Thought
When do you need help while reading?
Edited from founder interviews
An example sentence should show me how a word is used. If I do not know the other words in it, I spend most of my time looking things up. That often bothered me while learning.
Furigana where you need them
A book does not know my vocabulary. Some words are instantly familiar; for others I need the reading or meaning. Reading help should reflect that difference.
My idea for is to show less beside familiar words. If I need a lookup, it stays one click away. I should also be able to show all readings when I want them.
Looking up a word does not always mean forgetting it
Perhaps I know a word but not this form. Perhaps I only need its meaning in this sentence. Opening a word hint does not mean I must relearn the word.
After reading, I want to return to words like these. In the website example, words whose hints you view for a little longer appear in a short recap. You can jump back to their place in the text. That history stays on the open page.
When can help step back?
That remains an open question. Stored progress helps, but I do not need the same amount of support every day. I want to read without working around the hints, and without getting stuck on an unfamiliar word.
Whether the design helps will have to be tested while reading. Fewer visible readings alone are not progress.
Research
There is evidence for regular reading in a second language:
Reading widely supports language learning
The meta-analysis finds positive effects of extensive reading on vocabulary and reading comprehension, among other outcomes. It examines regular, independent reading of texts at an appropriate level.
It does not test when furigana or other word hints should be hidden. That is a separate design question.
Sangers et al. (2025): Learning a Language Through Reading: A Meta-analysis of Studies on the Effects of Extensive Reading on Second and Foreign Language Learning ↗