Learning with Texts vs Lute
Learning with Texts
hapepo23.github.ioLute
luteorg.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Learning with Texts | Lute |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Language Immersion Apps | 8.1 (#7) | 8.5 (#3) |
| Founded | 2010 | 2022 |
| Purpose | LWT is a web app for language learning in which users read texts, optionally listen to audio, and save, review, and test words and expressions. | Lute is a standalone web application installed on your computer for learning languages by reading texts. |
| Support | The maker invites users to report problems and send feedback and ideas, and describes LWT as a one-person hobby project. | The manual directs users to Discord for help and asks documentation readers to report unclear or incorrect content through a GitHub issue. |
Plans
In their own words
Learning with Texts
Learning with Texts (LWT) is a language-learning web app for reading texts you bring and building vocabulary from them. It divides uploaded texts into sentences and words, then shows saved terms and their learning status in later readings. You can save words or expressions of two to nine words, along with translations, optional romanization, and an example sentence. Practice options include term tests, context-based tests, Massive-Context Cloze Deletion tests, and a statistics page. LWT can associate an MP3 audio URL with a text for listening while you read, but it has no audio-file import or upload function. Dictionary links are configurable; terms can be imported from CSV or TSV, exported as TSV, or sent to Anki for cloze tests. LWT is free, with offline access and interactive practice listed. It requires a modern browser and a local web and database server with PHP. Installation instructions cover Windows, macOS, and Linux, though the maker says its macOS instructions and app could not be tested. Texts and terms using Unicode characters above U+FFFF are unsupported.
Lute
Lute is a standalone web application installed on your computer for learning languages through reading. Users import or create texts, read them, and save definitions and associations that build a personal dictionary. The application lets users define languages and dictionaries, edit texts, and create single-word or multi-word terms while reading. Parent terms can share definitions with child terms, and sample sentences can include related terms. Readers can add images to words and use hotkeys to set statuses such as New, Learning, Well-known, or Ignore, including bulk updates. Lute supports 66 languages; its manual lists more than 50 predefined languages with sample stories and dictionaries, though some need plugins. Languages can use multiple term and sentence dictionaries, displayed embedded or in pop-up views. Lute can export terms to Anki note types, and AnkiConnect enables communication with Anki. Supported content includes text, TXT, EPUB, web pages, and book audio. Installation options are pip, Docker, or source code; Android use through Termux is also documented. Lute is free, uses the MIT license, and runs locally so users control their data.