Blog
Short, practical guides on the sounds, words and habits that trip learners up.
Japanese in your first month: hiragana first, then long vowels
A calm plan for month one of Japanese: learn hiragana before leaning on romaji, meet katakana and kanji, and train your ear for long vowels and pitch.
October 20, 2026 · 6 min read
Brazilian Portuguese sounds: nasal vowels, two r's and 'dia'
The Brazilian Portuguese sounds English speakers notice first: nasal ã, ão and ões, the soft and strong r, d and t before i, and how to say 'you' with você.
October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
Why European Portuguese sounds swallowed, and when to say tu
European Portuguese drops and shrinks unstressed vowels. Learn the patterns, train your ear, and use tu, polite forms and você the way people in Portugal do.
October 15, 2026 · 5 min read
Latin American Spanish: seseo, ustedes and where people say vos
What a learner of Latin American Spanish needs: one s sound for s, z and soft c, ustedes as the only plural you, and the vos forms used in Argentina and beyond.
October 13, 2026 · 5 min read
Spain Spanish: the 'th' sound, vosotros forms and le vs lo
A practical guide to Spanish as spoken in Spain: distinción between s and the th sound, the full set of vosotros forms, and a short, safe rule for le and lo.
October 10, 2026 · 5 min read
The six Vietnamese tones: ma, mà, mả, mã, má, mạ explained
Learn the six tones of northern Vietnamese with their marks and names, why tone is part of every word, and how the southern accent differs.
October 8, 2026 · 5 min read