Show HN: I made a word puzzles app for improving your English vocabulary(www.dictionarygames.io)
11 pointsby tomek_zemla6 days ago6 comments
  • jamesdhutton3 days ago
    I think your game has potential but, at present, the questions are too hard and the answers are sometimes simply wrong. Example:

    Q: Find the noun matching the following definition: "A burden or responsibility."

    A: Saddle

    This is not correct. Saddle as a verb can mean "to burden", but as a noun it does not mean a burden.

    • tomek_zemla3 days ago
      Working on finding these issues...
      • Terretta2 days ago
        OK, another such issue:

        ---

        Question

        Find the verb having the following synonyms : collapse, crumble, shatter

        Answer: disintegrate

        Result: SORRY... Word implode is the answer to this puzzle.

        ---

        It not educational to suggest "shatter" --> "implode".

        The original 3 words are to fall down, fall apart, or fall to pieces. My answer "disintegrate", is the opposite of integrate, and works for all three.

        Implode is an inward converging motion. The 3 words are not that motion.

        • tomek_zemlaa day ago
          English is my second language so I do not create the content for the puzzles. The data comes from different publicly available sources. A quick search on Google for 'Thesaurus implode' gave me this: The thesaurus for "implode" offers several synonyms, including collapse, crumble, buckle, cave in, shatter, and fail. These words describe the act of something falling inwards or breaking apart due to pressure.
        • tomek_zemlaa day ago
          Also... Note that the cursor indicates if you typed the correct puzzle answer before you submit it. It prevents users from suggesting words that are correct answers, but not the solutions to the given puzzle.
          • jamesdhutton21 hours ago
            @Tomek_zemla: The people in this thread are trying to help you. We are taking the time to tell you about our experience using your app. Feedback is a gift. Be grateful for it. Do not get defensive. If somebody tells you that they found your app baffling and difficult, then you are not going to change their mind by arguing with them. Instead, you should think about how you can change your app so that people find it useful and fun. You have the germ of a good idea for an app here. It needs more work before it's viable. We are trying to help you identify what you need to do to make it good.
            • tomek_zemla2 hours ago
              I am super grateful for all the feedback and not defensive. Discussing to understand the experience of users...
  • gumboshoes2 days ago
    As someone who works in the linguistics space and has worked with numerous teams on games and has a wealth of knowledge on how people actually learn vocabulary and what they actually find fun when doing so, I feel like this game would benefit from a pause, a rethink, and a redo. I am in the middle of a Covid bout right now or I would say something more substantive but perhaps most important: you already have valuable feedback here you seem to be rejecting. Why? For example, what if you did allow multiple answers in the blank and scored accordingly?
    • tomek_zemla2 days ago
      I am not 'rejecting' the alternative design. I am choosing one design path over another. I have a specific vision of how I want this application to work. It is designed to 'push' users to discover new vocabulary. It's not exactly a game, although it feels a bit like that. It's a new take on an ESL vocabulary practice workbook.

      Most words in English have synonyms. Some have long lists of them. The puzzles are designed to make you discover (or just recall) specific words. Accepting a semantically correct alternative defies the purpose! It also makes it easier, and the learning happens when it is hard.

      If the question is about finding synonym to pretty and you provide beautiful, it's great. But the puzzles are designed so you discover splendind and stunning and ravishing and glamorous and lovely and... etc.

  • satisfice2 days ago
    By its nature, this game should accept synonyms of the synonyms it is looking for. I offered “bountiful” when the game wanted “abundant.” My answer was not wrong. When it was rejected I instantly lost interest (i.e. motivation, will, desire) to play the game.
    • tomek_zemla2 days ago
      The puzzle is about finding a specific (one) word for each game/question. In your case abundant was the answer. The cursor indicates correct/incorrect word before it is submitted preventing you from giving a good answer - bountiful - which is NOT the solution to this specific puzzle. It's designed to push the students to find alternatives, i.e. yet another word that can be a solution until they find the correct one. In other words it does not accept multiple solutions by design.
  • AlexErrant3 days ago
    > Guess the missing word to complete the following sentence:

    > Everyone respects him, he's the _ _ _ _ _ in this business.

    Apparently the answer is "daddy"... this is not a good question or answer. Good luck with the launch, but you might want a native speaker to audit your question bank.

  • we_needit6 days ago
    Why do you make people pay yet you claim to be helpful...you know helping is not always about getting a reward in return right?
  • replwoacause3 days ago
    Hmm, weird questions

    "Question: Find the word matching the following definition: Extremely or very much."

    My Attempt: "sufficient"

    Actual answer: "jolly"

    huh??

    • tomek_zemla3 days ago
      The data comes from various open source, academic, etc databases. If you look up Oxford dictionary you will find for example: adverb INFORMAL•BRITISH very; extremely. "he is jolly busy"
      • replwoacause3 days ago
        Oh ok maybe that’s why it didn’t make sense to me, it’s a British colloquialism I’m not familiar with as an American.
        • tomek_zemla3 days ago
          Designing an ESL learning app for the global village is a challenge.
          • jamesdhutton3 days ago
            Speaking as a native English speaker from London: I can assure you that most Brits would get this question wrong. It is true that Brits use "jolly" to mean "very" but it is, as you've noted, informal. Brits do not use it this way in formal speech. You would have to make it clear in the question that you were talking about informal English. E.G. "Name a word that means 'happy' and can also informally mean 'very'".
            • tomek_zemla2 days ago
              Note that the question is never a single example or definition, but a starting question plus multiple clues and hints. These help to clear up ambiguities and guide the student towards the correct puzzle answer.