Phrasewise: Wake up your saved words, gently
Phrasewise is a mobile language tool for bilinguals who often use translation in their daily lives, always feel a need to double-check messages /expressions with AI writing tools before sending them out, but still struggle to retain what they learn.
The product started from the simple pain points:
Google Translate lets users save words, but those saved words often disappear into a list and never become usable language.
LLMs can rewrite messages well, but users have to repeatedly explain the intent, and the learning history is not structured.
Streak-based language apps that turn learning into a pressure-driven process are also tiring.
Phrasewise is trying to sit between those behaviors: a focused communication tool that also remembers useful words, phrases, and patterns grow from the real communication needs, then turns them into a low-friction review.
Dev Log:
6.9-6.16 Build Log #02
Phrasewise: Moving from prototype screens to a backend MVP loop
I made the MVP stack decisions: Expo React Native for mobile, Supabase for auth/database/functions, RevenueCat for subscriptions, Expo Push for reminders, and a backend-owned LLM provider router.
I also made import more realistic. Instead of fragile direct Google Translate sync, the MVP path now supports Google Takeout, CSV/Sheet upload.
Furthermore, I explored a possible Propose / Edited Draft entry point: not just polishing text users already wrote, but helping them draft a message from intent. It points to a broader product question: Phrasewise may need to support both “fix what I wrote” and “help me say this” without becoming a generic chat app. I added three separate tabs on the top to indicate this new direction: Translate, Polish, and Propose.
What is still unfinished: the backend exists as a vertical slice, but it is not wired into the production mobile frontend yet. Supabase needs a shared dev project setup, secrets, deployed functions, and real frontend calls. RevenueCat and push notification behavior still need sandbox/device validation. The LLM provider decision is provisional: DeepSeek through OpenRouter looks promising on early evals, while OpenAI remains a fallback/comparison path.
6.1-6.8 2026 Build Log #01
This week I pushed Phrasewise from a single rewrite screen into a fuller mobile app prototype: translate result, notebook, review, import, settings, onboarding/auth, paywall, and polished the design system a bit more.
A few important product decisions also became clearer: The trial should not require a payment card upfront; “practice” should feel like a gentle review, not homework; the Notebook should avoid pressure words like “due”; import should start with backend-feasible flows like CSV/paste/manual input rather than fragile private sync. (To change the small UI details with AI is kind of a back-and-forth process, and unnecessary token waste. I am still not so used to this “AI blended in workflow” workflow; I could have changed that in Figama within 30 seconds. The time you saved will be wasted somewhere else anyway, but I am excited about the Figma AI now, if a better design and front-end connection could be done with less friction.)
The core idea stayed the same: not just translation, but turning real communication needs into reusable practice.
Still unfinished: backend, real auth/payment/import instructions, legal/compliance screens, and real spaced-review logic/preferences.
