Though, through, tough: three words, one ending, three sounds
On the page those three words look like they should rhyme. Out loud they don't come close. “Though” rhymes with “go”, “through” rhymes with “too”, and “tough” rhymes with “cuff”. Same four letters at the end, three different vowel sounds. That's a fair sample of how English spelling works, which is to say it often doesn't predict the sound. If you learn English mostly from a textbook or a grammar app, this is the wall you eventually hit. You can read a sentence perfectly and still not recognise it when someone says it at normal speed.
Stress can change the word
English also uses stress to tell apart words that are spelled the same. Say “REcord” with the stress first and you mean the noun, a record. Say “reCORD” with the stress second and it's the verb. “PREsent” and “preSENT”, “PROject” and “proJECT” work the same way. Nothing on the page changes, and reading practice can't teach you to hear or say the difference. Listening to real speech and having your own attempts answered can.
Why speaking matters more for English
Some languages you can learn mostly by reading, because the spelling is close to the sound. English isn't one of them. Its spelling froze centuries ago while the pronunciation kept moving, and it borrowed from French, Latin and Old Norse without tidying up. So a method built on reading and grammar drills can leave you able to pass a written exam and still struggle to follow a native speaker. The fix is more listening and speaking.
Practise by talking, explained in your language
In Sayelle you speak or type to a tutor that answers in English, and lessons explain things in your own language. Scenarios put you in a situation with no script, like ordering food or asking for directions. Because the practice is spoken, you train against the problems English creates: words that don't sound like they look, stress that changes meaning, and fast speech that blurs word boundaries. Study turns your past chats into flashcards and listening practice.
What you'll learn
There are more than 80 lessons for beginners, with more on the way. The units cover:
- Sounds and spelling
- Greetings and first conversations
- Nouns, articles and plurals
- Numbers, time and dates
- To be, people and relationships
- The present simple, do-support and the present continuous
- Daily life and routines, can, there is and there are
- Home, the city and giving directions
Practise anywhere
The tutor, speech recognition and voice models download once over Wi-Fi (about 4 GB), then run on your phone. A full spoken conversation works with no signal, and your raw microphone audio never leaves the device. You'll need iOS 18 or later, or Android 8.0 or later. Read more about how the offline AI works and what phone you need.
Common questions
Is Sayelle for beginners?
Right now the English lessons start from zero and cover beginner English, with more being added.
Can I get explanations in my own language?
Yes. You can choose Spanish, Chinese, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Japanese or Hindi for the explanations while you learn English.
Which English does Sayelle teach?
American English, with notes on where British English differs.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After a one-time download of about 4 GB, the tutor, speech recognition and voice all run on your phone. Signing in, purchases, syncing and new content downloads still need a connection.
Is it free?
Free to start. Conversations with your tutor are free and unlimited. Lessons and scenarios use practice energy that recharges over time, and Sayelle Plus is an optional subscription that removes that limit and unlocks more content.
Start with your first sounds
Sayelle is free to start. See the other eight languages it teaches, or download it now.
