2026-04-29 · 1 min read
Launching Lepochi
Most language apps are gentle. They reward you for trying. They show you a green checkmark when you tap the correct multiple-choice option after seeing the answer in the prompt. You feel great. Three months later you still can't order coffee.
We built Lepochi because we wanted the opposite: an app that respects you enough to tell you when you're wrong, and that schedules your reviews based on how your brain actually forgets — not how often you open the app.
The three things we obsess over
- Tones first, not last. For Mandarin, getting the tone wrong is getting the word wrong. A pitch contour is a phoneme. We treat it that way from day one — not as a polish pass after you've memorised pinyin.
- Harsh grading. If you typed
ma3when the answer wasmā, that's wrong. We tell you it's wrong. The slight sting is the whole point — your next attempt is the one that sticks. - Delayed checks. We don't always grade you right after you see the word. Sometimes the check comes two cards later, or at the end of the session. Distance from the prompt is what separates recall from recognition.
Three languages today, more on the way
We're starting with Chinese, Japanese, and Minionese (yes, really — the Minionese pack is our favourite to explain to confused parents). The data model treats languages as data, not code, so adding the next one is a content question, not an engineering one.
Free, forever
No credit card. No ads. No "premium tier" gating the algorithm. The bet is simple: if the app actually works, you'll tell a friend.