STROKE-BY-STROKE HANDWRITING RECOGNITION
Stroke by stroke — with handwriting recognition that actually tells you why a character is wrong.
Fude is an iOS app for learning to write Japanese hiragana and katakana by hand. You write each character with your finger, and Fude checks your writing stroke by stroke — not just whether the final shape looks right, but whether each stroke was drawn correctly.
HOW IT WORKS
Many kana apps focus on recognition exercises or guided tracing. Fude focuses on what determines whether a learner can actually write: the structure and movement of every stroke.
It never validates an incomplete character.
Following authentic Japanese stroke order.
So look-alike characters can't be confused.
Matching the real curves of each stroke.
The relative size of each stroke.
A straight line drawn where a curve belongs is caught.
When a character is wrong, Fude tells you why — for example, "stroke 2 goes the wrong way" or "stroke 3 should be curved, not straight" — instead of silently refusing it.
BUILT TO MAKE WRITING STICK
Fude uses active recall and spaced repetition: you gradually write from memory as the guide fades, and characters you've learned come back for review at the right time. The goal isn't just to recognize kana — it's to be able to write them by hand, from memory.
Your progress at a glance — one action to continue.
On a clear grid, with your finger — no stylus needed.
Characters you've learned come back for review at the right moment.
HANDWRITTEN FORM
46 basic hiragana, 46 basic katakana, 25 voiced forms — dakuten and handakuten — and yōon combinations (きゃ, しゅ, ちょ…). Each character includes audio pronunciation.
SIMPLE AND FAIR
€0
Practise any of the 183 characters — full stroke-by-stroke recognition and audio, katakana included. Plus the complete learning system for all 46 hiragana.
€9.99 one-time
Guided sessions, fading guide, spaced review and progress — for katakana, dakuten and yōon. No subscription, no ads.
You never pay to find out whether the recognition works. Works offline. Progress syncs across your devices through your own iCloud.
Yes. Fude is made for finger writing on the touchscreen — no stylus or Apple Pencil required.
Fude tells you which stroke, and why — for example "stroke 2 goes the wrong way" or "stroke 3 should be curved, not straight". It checks six things on every character: stroke count, stroke order, direction, shape, proportion and curvature. Most kana apps simply refuse the character without saying what went wrong, which leaves you repeating the same mistake.
No. Every one of the 183 characters — hiragana, katakana, dakuten and yōon — can be practised for free in study mode, with the full stroke-by-stroke recognition and audio. What the purchase unlocks is the learning system for katakana, dakuten and yōon: guided sessions, the guide that fades as you improve, spaced review and saved progress.
All of hiragana is free — all 46 characters, with the complete learning system, audio and progress. Practising any other character is free too. One purchase of €9.99 unlocks the learning system for katakana, dakuten and yōon. No subscription, no ads, no account.
Yes. Your progress syncs through your own iCloud account. There is no Fude account to create, and we never see your data — it stays between your devices and Apple.
No. Fude starts from the very first hiragana character and teaches you to write from the ground up.
The most effective approach is writing from memory rather than passive tracing, combined with feedback on each stroke. Fude is built around this: as the guide fades you write from recall, and its stroke-by-stroke recognition tells you why a stroke is wrong — such as wrong direction or a straight line where a curve belongs — so you actually learn to form each character correctly.
No personal information and no account. Progress is stored on your device and synced through your own iCloud, which we cannot read. Fude uses anonymous, EU-hosted analytics and crash reporting to improve, with an opt-out in settings.
"When a character is wrong, Fude tells you why — instead of silently refusing it."