Ruby Switch is a web browser plugin that I developed to make toggling the visibility of ruby text such as furigana more convenient. To further my study of the Japanese language, I frequently visit Internet sites for language learners or young native speakers. These sites typically show how vocabulary using kanji is read. Sites, such as NHK‘s site, feature news written in simple Japanese and make it easy to toggle between showing or hiding how to read kanji. Other sites do not offer that feature, and toggling ruby text requires going into a web browser’s development tools to modify the CSS.
The following image shows Ruby Switch pinned to the Mozilla Firefox toolbar and renderings with and without ruby text of a page on Mainichi Newspaper for elementary school students.
Ruby Switch allows practice in reading Japanese. This simple plugin allows language learners to conveniently toggle the visibility of furigana to allow reinforcing vocabulary that is recognizable while also allowing them to confirm their readings when there is uncertainty.
The following is a sampling of sites that work with Ruby Switch:
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