Hatsuona

Hatsuona is a Japanese pronunciation coach built around the one thing most courses skip: pitch accent. Japanese doesn't tell words apart with stress the way English does — it uses the high and low of each mora. Say あめ high→low and it's rain; low→high and it's candy. Same kana, different pitch, different meaning. Hatsuona makes that pitch visible and gives you a score. WHAT YOU GET • Speak and get scored — read the kana aloud and your device rates your accuracy and pitch on the spot. • See your pitch — every take is drawn over the target contour, so you see exactly which mora went high or low. • Learn the four patterns — heiban, atamadaka, nakadaka, and odaka, with clear diagrams and examples. • The full kana chart — hiragana and katakana, base, dakuten, and yōon, each one tappable to hear and record. • Train your ear — minimal-pair listening drills for long vowels and geminates that change meaning. • Remember what you learn — spaced review brings words back right before you'd forget them. • Stay motivated — daily goals, streaks, XP, and achievements. PRIVATE BY DESIGN On-device speech recognition and real-time pitch analysis run entirely on your iPhone. Your audio stays on the device and is never uploaded. Works fully offline. The interface is available in English and Japanese.