆฅต็๏ผๆถๆฅต็, ๅ ทไฝ็๏ผๆฝ่ฑก็, ๅฎข่ฆณ็๏ผไธป่ฆณ็. Learn them two at a time and they cost you half the effort.
- Formal twins of words you already have. ็ใใ for ่ตทใใ, ่ฟฐในใ for ่จใ. The meaning is familiar; what is new is knowing which register each belongs to.
N1 โ the summit
N1 asks for around 10,000 words and 2,000 kanji. The difference from N2 is not simply "harder words" โ it is a different kind of language. N2 is the news report; N1 is the editorial commenting on it.
The 140 words here are 44 nouns, 38 verbs, 30 adjectives and 28 adverbs, and the balance is deliberate. At N1 the adverbs carry the most weight: ใใชใใก, ใใใใใฆ, ๆฆใใฆ, ใใใใใซ. These are the words that decide grammar and reading questions, and they are exactly the words a learner has read a hundred times without ever pinning down.
Why nothing is repeated โ and why that matters
Most free vocabulary lists overlap heavily, because each level is compiled on its own. The result is that half of an "N2 list" is words you learned at N3, which feels productive and teaches you nothing.
Here every level is checked against the full set of words in all lower levels before it is published. When you finish N3 and open N2, all 130 words are genuinely new. It also means the five quizzes together form one 596-word course rather than five overlapping ones.
How to use these quizzes
- Start with the nouns. From N3 upward the nouns are the abstract ones, and they carry the most weight in the reading section.
- Read the explanation even when you are right. The nuance note is the actual content; the correct answer is just the trigger for it.
- Repeat a category rather than moving on. Questions are randomised each round, and the wrong options are chosen to be plausible โ a category you can clear twice is a category you know.
- Treat adverbs as a separate subject. They are the smallest category and the one learners neglect, which is exactly why they are worth the most.
- Move up at 90%, not 100%. Waiting for a perfect score wastes weeks you could spend on new vocabulary.
Frequently asked questions
Which level should I start with?
One level below where you think you are. Use the 20-question test above to check in two minutes.
Are the words repeated between levels?
No. All 596 words are unique across the five quizzes.
Is it really free?
Yes โ no account, no signup, no app. Nothing is stored, so refreshing gives you a clean session.
Is vocabulary alone enough to pass?
No, but it is the constraint that binds first. Reading and listening both collapse when the vocabulary is missing, so it is the cheapest place to buy points.