Jourist Visual PhraseBook Japanese $10 2,100 phrases illustrated. Clicking on a phrase flips to the illustration and speaks the phrase with a pleasant male voice. All illustrations are different, some though might have same background and characters but it's tweaked just enough for that paticular phrase. Repeat speaking phrase button and volume control are at bottom of each illustration page. Bookmark any phrase you wish if you wish to pratice it. Deleting bookmarks you can enter edit mode or swipe left to delete one at a time. Majority show romaji along with the kanji, but a few only show kanji. Value in this one is sheer number of illustrations and speaking if you have a photographic memory which gives visual context to what your attempting to memorize.

Lingolook Japan $5 has 600 words / phrases 300 with audio. Has categories and sub sections. Once on the page you can tap on any of the four words / phrases for a female Japanese voice. Voice is clear and professional very well done in the sound department and props to whoever that female is. Has an index listing all the subsections (pages). My only gripe with index is once you navigate to a page and return to the index it pops back to the very top. I really wish it would save where you were so you could browse through them more easily. I know this is possible since AP Mobile News app added this recently as it bugged me to no end.

Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook (E-J) $10 has 600 phrases. This is a simplistic interface which gets the job done. Click on any English phrase to reveal the Japanese equivalent and a Japanese male voice speaks the Japanese phrase. Not sure what the hell app reviews are talking about "sound quality was lacking" personally think they must be smoking something or a competitor. Yep must be competitor with only one other review. Sometimes it'll show you a Polite and Informal so just click informal to hear that after you listen to the polite phrase. View all (index) is pretty nice as you can search and it'll list all phrases with that term / word contained within. Also when just scrolling through entire index since it doesn't pop up a new page just popdown and show the Japanese phrase you can browse at your leisure and obviously not lose your place.

Lonely Planet J-E Phrasebook $10 has 600 phrases. Same as the E-J one except J-E. Guess this would be good for an advanced Japanese student but obviously this is made for a native Japanese learning English. An English male and female speak the English phrases / sentences.

Japanese Idioms has 101 Japanese idioms that each have extensive usage information English equivalent and literal translations. Categories, Flash Card and Quiz Modes and contains audio for all those translations I just mentioned and of course the Japanese idiom itself. In Quiz section it'll speak automatically so you needn't look at the question until your ready to answer from the multiple choices.

Japanese Phrases & Lessons $7 has 2,200 phrases try demo has 600 phrases. All phrases contain romaji and Japanese with English equivalent. Categories mode lets you browse through subcategories and scrolling through phrases. If you'd like to hear the audio you can tap to see card and press audio button to hear it spoken with a female voice. Click back and it'll take you back to the point where you were unlike LingoLook Japan which I wish would add that ability. Content wise it's excellent, properly grouping subject matter and seems natural and modern not from some 1970's textbook.

Flash Cards mode lets you browse through cards and tapping or swiping will reveal English translation on back of card. Do wish they'd make swiping left or right to browse to previous or next card as it is with Categories mode for consistency sake. Quiz mode is my favorite and think all Japanese Phrasebooks for iPhone should add this ability. It'll lets you toggle on / off subcategories you wish to include / not include in your 15 question quiz. Shows you the card and gives you the spoken Japanese. Tap A,B,C or D and it'll tell you right or wrong and automatically advances to next quiz question. Tap again on Japanese text to repeat spoken Japanese if you need to. You can also not look and just listen and translate it first in your head to give yourself more of a challenge. Wrong answers question quiz are listed in the Quiz Result section for your review. Be sure to check thejapanesepage.com as it has a wealth content (videos, audio, podcasts, lessons, etc.) for those interested in studying Japanese and for books and other learning material check out thejapanshop.com

Added Hiragana and Katakana lessons / quizzes. 250 lessons and 100 grammar lessons.

Updated October 2009

Back Best Japanese iPhone Apps