How Many Words for Each JLPT Level? N5 to N1 Word Counts and Sources

Short answer: the JLPT has not published word lists since the test was revised in 2010. The last official numbers come from the old test: about 800 words for N5, 1,500 for N4, 6,000 for N2 and 10,000 for N1. N3 was a new level in 2010 and never had an official count; it sits between N4 and N2.

The next JLPT is on December 6, 2026, nine weeks from now.

JLPT word counts by level

The vocabulary, kanji and hour figures are the old test's certification criteria, and the level mapping (old 4 to N5, old 3 to N4, old 2 to N2, old 1 to N1, N3 new) is from the JLPT's own comparison chart (JLPT, PDF). Tomaru's five decks barely overlap; together they hold about 7,800 different words.

The old figures are cumulative: "about 6,000 words for level 2" includes the words from levels 3 and 4.

What the JLPT says now

No official list since 2010. The JLPT FAQ explains that after the 2010 revision the organisers decided that publishing the test specifications (出題基準) was "not necessarily appropriate" (JLPT FAQ). Every N-level word list you find today, including Tomaru's, is compiled by someone else.

The current descriptors are about tasks, not counts. The official "N1–N5: Summary of Linguistic Competence" describes N5 as being able to understand some basic Japanese and N1 as understanding Japanese used in a variety of circumstances (JLPT). It gives no word totals.

So the old numbers are still the only official anchor.

What our review data shows for N5

Words differ a lot in difficulty. In Tomaru's anonymous learning data, some words are almost never forgotten, while the hardest ones are forgotten by about three in ten learners.

N5 words learners forget most often

Irregular readings (二十歳 as はたち rather than にじゅっさい) and verbs whose use differs from English (出す for sending a letter, 着る only for clothes worn on the upper body) are the usual trouble spots. Learn 一日 to 十日, 二十日 and 二十歳 as one set rather than one by one.

How long does each level take?

At 20 new words per study day, the N5 deck takes about 35 study days, N5 plus N4 about 70, and everything up to N3 about 170.

Nine weeks before the December 6 exam, 20 new words a day adds up to about 1,250 words. That is enough to finish N5 and N4, or to make real progress on N3, as long as you also keep up with the reviews.

Study JLPT vocabulary in Tomaru

All five decks, from N5 to N1, are ready in the Tomaru app with readings, English meanings and example sentences. Tomaru's core vocabulary features are free forever, with no ads. Add a deck and start studying straight away; FSRS schedules each word's next review from your answers, so 葉書 and 二十歳 come back sooner while the words you know are spaced further apart. See the full JLPT deck list.

FAQ

How many words do I need for JLPT N5?

About 800 by the last official criterion (old level 4). Tomaru's N5 deck has 700 words.

How many words do I need for JLPT N3?

There is no official figure because N3 was created in 2010. It sits between the old level 3 (about 1,500 words, now N4) and level 2 (about 6,000, now N2). Tomaru's decks up to N3 total 3,439 words.

How many more words is N2 than N3?

There is no official N3 count, so there is no official difference. Using the old criteria, N2 is about 6,000 words and N4 about 1,500. In Tomaru's decks, going from N3 to N2 adds 1,736 words (from 3,439 to 5,175 cumulative).

How many words do I need for JLPT N1?

About 10,000, plus about 2,000 kanji, by the old level 1 criterion. Tomaru's decks from N5 to N1 contain about 7,800 different words.

Does the JLPT publish an official vocabulary list?

No. The JLPT stopped publishing its test specifications after the 2010 revision. All current N-level word lists are compiled by publishers, apps or learners.

When is the next JLPT?

The second JLPT of 2026 is on December 6, 2026.

Source: Tomaru anonymous learning data (2026). Tomaru's word lists are compiled from public learning materials and are not official JLPT materials.