Stories from building Wordify
Lessons, decisions, and the occasional confession from shipping a vocabulary app to two app stores.
~11 min read10 best Duolingo alternatives in 2026 (free and paid)
An honest comparison of 10 Duolingo alternatives for 2026. What each app does well, what it doesn't, and which one is right for you.
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~6 min readWhy I stopped using Duolingo (and built something simpler)
Duolingo works for millions — it didn't work for me, and not for the reasons you'd expect. Why I quit, what I tried instead, and what I built to replace it.
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~6 min readLock screen widgets that actually teach you something - an honest roundup
Most lock screen widgets show clocks, weather, or battery. A few teach you something every time you glance at your phone — here is an honest 2026 comparison.
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~7 min readHow spaced repetition actually works (and why most apps get it wrong)
A practical guide to spaced repetition — how the SM-2 algorithm decides when to show you each word, plus the mistakes most learning apps make. In plain English.
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~5 min readHow Wordify started - a story about Spanish, side projects, and finally buying a Mac mini
The honest backstory behind Wordify — how a Spain vacation turned into a side project, and what I learned building a vocabulary app for iOS and Android.
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