BlackTiggle
Pictures make words stick
for life
vivid
/ˈvɪvɪd/adj.The parrot's feathers are vivid green and red.
The real Level 1 study cards, not a mockup — try the buttons too (it pauses while you press)
Words you cram, you lose by exam day. Words you see, you keep for life. Prove it to yourself with 10 cards — no sign-up.
19
Languages to learn
10,000+
Words per language
4+2
Art styles to choose from
100%
Native audio on every example
Built on research, not hunches
Every card and every level is grounded in language acquisition research.
Dual coding theory
A word is stored along two memory paths at once — the letters and the picture. When one path fades, the other is still there.
Paivio, Dual Coding Theory
Native-language meaning + picture
Not the picture alone, and not the translation alone: it's the two together that make vocabulary learning most efficient — a meta-analysis of 32 experiments and 2,056 participants, and our cards are built on exactly that conclusion.
Zhang, Sala & Gobet (2025), Educational Research Review
A frequency-based curriculum
Every word is learned in order of how often it's actually used. The corpus research showing that 2,000 words cover 90% of everyday conversation and 8,000 words cover 98% of an original-language book is the backbone of our levels.
Nation (2006), Vocabulary Coverage Research
Spaced repetition (SRS)
Long-term memory forms when you meet a word again right before you'd forget it. We work out a review interval for each word individually and bring it back at the ideal moment.
Spaced Repetition, Cepeda et al. (2006)
The difference review timing makes
Same words, simulated retention 30 days later
Days since learning
Seven levels, one goal — no more dictionary
From everyday essentials to specialist terms and idioms. Build a vocabulary of 10,000+ words and expressions across 7 levels.
Level 7 is here
We didn’t stop at 8,000 words.
More precise expressions. Richer descriptions. We added 2,400 words and expressions, from specialist terms to idioms.
- Specialist terms
- Richer descriptions
- Idioms
Lv.1–6
8,000
Lv.7
+2,400
new words & expressions
vocabulary items per language
10,000+
The total varies by study language.
Cumulative words (by frequency)
An illustrative guide based on English corpus research. It counts word families, not service cards or coverage in each language. Nation (2006)
| Level | Words (cumulative) | Coverage | Once you finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lv.1 Starter | 500 | Core survival vocabulary | Get by on a trip |
| Lv.2 Aligned with A1 | 1,000 | 85% of everyday conversation | Your ear starts to open up |
| Lv.3 Aligned with A2 | 2,000 | 90% of everyday conversation | Basic conversation, sorted |
| Lv.4 Aligned with B1 | 3,500 | 95% of spoken language | Try it without subtitles |
| Lv.5 Aligned with B2 | 5,500 | 95% of general text | Read the news and everyday writing |
| Lv.6 Aligned with C1+ | 8,000 | 98% of text | No more dictionary — read the original |
| Lv.7 Aligned with C2 | 10,000+ | Specialist terms, fine detail, idioms | Name the exact tool, texture, or motion |
* A1–C1 labels are not official CEFR certification. They're our own reference mapping for a curriculum built on vocabulary coverage research.
Exam prep gets its own track — TOEIC · TOEFL · JLPT · HSK · DELE · DELF High-frequency exam words are tagged, so the same cards double as test prep.
Level curriculum range · hatched = exam-only extension vocabulary
19 languages · regional pronunciations included
EnglishUS · UK
Japanese
Chinese
Spanish
French
German
VietnameseNorthern · Southern
Italian
PortuguesePortugal · Brazil
Thai
Russian LatinClassical reading track
ArabicModern Standard Arabic
Hebrew
Hindi
Turkish
Greek
Indonesian
FilipinoTagalog · CebuanoWhich art style are you in the mood for today?
Same words, illustrations that change with your taste. Applied to every word instantly, and switchable any time.
Your pick is saved right away and applied to every card instantly.
Learn by ear, too — sound by design
Male · female voices
Set one voice across everything, or alternate between the two — hearing both sharpens your ear for real conversation.
Regional pronunciations
English in US or UK, Portuguese from Portugal or Brazil, Vietnamese from the North or the South, Filipino in Tagalog or Cebuano — learn the accent of the place you're headed.
Playback speed
From 0.5× to 2.0×. Slow at first, then full native speed once it clicks.
Audio on every example
Not just a handful of words — every word and every example comes with native audio. There's a listening mode that plays a whole unit straight through, too.
More than one way to make them stick
Cards
Picture, meaning, example and audio on a single card. Just flipping through is enough to make it stick.
Quiz
Multiple choice · listen and pick · match the meaning. A different combination every time, so guessing gets you nowhere.
Smart review
Only the words you're about to forget, brought back by spaced repetition until they're yours for good.
Shuffle mode
No memorising the order. Everything you've covered, randomised, so you find out what you really know.
Continuous listening
Playback that keeps going with the screen off · speed control · 5 repeats in a row. No limit on how much you listen.
Streaks & leagues
The fun of watching your daily record build up. Weekly XP moves you up the ranks.
Side by side — have you really compared?
| BlackTiggle | Typical rival apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Picture + native-language meaning on one card | ✓ | Picture or meaning, not both |
| Choose your art style (4 now, 2 more coming) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Regional pronunciations (US, UK and more) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Male/female voices + speed control | ✓ | A single voice |
| Native audio on every example sentence | ✓ | Only some of them |
| Unlimited listening · speed control | ✓ | Capped replays |
| Frequency-based curriculum, published openly | ✓ | ✕ |
| Runs in the browser, nothing to install | ✓ | ✕ |
| No ads | ✓ | ✕ |
All 19 languages for the price of a coffee
Other apps charge this much for one language. One yearly plan here opens all nineteen.
Monthly
$12.99 / mo
The light start
- ✓ One language of your choice, unlimited
- ✓ All levels, 10,000+ words · exam tracks
- ✓ Smart review (SRS) · shuffle · listening mode
Yearly
$7.99 / mo
Billed $95.99 a year · that's $0.26 a day
- ✓ All 19 languages, unlimited
- ✓ All levels: 10,000+ words × 19 languages
- ✓ 71 exam tracks — TOEIC, JLPT, HSK and more
- ✓ Smart review (SRS) · shuffle · listening mode
- ✓ Every future language and feature, included
Family
$119.99 / yr
Everyone learns their own language
- ✓ Everything in yearly × up to 6 people
- ✓ Separate languages, art styles and progress
- ✓ Kids can start from the alphabet track (Unit 0)
Payments handled securely by Polar · cancel anytime in one click
The price may rise later — but whatever price you start at is yours for as long as you stay subscribed.
1:1 inquiry · Feedback · Bug report
Even the smallest thing — if something could be better or looks broken, tell us. We read everything and act on it. Billing and refund questions belong here too.
Filed anonymously · leave an email if you'd like a reply
Frequently asked questions
Can I try it before paying?+
Yes. Right now, without an account or a card, you can study 10 real cards and take the quiz on them. See how many stick before you decide anything.
Which plans include every language?+
Yearly and Family open all 19 languages without limits. Monthly opens one language of your choice. Most apps charge a full subscription for a single language — our yearly plan covers all nineteen.
How do cancellation and refunds work?+
One click in your account settings cancels the subscription. You keep access until the end of the paid period, and the refund policy is published openly on the checkout page.
Do I need to install an app?+
No. It runs in your browser. If you want it to feel like an app, tap 'Use as app' and it installs to your home screen — nothing pops up unless you ask.
If the price goes up, do I pay more?+
No. The price you start at is locked for as long as you stay subscribed. Increases only ever apply to new customers.