Content Updates for March 2026

These are the content changes we made in March 2026.

Additions and Movements

These are all the items we’ve added, moved and removed during March.

Wed, March 18, 2026 (4 additions and 6 movements)

New Items

• 平行 vocab - added to level 5
• 甥 kanji - added to level 33
• 甥 vocab - added to level 33
• 蘇る vocab - added to level 54

Level Changes

• Level 14: 骨格 vocab - moved up to level 15
• Level 14: 格好 vocab - moved up to level 16
• Level 14: 人格 vocab - moved up to level 25
• Level 16: 不合格 vocab - moved down to level 15
• Level 49: 紫外線 vocab - moved up to level 52
• Level 52: 紫蘇 vocab - moved up to level 53

Reasoning

• We added the vocab 平行 to teach the most basic word for “parallel.” Currently, we have both 並列 (parallel) and 並行 (in parallel) on WaniKani, but these words are slightly more complicated nuance-wise, and more situational in their usage. 平行 is the basic word used to describe the geometric quality of being parallel, so learning this word first helps users better understand more advanced words like 並列 and 並行.
• We added the kanji 甥 and the vocab 甥 as a counterpart to 姪, which is already on WaniKani.
• We added the vocab 蘇る as further reinforcement for the kanji 蘇, which is already on WaniKani. 蘇る is a common verb, and it also introduces learners to the kun’yomi reading of 蘇.
• We moved 紫外線 up closer to 紫蘇 to help consolidate the on’yomi reading of the kanji 紫 better. We also moved up 紫蘇 by one level to put more focus on the word 蘇生 first, since 蘇生 more clearly demonstrates the core meaning of the kanji 蘇.
• We moved up three vocab with 格 because there are currently too many at level 14. On the other hand, we moved down 不合格 by one level because it helps teach the core meaning of the kanji 格.

Wed, March 25, 2026 (6 additions and 4 movements)

New Items

• 夕方 vocab - added to level 5
• 騙 kanji - added to level 32
• 騙す vocab - added to level 32
• 腫 kanji - added to level 39
• 腫れる vocab - added to level 39
• 腫れ vocab - added to level 40

Level Changes

• Level 12: 祭 → 祭り vocab - moved up to level 14
• Level 12: 祭日 vocab - moved up to level 33
• Level 14: 文化祭 vocab - moved down to level 12
• Level 29: 玄米 vocab - moved up to level 30

Content Changes

• The vocab 祭 was updated to 祭り to reflect the way the word is more commonly written.

Reasoning

• We added the vocab 夕方 because it’s a core, fundamental vocab word which appears commonly in everyday Japanese conversation.
• We added the kanji 腫, as well as its vocab words 腫れる and 腫れ, to introduce new common kanji and vocabulary.
• We added the kanji 騙 and the vocab 騙す to introduce new common kanji and vocabulary. 騙 is not joyo kanji, and the verb 騙す is often written in kana as だます, but we still feel that the kanji appears often enough in print media to make this a useful addition for learners.
• We moved up the vocab 玄米 by one level because it reinforces the kanji 玄’s secondary meaning “dark” rather than its primary meaning of “mysterious.”
• We moved down the vocab 文化祭 and moved up the vocab 祭, which was updated to 祭り, to put more focus on the kanji 祭’s on’yomi reading vocab first. However, we moved up the vocab 祭日 because it’s a less common way of saying the level 24 word 祝日, which we want users to encounter first.

Other Updates

These are all the other changes we made to WaniKani content in March.

Radicals

• Products - Added “article,” “articles,” “good,” “goods,” “item,” “items,” “stock,” “quality,” “elegance,” “class,” “grace,” “refinement,” “taste,” “article counter,” “item counter,” “goods counter,” “counter for articles,” “counter for items,” “counter for goods,” “product counter,” and “counter for products” to the warning list.
• Center - Updated the mnemonic.

Kanji

• 何 - Updated the meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 定 - Updated the radical components to Roof and Coat Rack, updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 成 - Added 減 as a visually similar kanji.
• 着 - Updated the radical components to Horns, King, Slide, and Eye and updated the meaning and reading mnemonics and hints.
• 題 - Updated the radical components to Sun, Coat Rack, and Geoduck, updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 品 - Moved “products” to the allow list, added “item,” “items,” “articles,” and “good” to the allow list, added “stock,” “quality,” “elegance,” “class,” “grace,” “refinement,” “taste,” “article counter,” “item counter,” “goods counter,” “counter for articles,” “counter for items,” “counter for goods,” “product counter,” and “counter for products” to the warning list, and updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, and reading mnemonic.
• 阪 - Changed the primary meaning to “Osaka”, moved “heights” to the allow list, and updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 枚 - Added 条 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 裕 - Updated the radical components to Outfit, Valley, updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 備 - Added “prepare” as an alternative meaning.
• 郵 - Updated the radical components to Droopy, Building, updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 系 - Added “descent,” “category,” and “genre” to the allow list.
• 虚 - Added 慮 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 縁 - Added “relation” as an alternative meaning, and updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 蚕 - Added 蛮 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 皇 - Added 星 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 諮 - Updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.
• 匠 - Added “master craftsman,” “skilled artisan,” and “craftsman” to the allow list, and added “master,” “mechanic,” “carpenter,” and “workman” to the warning list.
• 智 - Added “intelligence” and “understanding” to the allow list.
• 思 - Added 恵 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 具 - Updated the meaning mnemonic.
• 漬 - Added 潰 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 垣 - Added 担 to the visually similar kanji list.
• 陶 - Added “ceramics,” “ceramic,” “porcelain,” and “earthenware” to the allow list, added “china” to the warning list, and updated the meaning mnemonic, meaning hint, reading mnemonic, and reading hint.

Vocabulary

• 不正 - Changed the primary meaning to “misconduct”, added “fraudulent” and “rule-breaking” as alternative meanings, moved “dishonest,” “dishonest,” “injustice,” and “unauthorized” to the allow list, added “fraud,” “wrong,” “illegality,” “illegal act,” “wrongful,” “wrongdoing,” and “cheating” to the allow list, added “immoral,” “improper,” “impropriety,” and “malicious” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation, updated two common word combinations, and added three context sentence translations.
• 本社 - Added “Company HQ” to the allow list and moved “HQ” to the allow list.
• 色々 - Added “variously” as an alternative meaning, added “varied,” “a variety of,” “all sorts of,” “all kinds of,” “all sorts,” “all kinds,” “this and that,” “variety,” “various things,” “various kinds,” and “a variety” to the allow list, added “a lot” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation, and added six common word combinations.
• 何 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 出す - Added “to let out” as an alternative meaning, moved ‘to hand out’ and ‘to remove’ to the allow list, added “to hand over,” “to hand over something,” “to let out something,” “to let something out,” “to submit,” “to submit something,” “to produce,” and “to produce something” to the allow list, added “to pay,” “to pay for,” “to send,” “to send out,” “to give out,” “to show,” “to reveal,” “to make an appearance,” “to discharge,” “to excrete,” “to expel,” “to release,” “to publish,” “to open,” “to throw out,” “to roll out,” “to unveil,” “to stick out,” and “to generate” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation, added four common word combinations, and updated one context sentence translation.
• 代金 - Added “exchange” to the block list.
• 取り出す - Changed the primary meaning to “to take out”, moved “to pick out” to the allow list, added “to pull out” to the allow list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 音楽 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 目次 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 思わず - Changed the primary meaning to “without thinking”, moved “unintentionally” to be an alternative meaning, moved “involuntarily” and “spontaneously” to the allow list, added “in spite of oneself,” “can’t help but,” “couldn’t help but,” “in spite of yourself,” “in spite of myself,” “in spite of themself,” “in spite of himself,” “in spite of herself,” “on impulse,” “impulsively,” and “on reflex” to the allow list, updated the meaning explanation, updated two common word combinations, and updated three context sentence translations.
• 病気 - Added “ill” to the allow list.
• 特に - Added “specialty” to the block list.
• 用意 - Added “position” to the block list.
• 楽器 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 信用 - Updated one context sentence translation.
• 品 - Moved ひん to the warning list, moved “goods” to the allow list, added “articles,” “items,” “article counter,” “item counter,” “goods counter,” “counter for articles,” “counter for items,” “counter for goods,” “product counter,” “counter for products,” “product,” “products,” and “good” to the allow list, added “stock,” “token,” “quality,” “elegance,” “class,” “grace,” “refinement,” and “taste” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 大阪 - Updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 阪神 - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 治安 - Added じあん and ぢあん to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 官金 - Added “public money,” “state money,” “taxpayer money,” and “taxpayer funds” to the allow list, updated the meaning explanation, and updated one context sentence translation.
• 大阪弁 - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 一夫多妻 - Updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 鉛筆 - Added “lead pencil” to the allow list.
• 拭く - Added “to rot” to the block list.
• 抜き出す - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 就職 - Moved “starting employment” to be an alternative meaning, added “start employment,” “obtaining employment,” and “obtain employment” to the allow list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 訪ねる - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 訪問 - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 憲法 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 訪れる - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 壊す - Moved “to damage something” and “to destroy something” to be alternative meanings, moved “to break” to the allow list, added “to damage,” “to destroy,” “to ruin,” “to ruin something,” “to wreck,” “to wreck something,” “to smash,” “to smash something,” “to demolish,” “to demolish something,” “to pull down,” “to pull down something,” “to pull something down,” “to tear down,” “to tear down something,” and “to tear something down” to the allow list, added “to spoil,” “to spoil something,” “to injure,” “to injure something,” “to upset,” “to upset something,” “to harm,” and “to harm something” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 〜系 - Added “descent,” “descendant,” “category,” and “affiliate” to the allow list, added “style” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation, and updated two context sentence translations.
• 詰まる - Changed the primary meaning to “to be stuffed with”, added “to be clogged” as an alternative meaning, moved “to be stuffed” to the allow list, added “to be stuffed in,” “to be stuffed up,” “to be full of,” “to be filled with,” “to be packed with,” “to be stopped up,” “to be stuffed up,” “to be clogged up,” “to be blocked,” and “to be blocked up” to the allow list, added “to be lost,” “to be at a loss,” “to narrow,” “to shrink,” “to be stuffy,” and “to feel stuffy” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation, added ten common word combinations, and updated three context sentence translations.
• 見詰める - Added “to gaze” as an alternative meaning, added “to fix one’s eyes on,” “to look at intensely,” “to look at something intensely,” “to stare intensely at,” “to gaze into,” and “to gaze at” to the allow list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 熟語 - Added “kanji compound” as an alternative meaning, moved “compound kanji” to the warning list, added “idiom,” “idiomatic phrase,” “collocation,” and “set phrase” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 縦書 - Updated one context sentence translation.
• 吐き出す - Added “to throw something up” as an alternative meaning, moved “to disgorge” and “to spew out” to the allow list, added “to vomit out,” “to puke out,” and “to throw up something” to the allow list, added “to let out” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 奏楽 - Added “performing music” as an alternative meaning, moved “instrumental music” to the allow list, added “perform music” and “music being performed” to the allow list, added “concert” and “music” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 連邦 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 雅楽 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 吹き出す - Updated the meaning explanation, and added four context sentence translations.
• 握り - Changed the primary meaning to “one’s grip”, added “nigiri sushi” as an alternative meaning, moved “grip,” “handle,” and “fistful” to the allow list, added “nigirizushi,” “a grip,” “nigiri,” and “nigirisushi” to the allow list, updated the meaning explanation, added ten common word combinations, and added four context sentence translations.
• 縁談 - Moved “marriage arrangements” and “marriage discussion” to be alternative meanings, added “marriage suggestion” and “matchmaking” to the allow list, added “arranged marriage” to the block list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 縁起 - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 無縁 - Added “having no ties” and “uninvolved” as alternative meanings, added “unconnected,” “not related,” “not connected,” and “not involved” to the allow list, added “divorced,” “disconnected,” “detached,” “cut off,” “outside of,” “alien,” “foreign,” “untouched,” “free,” “unexposed,” and “unfamiliar” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation, and updated one context sentence translation.
• 真珠 - Updated one context sentence translation.
• 噴き出す - Added “to spray out” as an alternative meaning, added “to spurt out,” “to gush out,” “to jet out,” “to erupt,” “to spout,” “to spray,” “to spurt,” and “to gush” to the allow list, added “to begin to blow,” “to blow,” “to blow out,” and “to burst” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 瓜実顔 - Added “oval-shaped face” to the allow list, moved “classic features” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation, added ten common word combinations, and added three context sentence translations.
• 弦楽 - Updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 巨匠 - Updated one context sentence translation.
• 楽譜 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 峡谷 - Updated the translation of one of the context sentences.
• 気 - Changed the primary meaning to “energy”, and moved “spirit” to be an alternative meaning.
• 回す - Added “to pass around,” “to pass something around,” and “to pass around something” to the allow list, updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation, and updated three common word combinations.
• 気を付けて - Updated the meaning explanation, updated three common word combinations, and updated three context sentence translations.
• 視覚 - Added “sense of smell” to the block list.
• 並行 - Updated the meaning and reading explanations.
• 諮る - Added “to confer with” as an alternative meaning, moved “to discuss” and “to confer” to the allow list, added “to consult” and “to discuss with” to the allow list, added “to submit,” “to refer,” “to refer to,” and “to ask” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation and reading explanation.
• 諮問 - Changed the primary meaning to “consultation”, added “consulting” and “formal request for advice” as alternative meanings, moved “question” and “enquiry” to the allow list, added “consulting,” “questioning,” “inquiry,” “inquiring,” “enquiring,” “seek advice,” “seeking advice,” “ask for advice,” “asking for advice,” “request advice,” “request for advice,” “requesting advice,” “requesting an opinion,” “request an opinion,” “request for an opinion,” “advisory,” “consult,” “enquire,” and “inquire” to the allow list, added “advising,” “conferring,” “conferring with,” “confer,” and “confer with” to the warning list, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 錯覚 - Added “misperceiving” as an alternative meaning, added “misperception” and “misperceive” to the allow list, moved “optical illusion” to the warning list, added “mistake,” “mistaking,” “mistake for,” “mistaking for,” “confuse,” “confusing,” “confuse with,” “confusing with,” “misunderstanding,” “misunderstand,” “misinterpretation,” “misinterpret,” and “misinterpreting” to the warning list, updated the meaning explanation, added nine common word combinations, and added three context sentence translations.
• 匠 - Added “craftsman” as an alternative meaning, moved “mechanic,” “carpenter,” and “workman” to the allow list, added “skilled artisan,” “master craftsman,” and “master” to the allow list, updated the meaning explanation, added four common word combinations, and added two context sentence translations.
• 智 - Added “intelligence” and “understanding” as alternative meanings, updated the meaning explanation, added four common word combinations, and added three context sentence translations.
• 峠 - Updated one context sentence translation.
• 容赦なく - Added one context sentence translation.
• 写す - Added “to be in a photograph” and “to appear in a photograph” to the block list
• 夏休み - Added “winter vacation” and “winter break” to the block list.
• 最初 - Added “the worst” to the block list.
• 目的 - Updated the reading explanation.
• 祭り - Updated the meaning and reading explanations, removed a collocation, added two new collocations, and updated the translations of two of the context sentences.
• 積む - Added “to be piled up” to the block list.
• 祭日 - Updated the meaning explanation.
• 陶芸 - Added “pottery” as an alternative meaning, and updated the meaning explanation.
• 一遍 - Updated the context sentence translation.