Kanji by JLPT level
Kanji is learned in sets, not alphabetically. The JLPT levels are the most widely used ordering.
Common questions
How many kanji do you need to know?
2,136 characters make up the jōyō list, the set taught through Japanese schooling and assumed by newspapers. Around 1,000 covers the overwhelming majority of everyday text, and the 79 in JLPT N5 are enough to start reading signage and menus.
What is the difference between on'yomi and kun'yomi?
On'yomi is the reading that came with the character from Chinese, used mostly in compounds of two or more kanji. Kun'yomi is the native Japanese word the character was borrowed to write, used when the kanji stands alone or takes hiragana endings. Most kanji have both, and which one applies depends on the word, not the character.
Should I learn kanji by JLPT level or by school grade?
By JLPT level if you are learning as a second language, because the levels are ordered by how useful a character is to a learner. School grades are ordered by what a Japanese six-year-old can write, which is a different problem.
Do I need to learn stroke order for kanji?
Yes, though not for its own sake. Stroke order makes handwriting legible, makes dictionary lookup by stroke count reliable, and — most usefully — gives you a motor memory that separates characters your eye confuses.
How long does it take to learn the JLPT N5 kanji?
The 79 N5 characters are realistic in two to three weeks at around five a day with review. The limit is retention, not learning speed, so daily short sessions beat long weekend ones.