Goal: a language
The app that makes you learn a language before you open Instagram
Sorry Scroll (sorryscroll.com) blocks Instagram, TikTok or any app you choose and asks for two new words of a language first: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Korean. Learn the two words, answer a quick quiz on them, and the app unlocks for 15 to 60 minutes.
| Each step | 2 new words with audio and an example sentence (and a tip where it helps), then a quiz on both |
|---|---|
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean |
| Meanings in | English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean |
| Words | 500 per language, the most-used ones |
| Pace | At most 12 new words a day; a word is learned after 2 correct recalls |
| Unlocked for | 15 to 60 minutes after each step |
| Price | Free for 1 app · Pro blocks every app · Pricing |
What a step looks like
1. Two new words. Each with how to say it, its meaning in your language, a sentence using it, audio and, where it helps, a tip.
2. A quick quiz on both. Pick the right word from four. Get it wrong and it comes back in a minute.
3. Instagram opens. Every word goes into Your words; "1 of 2" means one more correct recall and it's learned. (Example data.)
A real step, word for word
The first step for someone learning Japanese, exactly as the app shows it:
こんにちは · konnichiwa
hello
こんにちは、元気ですか？
Konnichiwa, genki desu ka?
Hello, how are you?
Tip: Used from late morning to early evening. Written with は but pronounced 'wa'.
ありがとう · arigatō
thank you
本当にありがとう。
Hontō ni arigatō.
Thank you so much.
Tip: Add ございます (gozaimasu) to make it polite: arigatō gozaimasu.
Then the quiz: "Which word means hello?" with four choices. That's the whole step, about 30 seconds.
Your first words in each language
| Language | First two words | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | こんにちは hello ありがとう thank you | All 500 |
| Korean | 안녕하세요 hello 감사합니다 thank you | All 500 |
| Spanish | el agua the water la casa the house | All 500 |
| French | bonjour hello merci thank you | All 500 |
| German | hallo hello danke thank you | All 500 |
| English | excited उत्साहित bored ऊबा हुआ | All 500 |
How fast you'll get through 500 words
It depends on how often you open the apps you block. About 7 in 10 opens become a step, each step earns progress on two words, and new words stop at 12 a day so reviews keep up:
| Blocked-app opens a day | New words a day | All 500 words in |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | about 26 weeks |
| 10 | 6 | about 13 weeks |
| 15 | 8 | about 9 weeks |
| 25 | 12 | about 6 weeks |
| 50 | 12 | about 6 weeks |
Above about 22 opens a day the 12-word cap kicks in, so more opens mean more review, not more new words. Try your own number in the calculator.
When words come back
Short reviews at growing gaps are what make words stick. This is the schedule the app uses:
| Missed it | 1 minute |
|---|---|
| Right once | 20 minutes |
| Right twice (learned) | 1 day |
| 3 times | 3 days |
| 4 times | 7 days |
| 5 or more | 21 days |
Why a language
The language goal came from Syed's family, who thought a blocked app was a good moment to learn something: the time is already there, a few seconds at a time.
Who it's not for
Questions
Is there an app that makes you learn a language before you can open Instagram?
Yes. Sorry Scroll puts two new words and a quick quiz in front of Instagram or any app you block. Other apps doing this include LangLocker (one phrase), LearnPass and LLLock (vocabulary cards) and PollyStop (speaking practice, with blocking in Premium).
Which languages?
English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Korean. Meanings and tips can be shown in English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Japanese or Korean, so you can learn Japanese from French or English from Hindi.
How many words can I learn?
500 per language, the most-used ones. New words are capped at 12 a day so reviews keep up; at 25 blocked-app opens a day that's about 6 weeks for all 500.
How does it decide what to review?
A word you miss comes back in a minute. Get it right and it comes back after 20 minutes, then a day, 3 days, a week and 3 weeks. A word counts as learned after two correct recalls.
Can I hear the words?
Yes. Every word and example sentence has audio, at slow, normal or fast speed.
Is it free?
The free plan blocks one app and includes every language. Pro blocks every app.