I Love KanjiSources & methodology
The dictionary on I Love Kanji is built from established open datasets – JMdict, KANJIDIC2, KanjiVG and Tatoeba – not generated by AI. JLPT levels come from community word lists, because the JLPT has not published official vocabulary lists since 2010.
Datasets
| Data | Source | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Word meanings, parts of speech, usage notes | JMdict (Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group), version 2026-10-05, via jmdict-simplified | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Kanji meanings, readings, stroke counts, grades, frequency, radicals | KANJIDIC2 and KRADFILE (EDRDG) | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Stroke order | KanjiVG © Ulrich Apel | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
| Example sentences | Tatoeba sentences linked to words in JMdict | CC BY 2.0 FR |
| JLPT level of each word | open-anki-jlpt-decks (community lists) | MIT |
The prepared data files are a derivative of these works and are shared under the same terms (CC BY-SA 4.0 where required).
How JLPT levels are assigned
- The JLPT has not published official vocabulary or kanji lists since its 2010 revision.
- Word levels come from widely used community lists that reflect earlier official lists and past tests. A word in two lists keeps its easier level.
- A kanji’s level on this site is the first level whose vocabulary uses it – our own grouping, not an official kanji list.
- Treat levels as a study guide, not a guarantee of what a given test will contain.
Which entries get a page
- 7,934 words are searchable. 6,920 have their own page: those confirmed in JMdict and with at least one real example sentence.
- All 1,974 kanji used in these words have a page with readings, stroke order and words.
- Conjugation tables are generated by rules from the JMdict part of speech (e.g. ichidan vs godan), with irregular verbs handled explicitly.
Hand-written content
Grammar lessons and study guides are written by the I Love Kanji team, reviewed for accuracy and dated. Research and statistics are cited where they are used.
Dictionary corrections are best made at the source, so every app using the data benefits: JMdict and KANJIDIC accept corrections through the EDRDG.
Last reviewed 2026-10-09 by the I Love Kanji team.