Glancewords Get it on Google Play

Learn words on your lock screen

Glancewords is an Android app that shows a word each time you turn on the screen, and brings it back just before you would forget it.

Get it on Google Play The first 100 words of every course are free

Tuesday, 3 November

False friendIk wil means "I want", not "I will". For the future use zullen or gaan: Ik ga morgen werken.

A1 · Beginner

willen (wilde, gewild)

Tap to reveal

to want; to want to, be willing to; would like

Wil je dat ik langskom? (Do you want me to come by?)

A few seconds at a time

You turn on your phone's screen dozens of times a day. Each time, a word is waiting.

The screen turns on

The card is over the lock screen, under the clock. Swipe up and your phone unlocks as usual, with your fingerprint or PIN.

Tap for the meaning

You see the translation, an example sentence and, on many words, a note about the trap in it: a false friend, a look-alike, an irregular form. The speaker button reads the word aloud.

Say whether you knew it

Again brings the word back in 10 minutes. Got it sends it away for three days, then longer each time: weeks, then months. Words you find hard come back sooner. The schedule comes from FSRS, the algorithm modern Anki uses.

Then it leaves you alone

A word never returns before it's due, and when nothing is due, your lock screen is yours again. You can also pause the card for an hour or until morning.

On the phone: a tap on the card, then Got it.

Notes on the traps

Many words carry a short note, written for the mistakes speakers of your language really make. Four from the Dutch course:

  • willen

    False friendIk wil means "I want", not "I will". For the future use zullen or gaan: Ik ga morgen werken.

  • de familie

    False friendUsually means your relatives, the wider family. Parents and their children together are het gezin.

  • lopen

    Similar wordsLopen usually means to walk; to run is rennen: Ik loop naar school, maar ik ren naar de bus. Hardlopen is running as a sport.

  • kijken

    UsageLooking at something usually takes naar: Ik kijk naar de foto. Tv kijken (to watch TV) is a common exception.

If you also know Russian, tick it on the first screen: 31 Dutch words then get a second note in Russian, where Russian explains them better.

Three ways to see a word

  • A full-screen Glancewords card on the lock screen after a tap: the word, its meaning, an example and a note.

    Full-screen card

    Over the lock screen until you swipe up, with an example and pronunciation.

  • A Glancewords notification on the lock screen with a Dutch word and its answer buttons.

    Notification

    Sits with your other notifications. Answer it without unlocking.

  • A lock-screen wallpaper showing a Dutch word, its translation and an example.

    Wallpaper

    The word, its meaning and an example on your lock-screen picture. Nothing to tap, no permissions.

There's also a home-screen widget.

Courses

English levels follow the CEFR. The Dutch levels are approximate.

Dutch for English speakers

A1 · Beginner
450
A2 · Elementary
500
B1 · Intermediate
396

1,346 words with example sentences. 31 of them also have a note in Russian.

Inglés para hispanohablantes

English for Spanish speakers

A1 · Inicial
1,020
A2 · Básico
432
B1 · Intermedio
419
B2 · Intermedio alto
397
C1 · Avanzado
299
Verbos frasales y expresiones
226

2,793 cards, with notes on Spanish false friends. 20 also have a note in Russian.

Английский для русскоговорящих

English for Russian speakers

A1 · Начальный
1,033
A2 · Элементарный
399
B1 · Средний
386
B2 · Выше среднего
387
C1 · Продвинутый
298
Фразовые глаголы и выражения
226

2,729 cards, with notes on Russian false friends. 148 also have a note in Spanish.

Your own words: import a list (CSV, TSV or TXT) or an Anki deck (.apkg) in any language.

What it costs

The Glancewords main screen: the Dutch course, with 4 of its 100 free words used, statistics and Practise now.

  • The first 100 words of every courseFree

    Every feature, no time limit.

  • The rest of a courseOne purchase

    Paid once through Google Play, no subscription. Words you've started stay yours either way.

  • Your own lists and Anki decksFree

    As many as you like, with the same card and schedule.

  • AdsNone

    Not in the free words, not anywhere.

No account, no ads, no tracking

Your words and progress stay on your phone, and learning works offline. The app's own code sends nothing anywhere; only Google Play's billing goes online, to check which courses you own.

  • The word lists, including the ones you import
  • Your answers and progress on each word
  • Your settings

All of it lives in the app's own storage. A backup file you make yourself takes the word lists and your progress to a new phone; settings stay with the phone. Read the privacy policy

Questions

Which phones does it work on?

Android 10 and newer. There is no iPhone version.

Does it need the internet?

No. Learning works offline. When you open the app, Google Play is asked which courses you own and what they cost, and buying one goes through Play.

Will it get in the way when I need my phone?

One swipe up and you're at your usual lock screen. The card stays off calls and alarms, and you can pause it, or switch to the quieter notification.

Can I learn my own words?

Yes. Import a word list or an Anki deck, in any language, and the words get the same card and the same schedule. Imports are always free.

What happens when I change phones?

Back up your words and progress to a file and restore it on the new phone. Purchases come back with your Google account.

How long does it take?

A few seconds a word: look, tap for the meaning if you need it, and answer.