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Spanish Words, spaced repetition vocabulary app for frequent words

Spanish Words, spaced repetition vocabulary app for frequent words

by bbmaxwell·Mar 3, 2026·2 points·0 comments
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AI Analysis

●●SolidCozySolve My Problem

Focused, principled approach beats Duolingo; FSRS + frequency ranking actually works.

Strengths
  • •FSRS algorithm + frequency-ranked word list is scientifically grounded and solves a real pain (Duolingo teaches unusable vocabulary first).
  • •One-time purchase model ($1.99 forever) is a genuine refresh against the subscription bloat of Babbel, Rosetta, and Duolingo Plus.
  • •Local-first architecture with offline support and sync shows thoughtful engineering for an early solo project.
Weaknesses
  • •Language learning apps are crowded — Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, and dozens of FSRS-based tools exist. The 80/20 positioning is compelling but not unique.
  • •No Android version at launch limits addressable market significantly; testimonials are believable but scarce.
Category
Education
Target Audience

Self-directed language learners wanting fast conversational Spanish without subscriptions

Similar To

Duolingo · Anki · RemNote

Post Description

I've been tinkering on the side forever and finally worked up the courage to ship something and participate rather than watching from the sidelines. Kind of embarrassing to admit that but hey, this is me getting over it.

I've failed at Spanish my whole life. When I heard that 1,000 words cover about 80% of spoken conversation, it felt attainable. So I built an app around it.

How it works: take a frequency-ranked list of the 1,000 most common Spanish words. Introduce up to 30 per session starting from the most frequent. Flashcard format: English on front, Spanish on back, self-rate Again/Hard/Good/Easy. The FSRS algorithm calculates when to show each word again, targeting 90% retention. Words you know get pushed out days or weeks. Words you don't come back in minutes.

Built with Flutter/Dart, FSRS Dart package, SQLite for local storage, Supabase for sync. Solo developer. First published app.

$1.99, one-time purchase. No subscription, no ads.

My intention is to learn the full idea > build > ship > launch > market > grow cycle. This is attempt one. I intend to do this repeatedly, improving and learning each time.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/1-000-spanish-words/id67567889...

Also, still looking for Android testers. Please DM me if interested.

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