Language-learning prototype
Kikiyomi
A synchronized audio-text reader designed around immersion, comprehension, and native material rather than grammar drills or streaks.
Kikiyomi Kikiyomi Learn a language by listening to real books, with the text in step with the voice.
Why I built it
Most language apps optimize the habit of opening an app. Kikiyomi was an attempt to optimize the harder thing: sustained exposure to material people genuinely want to understand.
The interface follows the narration, keeps the text readable, and reduces the distance between hearing, reading, and comprehension.
What I built
- A synchronized player that visually follows native narration through long-form text.
- A reading flow designed for source material rather than isolated exercise cards.
- Early product architecture for queues, difficulty progression, and vocabulary context.
What it taught me
- Retention mechanics are not a substitute for meaningful exposure time.
- Audio synchronization needs forgiving timing and legible state changes, not decorative motion.