Beta · free while we build it

A language that grows with you.

Hi, I’m Orbilu. I pick your words, write the sentences, say them aloud and bring each one back just before you’d forget.

PortugueseSpanishFrenchItalianGerman

Try it free. Pick a language; no card, no account needed yet.

  1. 1 · Planted

    Orbilu picks today’s words for you

    Tell Orbilu your level and what the language is for. Each day she chooses a few new words: about half for your goal, the rest the words everyone needs.

    Tell Orbilu your level and what the language is for. Each day she chooses a few new words: about half for your goal, the rest the words everyone needs.

    No decks to build. No lists to type.

  2. 2 · Learned

    Hear it, see it, say it

    Every word comes in a real sentence, spoken aloud, with two cards: one to recognise it, one to produce it. Four buttons to say how it went.

    Every word comes in a real sentence, spoken aloud, with two cards: one to recognise it, one to produce it. Four buttons to say how it went.

    One card at a time. Four buttons.

  3. 3 · Tended

    Reviews timed to your memory

    A memory model predicts when each word will slip and brings it back just before. Words you know drift further apart; shaky ones return sooner.

    A memory model predicts when each word will slip and brings it back just before. Words you know drift further apart; shaky ones return sooner.

    No schedule to manage. I keep it.

  4. 4 · Rooted

    Your vocabulary grows, and so does Orbilu

    After each session Orbilu adjusts the pace and the mix, and writes you a short note. Ten minutes a day, and the orb grows with your words.

    After each session Orbilu adjusts the pace and the mix, and writes you a short note. Ten minutes a day, and the orb grows with your words.

    No streaks to protect. Miss a day and I simply wait.

That’s the whole method

Four steps.
Ten minutes a day.

Pick your language and I’ll plant your first words tonight.

PortugueseSpanishFrenchItalian
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Free during betaNo card needed10 languages
Paul, Orbilu's founder, walking along a wooden boardwalk with mountains behind

Why I built this

Spaced repetition taught me Spanish. Making the cards nearly stopped me.

I learned Spanish with Netflix, a tutor and Anki. Anki was my first contact with spaced repetition and the most powerful tool I had: the words I put through it stayed. I just spent more evenings building cards than learning from them.

Duolingo and Memrise have their place, but they have drifted towards streaks, ads and paywalls. I wanted straight to the words, with the card-making done for me, alongside a tutor, a book or a series in the language. So I built Orbilu.

Paul · founder, currently learning Portuguese

The science

Spaced repetition, scheduled by FSRS

Two of the best-replicated findings in memory research, timed by the open-source memory model built into modern Anki.

Spaced review

Most new words are gone within a week unless they are met again. Each well-timed review makes the next gap longer.

Active recall

Recalling a word strengthens it far more than re-reading it. Every card asks before it tells.

Orbilu schedules with FSRS, trained on hundreds of millions of real reviews, and brings each word back while you still have a nine-in-ten chance of remembering it.

Orbilu and Anki

Anki asks you to Find and type your own words
Orbilu Picks them for your level and your goal
Anki asks you to Write every card’s back and hunt for audio
Orbilu Has a language model write the sentence and pronunciation, and a neural voice say the word
Anki asks you to Grade every card yourself
Orbilu Still asks for your grade, and reads how long you took to suggest when a word deserves Hard

Anki proved the method. Orbilu does the housekeeping, and works best beside a tutor, a book or a series in the language.

Read the science →

Pricing

One plan. Everything included.

Free while Orbilu is in beta. Beta members keep the founding price when billing starts.

Monthly

Freeduring beta

then $7.99 / month · Founding price, kept for beta members

Try for free

YearlyBest value

Freeduring beta

then $59 / year · Founding price, kept for beta members

Try for free

New words daily Audio for every word Add your own words 10 languages

Fair questions.

Is Orbilu an alternative to Anki?

Same engine: spaced repetition scheduled by FSRS. The difference is that you never build a card; Orbilu picks the words, writes the sentences and audio, and makes two cards per word.

Does spaced repetition work for learning a language?

Yes. Spacing reviews out beats cramming in decades of studies, and it works best for vocabulary alongside lessons, reading and listening.

Does Orbilu replace lessons or a tutor?

No. Lessons, books and series give you new words; Orbilu makes sure they stay, and a word from class joins tomorrow’s practice.

How long does Orbilu take each day?

About ten minutes. Pick a pace from five to twenty minutes and Orbilu sizes the new words and the reviews to it.

What happens if I miss a day?

Nothing, since there are no streaks. Reviews wait and are retimed around when you show up.

Which languages does Orbilu teach?

Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Turkish and English.

I’ll plant your first words tonight.

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