Why We Built CapWords

Why We Built

CapWords

In the summer of 2022, my daughter pointed at a plant and asked, “Dad, what’s this?” We started “collecting” names of things we saw around us—first plants, then objects, then words in English and French. Every walk became a fun language discovery.

One day she asked, “What’s this in English?” pointing at a sign I didn’t know. That moment inspired CapWords: a simple way to turn the world around you into a language-learning playground.

We designed CapWords to let anyone snap a photo and instantly get the word, pronunciation, and even related words. My daughter called it “the sticker app” and helped shape features like flashcards, colors, and layouts.

Today, CapWords helps people of all ages learn new words naturally—by seeing, hearing, practicing, and sharing them in real life.

CapWords isn’t just an app; it’s a fun, intuitive way to explore languages every day.

In the summer of 2022, my daughter pointed at a plant and asked, “Dad, what’s this?” We started “collecting” names of things we saw around us—first plants, then objects, then words in English and French. Every walk became a fun language discovery.

One day she asked, “What’s this in English?” pointing at a sign I didn’t know. That moment inspired CapWords: a simple way to turn the world around you into a language-learning playground.

We designed CapWords to let anyone snap a photo and instantly get the word, pronunciation, and even related words. My daughter called it “the sticker app” and helped shape features like flashcards, colors, and layouts.

Today, CapWords helps people of all ages learn new words naturally—by seeing, hearing, practicing, and sharing them in real life.

CapWords isn’t just an app; it’s a fun, intuitive way to explore languages every day.

In the summer of 2022, my daughter pointed at a plant and asked, “Dad, what’s this?” We started “collecting” names of things we saw around us—first plants, then objects, then words in English and French. Every walk became a fun language discovery.

One day she asked, “What’s this in English?” pointing at a sign I didn’t know. That moment inspired CapWords: a simple way to turn the world around you into a language-learning playground.

We designed CapWords to let anyone snap a photo and instantly get the word, pronunciation, and even related words. My daughter called it “the sticker app” and helped shape features like flashcards, colors, and layouts.

Today, CapWords helps people of all ages learn new words naturally—by seeing, hearing, practicing, and sharing them in real life.

CapWords isn’t just an app; it’s a fun, intuitive way to explore languages every day.

How did we design the
sounds experience?

CapWords treats every detail as a product, drawing inspiration from the everyday. We crafted interactions and sound effects by experimenting with real materials colliding, tapping, and swiping familiar objects.


All sounds were recorded on iPhone and refined in GarageBand, then edited on a Mac. The first prototype was built through video editing, letting us preview and fine-tune every effect before coding them in. The swipe and flip sounds, as well as error prompts, were captured using concert tickets and flyers—recorded over many takes with a close friend.


To us sound effects should feel warm and human, never cold or mechanical.