Readlang vs Wordie: Two Browser Tools for Learning Words While You Read

Readlang and Wordie are the most similar pair in this comparison series: both are browser tools that help you learn words while reading real web pages. The core difference is what happens when you click a word. Readlang translates it (or a whole phrase) into your language and saves it with the sentence for flashcard practice, across many languages. Wordie defines it in English, with synonyms and related words, then highlights it on every page you visit afterwards. If you are reading in a foreign language, Readlang is the better choice. If you are building English vocabulary and are comfortable with English definitions, Wordie fits better.

Quick verdict: who should pick which?

• Choose Readlang if you read in Spanish, French, German, Russian or another foreign language, you want translations into your native language, you need phrase translation, or you want flashcards that always show the original sentence.
• Choose Wordie if your goal is English, you want monolingual definitions and synonyms, and you like the idea of saved words lighting up whenever they reappear across the web.
• Use both if you read in two languages: Readlang for the foreign one, Wordie for English.

What is Readlang?

Readlang is a long-running tool for language learners made up of a web reader and a browser extension. On a page, you click a word or drag across a phrase to get a translation. Each lookup is saved along with the sentence it came from, and Readlang turns your saved words into flashcards so you review them with their context. You can also upload your own texts or use public texts in its library. Recent versions add AI-powered context explanations that tell you why a word or phrase means what it does in that sentence. It supports a wide range of languages, and the free plan is generous for single words.

What is Wordie?

Wordie is a small Chrome extension (also Edge, Brave and Arc) made by an independent developer. Select a word and a card shows its English definition, part of speech, synonyms and related words. Save it, and Wordie highlights that word on every page you visit, so you keep running into it in new contexts. Recall mode quizzes you with flashcards rated Forgot, Hard or Easy, which update a 0–100% mastery score. The dashboard lists your words, lets you add words manually, shows 7-day analytics and exports to CSV or JSON. Your vault stays in local browser storage, with no account.

Readlang vs Wordie at a glance

Learning approach: translation vs definition

Translation is faster and more reliable when your level is low. If you are reading a French article at B1, seeing enjeu → stake, issue in your own language gets you back to the text in a second. Phrase translation matters too, because idioms and collocations often make no sense word by word. Readlang handles both well.

English-English definitions take a little more effort, and that effort can be useful once you are ready for it. Reading "pernicious: having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way" teaches you nuance that a one-word translation may flatten, and the synonym list (harmful, insidious, damaging) builds a network of related words. Wordie only works this way, so it suits learners who already handle English definitions comfortably, roughly upper-intermediate and above.

Context: stored sentence vs repeated encounters

Both tools care about context, in different ways. Readlang saves the sentence you met the word in, so your flashcard is a mini sentence-mining card. That is a well-proven technique.

Wordie does not store the original sentence. Instead it creates new contexts: every time the saved word appears on another site, it is highlighted, and you see it in a fresh sentence. Research on incidental learning (Webb 2007; Pellicer-Sánchez & Schmitt 2010) suggests that multiple varied encounters are a major driver of retention. If you want the sentence too, our sentence mining guide shows how to keep one alongside a Wordie export.

Workflow

Readlang asks you to activate it on a page (via the extension button) or to open text in its web reader; then every click translates. A reviewer notes the extension works on most sites but not every one. Practice happens in Readlang's flashcard view.

Wordie is always on: select any word, any time, and saved words are already highlighted on load. Practice happens in Recall mode or, informally, every time a highlighted word catches your eye.

What a lookup looks like in each tool

Neither is better in the abstract. The translation is quicker and clearer if your English is still developing; the English definition and synonyms give you more to hold on to once it is not.

Privacy and data

Readlang stores your words and texts in your account, which means they are available on any device where you sign in. Wordie keeps your vault in local browser storage with no account, and no Wordie server receives your words. The trade-off is the usual one: privacy and simplicity on Wordie's side, sync and multi-device access on Readlang's. Export your Wordie vault regularly to avoid losing it if you clear site data.

Price

Readlang's free plan includes unlimited single-word translations, 10 phrase translations and 10 context explanations a day, plus flashcard practice. At the time of writing (October 2026), its pricing page lists Premium at $6 a month or $48 a year, with unlimited phrases and explanations, and Premium Plus at $15 a month or $120 a year with a stronger AI model.

Wordie is free for up to 20 saved words with highlighting, then $12.99 once for Pro (unlimited words, full Recall and analytics), or $0.99 a month on the Student plan. Readlang's free tier is more generous for casual use; Wordie's paid tier is cheaper over time.

Where Readlang is clearly better

• Foreign-language reading with translation into your own language.
• Phrase translation and AI explanations for idioms and tricky grammar.
• Context sentences on flashcards by default.
• A generous free tier for single-word lookups.
• Account sync and a web reader you can open on other devices.

Where Wordie fits better

• English-English learning with synonyms and related words, not just a translation.
• Highlighting across the whole web, so saved words keep resurfacing on their own.
• No account, local storage and CSV/JSON export.
• One-time price instead of a subscription.

Can you use both?

Yes, though think about overlap. Both tools react when you interact with words on a page, so running both on the same English article is redundant. A clean setup:

1. Readlang for your foreign language. Activate it on articles in Spanish, German or whatever you are learning.
2. Wordie for English. Leave it on for your English reading and save the words you want to own.
3. English learners at lower levels: start with Readlang's translations, and switch to Wordie once English definitions feel natural.

The bottom line

Readlang is the better tool for reading in a foreign language: translations, phrases, AI explanations and context-rich flashcards across many languages. Wordie is a narrower English tool whose standout trick is highlighting saved words wherever they reappear, with no account and a one-time price. Choose by language and level. For similar tools, see LingQ vs Wordie, Language Reactor vs Wordie and our list of the best Chrome extensions for learning English.

Sources: Webb, S. (2007), "The effects of repetition on vocabulary knowledge", Applied Linguistics; Pellicer-Sánchez, A. & Schmitt, N. (2010), Reading in a Foreign Language.