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Select an unfamiliar word to see its meaning in the sentence you're reading. One tap, then back to the article.
Built for real reading
Vocabulary that grows with your reading.
Translate a word once while you browse. Stickly saves it, highlights it when you meet it again, and asks for a quick typed review at the right moment — without pulling you into a separate study app.
4.9 on Chrome Web Store · 36 ratings Free to useWorks on any website
Install in seconds. Learn from news, blogs, forums, and whatever you read today.
theculturejournal.com / architecture
Design · 6 min read
The quiet spaces that shape a city
Great public spaces are not simply built. They are
Their character emerges slowly as people find new ways to gather, pause, and belong.
How it works
Three small moments. A vocabulary that compounds.
Keep reading. Stickly handles what should return, and when — in seconds, inside the page.
Meet it again in context
Saved words quietly highlight on later pages — the same word, in a new sentence, building real recognition.
Recall it in place
When a word is due, a short typed review strengthens memory — then you're right back where you left off.
Learning in context
Feel words click — not just get checked off.
Stickly is built around the idea that understanding grows when you meet words where they matter. Purple highlights reconnect you with words you know. Orange marks one ready for a quick review. Get it right, and you're back to reading with a stronger memory of that word.
- Meanings tied to real sentences, not isolated lists
- Spaced repetition shaped around your actual encounters
- Reviews that take seconds, without leaving the page
- Progress you can feel in the articles you read next
Field Notes
A slower way to travel
The path climbed beyond the village and opened onto a
Your browsing controlsSelection translationTranslate only when you choose
Remembered-word highlightsSee saved words on later pages
Inline practiceReview due words while browsing
This websitePause Stickly whenever you need
Stays out of the way
Helpful when you want it. Quiet when you don't.
Translation, highlights, and inline practice are separate controls — tuned to how you actually read. Turn off what you don't need, pause Stickly on a tab or site, and keep browsing on your terms.
“Instead of just reading, you stimulate your brain to think and build a better connection to the word.”
Georgios PapazofChrome Web Store reviewer
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How does spaced repetition work?
When you save a word, Stickly schedules it for review based on how well you remember it. Words due for review appear with orange highlights and a short typed challenge when you hover. Answer correctly and the word turns green — and the next review waits longer. Purple highlights are saved words that are not due yet. You never leave the page you are reading.
Why is reading so good for language learning?
Reading exposes you to vocabulary in real sentences — the way words are actually used, not in isolation. Research consistently shows that extensive reading builds comprehension, grammar intuition, and retention faster than memorizing word lists alone. Stickly is built around that idea: every word you save comes from something you were already reading.
Do I need an account?
You can start right away without signing up. Create a free account when you want your words and progress synced across devices and available in the webapp word list.
How is this different from a flashcard app?
Flashcard apps ask you to study someone else's word list. Stickly builds vocabulary from words you actually meet while reading — with the sentence still around them, not on a separate study screen.
What do the highlight colors mean?
Purple means you have saved the word and it is not due for review right now. Orange means the word is due for a quick inline recall challenge. After a correct answer, matching highlights turn green on the page.
Will it get in the way of reading?
Stickly is designed to stay out of the way. Translation, highlights, and inline practice are separate controls. You can pause Stickly on a tab or an entire website whenever you want.
What languages does Stickly support?
Stickly supports many common language pairs. Set your native language and the language you are learning in settings, then translate and review words from whatever you read online.
Does Stickly read everything on my screen?
No. Stickly does not translate or save text unless you choose to. Highlights only appear for words you have already looked up, and you control when Stickly is active on a page.
Where does my vocabulary live?
Words you save are stored in your Stickly account. You can review them in the browser, open your word list in the webapp, and export to Anki when you want to study elsewhere.
Start today
Let the next word you look up become one you remember.
Install once. Your vocabulary grows from the articles, stories, and sites you already enjoy.