Wordy is a new iOS app that offers a unique way to learn English. It automatically identifies and translates unfamiliar words while you watch your favorite movies or TV shows. The app boasts over 500,000 episodes, including popular shows like HBO’s “Penguin” and Disney+’s “It’s All Agatha.”
Origin and Features
The app was developed by 23-year-old Budapest-based developer Sándor Bogyó. He created Wordy out of frustration with encountering unfamiliar phrases in a foreign language while watching English-language shows. Inspired by Language Reactor, a Chrome extension with similar functionality, Bogyó recognized the need for a mobile app that could make learning easier while watching TV or working on a computer.
When users select an episode from Wordy’s library, the AI analyzes the subtitles, lemmatizes each word, and uses a custom speech recognition model to identify sentences from the audio. This allows the app to track where you are in the episode, highlight words that might be challenging for non-native English speakers, and translate them in real-time. You can quickly glance at your phone to see the translation whenever a new word comes up.
Wordy’s Learning Tools and Expansion
Wordy offers a summary page for each episode, allowing users to view all words sorted by difficulty levels: Proficiency English, Advanced English, Upper-intermediate, Intermediate, Elementary, and Beginner. You can also save words to a library and practice them later with digital flashcards, enhancing the learning experience.
The app relies on both its own and third-party AI models. Bogyó explained that Wordy uses the largest open movie database, TMDB, for movie and TV show data, along with OpenSubtitles.com, which offers accurate and reliable subtitles.
NIX Solutions notes that currently, Wordy is only available in English, while its competitor, Language Reactor, supports multiple languages. However, Bogyó plans to expand Wordy’s language options, starting with Spanish in November, followed by French and German. As Bogyó emphasized, “I like to maintain quality rather than rush things, so I take the time to ensure each language integration meets my standards for accuracy and usability.” We’ll keep you updated on these developments.
The app costs $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, and an Android version is expected to launch in November.