Opportunities › Audio-first language learning with varied contexts › Proposed app
Earfirst
Flashcards that play the sound first and change the sentence every review
- Score
- 53
- confidence 38
- Evidence
- 4
- items on the page
- Rivals
- 2
- named in sources
- First version
- 35 d
- estimate
- Type
- Mobile app
- PWA: installs on iPhone and Android
- Market since
- 2006
- Mature market · AI estimate
ScreensConcept
Mobile app: Language learners review flashcards in short bursts while commuting, exercising, or between other activities, fitting quick vocabulary practice into daily routines. Sample screens on a phone, in the proposed brand. Their numbers are sample data.
Listen
♪ 1 of 3
- Plays today2 of 3
- SpeakerVoice B
- Speed1.0x
- Cards left34
About this appAI proposal
Earfirst is a vocabulary review app for learners who want to understand spoken language, not just recognise written words. Every card starts with audio only. You listen, say what you think it means, then reveal the text and check yourself.
Each word comes with a pool of example sentences, so you hear it in varied contexts instead of memorising one sentence. It is built first for intermediate Japanese learners preparing for JLPT N3 and N4, and can extend to other languages.
Learners in the material say flashcard tools show text before or with the audio and repeat the same sentence. Earfirst reverses both habits, so a correct answer means you actually heard the word.
- Tagline
- Hear it first. Know it for real.
- Voice
- CalmDirectEncouraging
- Why this name
- Two plain words joined: ear and first. It states the method, listening before reading, and is easy to say.
In the first version
Members say which features they would use. It tells PWAS what people want; it changes no score.
Audio before text
The card plays sound first with the text hidden. You commit to a meaning before anything is shown, so reading cannot pass for listening.
No member yet
A new sentence each review
Every word has a pool of sentences. Each review draws a different one, so you learn the word and not one sentence.
No member yet
Varied contexts
Sentences differ in setting, grammar and register, so one word is heard in casual, formal and exam-style speech.
No member yet
Generate more sentences
Ask for fresh sentences at your level for any word. Preview and keep the ones you like before they join your deck.
No member yet
Brand identityAI proposal
Check the name against trademark registers before using it.
Palette
#12545ADeep Teal · primary#F6F1E7Paper · surface#1F2A2EInk · text#E2692FPersimmon · accent#8FB7A5Sage · data
Typography
Aa
Earfirst
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789
Hear it first. Know it for real.
Fraunces for headlines and numbers, Figtree for everything else.
PricingAI proposal
The material gives no competitor prices. Tiers follow its freemium and subscription idea and are a starting point to test, not a market claim.
Free
Free
- One starter deck
- 20 audio-first reviews a day
- Fixed sentence pool
Learner
$8 a month
- Unlimited reviews
- All starter decks
- Import your own word lists
- Offline use
Exam Pass
$15 a month
- Everything in Learner
- Generated sentences
- Listening progress reports
Would you pay Learner · $8 a month?
Your answer tells PWAS which prices people accept. It changes no score.
No answers yet.
What it could be worthEstimate
What a software business making this much sells for today, from real deals. Pick a monthly revenue.
If it makes
Worth about
$194,000
Sale range $132,000 to $263,000
$120,000 a year in revenue
From 87 software businesses listed and sold on Empire Flippers in the last year, revenue vetted by the broker: they sell for about 19× their monthly revenue, most between 13× and 26×.
Measured on profit, the middle deal is 32× monthly net profit: about 2.7 years of profit.
An estimate, not an offer or financial advice. A real price depends on profit, growth, churn, how much of the work is the owner's, and the buyer.
How it would growAI proposal
How the product would reach new customers through its own use, and how the first ones would be found. A plan to test, not a result.
- Built-in loop
- No loop in the product. Growth comes from content and community, not from product use. Learners share study advice and results in forums, but the app does not send output to non-users.
- Do they become customers?
- Test whether JLPT learners who find it through forums and videos convert from free to paid after two weeks of daily listening reviews.
- First customers
- Self-studying English-speaking adults preparing for JLPT N3 or N4 who already use Anki and want better listening.
- Where to reach them
- Language-learning forums: Join Hacker News and Japanese study communities where the listening gap is discussed, and offer free early access.
- Short demo videos: Show the same word heard in several sentences, and a before and after listening test.
- Anki import guide: Publish a guide to move an existing deck into Earfirst in minutes.
- First milestone
- Twenty JLPT N3 or N4 learners complete 30 days of reviews and at least five pay for the paid tier.
Why people already pay for this
- Public claimAnki doesn't offer enough variety in example sentences to internalize what the sound means in different contexts.
- Public claimSeeing text before hearing audio creates false confidence in listening comprehension; learners believe they understand the sound but are actually reading the word first.
- Public claimLanguage learners actively use flashcard apps like Anki for vocabulary acquisition to reach intermediate proficiency levels.
- Public claimAdvanced language learning requires mastery of high-frequency simple words through rich, varied contexts to build natural comprehension.
Tech stack
Every proposal builds on the same PWA base, installable from the browser on any phone or computer. Dashed boxes are what this app adds.
- AppNext.js and TypeScript
- PWAManifest and service worker
- UITailwind CSS
- Data and authSupabase Postgres
- PaymentsStripe
- EmailResend
- HostingVercel
- This app · Speech synthesisNeural text-to-speech with several voicesProduces audio for many sentences and speakers without recording each one.
- This app · Sentence generationLarge language model APIDrafts varied example sentences at a chosen level for the learner to review.
RisksAI inference
- AIGenerated Japanese sentences may be unnatural or wrong for the stated level, which hurts trust. Needs checks, learner flagging and curated sentences for core vocabulary.
- TechnicalSynthetic voices may mispronounce words or pitch accent, so learners internalise wrong sounds. Voice quality must be tested with native speakers.
- CommercialAnki is established and learners may not leave their existing decks. Easy import and a clear listening benefit are needed to win them.
- CommercialThe evidence is public claims only. It is unproven that learners will pay for audio-first review.
- Intellectual propertyStarter decks and vocabulary lists may carry licence limits. Word lists need cleared or original sources.
Everything marked AI proposal or AI inference was written by a model from the evidence on the opportunity page. The proposed name must be checked against trademark registers before it is used.