Pay once. Keep it.
The visual dictionary is free and always will be — all 1,000 concepts, online or off. What you pay for is the study machinery around it: saving words as you read, and being reminded of them at the right moment.
No account needed to browse. No card, ever.
Not a trial. It doesn't expire.
- All 1,000 illustrated concepts, in Japanese and English
- Works fully offline once loaded
- Unlimited search across every script — kanji, kana and romaji
- Audio for every word and meaning
- Unlimited personal notes
- Unlimited custom categories of your own
- Your first 200 concepts unlocked for flashcards, review and hover lookup
For people who want the whole library working while they read.
Japanese ⇆ English.
- Everything in Free, with the 200-concept limit removed
- All 1,000 concepts as flashcards, synced between site and extension
- Spaced-repetition review with no cap
- Hover lookup on any page, including inflected and conjugated forms
- Anki export for your chosen pair
- Every future improvement to that pair, at no extra cost
What each one includes
The dictionary is identical in both. The difference is how much of it you can put to work.
| Feature | Free | Founding Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Visual dictionary — all 1,000 concepts | Included | Included |
| Works offline | Included | Included |
| Search in Japanese or English | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Illustrations | Included | Included |
| Audio for word and meaning | Included | Included |
| Personal notes | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Custom categories | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Saved flashcards | 200 concepts | All 1,000 |
| Spaced-repetition review | 200 concepts | Unlimited |
| Browser hover lookup | 200 concepts | All concepts |
| Inflected and conjugated forms | 200 concepts | Unlimited |
| Anki export | Not included | Included |
| Future updates to your pair | Not included | Included, forever |
What you are buying
This release covers Japanese ⇆ English. Your Founding Edition unlocks the full library in that pair as it exists today, plus every concept, illustration and feature added to it from here on — including the remaining 4,000 concepts.
Further language pairs will be sold separately when they ship. Hindi is already built and is waiting on a native-speaker review; see What’s included for where everything stands.
Prices by region
A fair price in Mumbai is not a fair price in Melbourne. Founding Edition prices are set per region so the product costs roughly the same effort wherever you are. Your region is confirmed at checkout by your payment method.
| Region | One pair |
|---|
Why this price will go up
This is the founding price for an early product. It rises as the library does — the plan is to raise it when Picture the Words reaches 5,000 concepts, when it covers more than three pairs, and when the extension works properly on phones and tablets.
If you buy now, none of that costs you anything more. That is the whole point of a one-time price: you are paying today's price for a product that keeps growing.
What doesn't work yet
You should know exactly what you are buying into before you pay, so here is the honest list.
- The browser extension is desktop only. It runs on Chrome and Edge on laptops and desktops. It does not run on phones or tablets yet.
- The library is 1,000 concepts. Roughly 4,000 more are in development.
- Three pairs are available. More languages are planned, not shipped.
- Example sentences are not in yet. They are the next content addition.
Everything here is covered by the 14-day refund. If the gaps matter more than you expected, ask for your money back and you will get it.
Questions
Is this a subscription?
No. You pay once for a language pair and it stays yours. There is no renewal, no expiry, and no card kept on file.
What happens to my saved cards if I never pay?
Nothing. The free tier is permanent, and your 200 unlocked concepts, notes and categories stay exactly where they are.
Will my price change later?
Not for what you have bought. When the Founding Edition price rises, it rises for new purchases. Yours is settled at the moment you pay.
Does the extension work on my phone or tablet?
Not yet. Browser extensions of this kind only run on desktop browsers, so hover lookup is laptop and desktop only for now.
The website itself works fully on phones and tablets, including offline — you can install it to your home screen and review your cards there. Mobile lookup is on the roadmap, but it will work by selecting text rather than hovering, because hovering does not exist on a touchscreen.
Can I use my cards in Anki?
Yes, with the Founding Edition. You can export your chosen pair as an Anki deck with illustrations and audio intact.
How do I activate my purchase?
Log into the extension's Settings tab with the same account you used at checkout. Your licence activates immediately and syncs with this website.
Why is the price different in my country?
Because a language-learning tool should cost about the same effort wherever you live. Prices are set per region and confirmed at checkout by your payment method's country.
Can I get a refund?
Within 14 days, for any reason, without explaining yourself. Write to us from the contact page and the payment is returned. See the Terms of Use for the full wording.
Are there discounts for students?
Yes. Write to us from the contact page with proof of enrolment and we'll send you a code.
Picture the Words is built and maintained by one person. Buying the Founding Edition pays for illustration, recording and translation work on the next 4,000 concepts — and gets you every one of them.