Read · Translate · Remember
Read the English books you’ve been avoiding.
Tap any word. Get the translation in your language. The vocabulary actually sticks. Lexis turns your reading into spaced-repetition review automatically.
Free tier: 50 word translations/day, 3 books, your first 50 saved words.
Saved words come back for review right before you’d forget them. Spaced repetition produces measurably stronger retention than re-reading (Cepeda et al., 2006).
How it works
From a new book to words that stick
Four steps, about two minutes to set up. After that, it’s just reading.
Set your language
Pick the language you're learning and your own. Every translation, example, and flashcard is tuned to that pair from the start.
Upload your book
Drag in any EPUB. Lexis keeps the original typography and remembers your place, so you read on across devices without losing your spot.
Tap any word
Tap a word as you read for an instant translation in context. Tap again to save it, together with the sentence it came from.
Review with flashcards
Saved words become spaced-repetition cards that resurface right before you'd forget, each one anchored to its original sentence.
“The morning sun gilded the rooftops as Mary, undaunted, set out across the cobbled square.”
How is Lexis Read different from translation apps and Anki?
You could open Google Translate every time you hit a word you don't know, type it into Anki by hand, and read your books in a separate app. Lexis does the whole loop for you.
| Feature | Lexis | Google Translate | Anki | ReadLang |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read full EPUB books in-app | ||||
| Tap any word for translation | paste only | |||
| Saves word with the sentence it came from | manual | partial | ||
| Spaced-repetition flashcards built in | ||||
| No manual deck-building | - | |||
| AI example sentences in your book's context | Pro |
Comparison based on the public features of each tool at the time of writing. Each of these tools is great at what it does. Lexis is the one that closes the loop from reading to remembering in a single app.
Built by one person, in the open
I’m a non-native English speaker. I built Lexis after I couldn’t finish Atomic Habits in English because the dictionary tab kept killing the rhythm. Solo dev, still in active development. If something is broken or missing, reply to the email and I’ll see it.
Not ready to sign up? Get a free book recommendation
Drop your email and we will send one curated EPUB suggestion for English learners. No newsletter spam, just one good book.
We will only email you about books. No marketing blasts. Unsubscribe anytime.
Start reading
The free plan is enough for casual reading. Upload a book, tap a word, save it, review it. That loop is the entire product.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lexis Read and who is it for?
Lexis Read is a web reader for English learners. You upload an EPUB, read in the browser, tap any unfamiliar word for an instant translation in your language, and the words you save become flashcards you can review later. It is built for people who want to learn English by reading real books rather than drilling decontextualised word lists.
How does the translation feature work inside a book?
While reading, tap or select any word and Lexis sends the word and the surrounding sentence to a translation model. You see the translation in your chosen language together with the original sentence. You can save the word with one click, which adds it to your vocabulary list and queues it for spaced-repetition review.
Do my vocabulary words sync across devices?
Yes. Saved words, reading progress, bookmarks and review state are stored in your account, so opening Lexis on a phone, tablet or laptop shows the same library and the same review queue. You sign in once and the data is consistent everywhere you read.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. The free plan lets you upload books, read in the browser, translate words, and review flashcards with everyday limits that are enough for casual reading. The Pro plan raises the limits, 500 translations a day, and adds AI book recaps and the full suggested-reading library, for €9.99/month.
What file formats does Lexis Read support?
Lexis reads EPUB and PDF files. EPUB is the recommended format. It is the open standard used by most public-domain libraries, indie publishers, and DRM-free bookstores (Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks), and it reflows cleanly to fit any screen with custom fonts and sizes. PDF works too and is the right choice for scanned books, academic papers, or any title only sold as PDF; the reader keeps the original page layout and word-tap translation still works on selectable text. The one format we cannot open is Kindle's DRM-locked .azw / .kfx, which is a restriction from Amazon's side.
How is Lexis Read different from a translation app like Google Translate?
A translation app translates whatever text you paste into it and then forgets the word. Lexis remembers every word you tapped, anchors it to the sentence and book where you found it, and brings it back for review at increasing intervals so the word actually sticks instead of evaporating after the lookup.