Phrabbit Shadowing & Dictation vs Kikimane

The surest way to make a sentence truly your own — listen, repeat, and say it out loud. Phrabbit is an A/B loop practice app for language learners. Grab any passage from an audio file, a video, a podcast, or a YouTube stream, loop it until it clicks, then speak it and write it. ◆ Shadowing · Listen to an A/B range, then repeat it in your own voice · Play your take over the original and compare the waveforms (audio files) · The passage's subtitles show on the shadowing screen, line by line as it plays (audio files) · Shadowing gap — leaves time to speak between loops, with a countdown · Shadowing also works with video files and YouTube streams · My Recordings — save your best takes and pick up on the same range ◆ Dictation · Listen to your A/B range one sentence at a time, write it down, and compare it with the original · With subtitles, differences are marked for you · Audio files, video files, and YouTube streams · On iPad, write by hand — your handwriting is saved to look back at ◆ A/B looping right on the waveform · Set precise ranges with your fingertip while watching the waveform · Loop as much as you want, adjust speed (0.5x–2.0x) · Save important ranges as bookmarks ◆ Practice with video · Bring in video files on your device (MP4, M4V, MOV) and loop them the same way · Attach an SRT, VTT or SMI subtitle file, read it as sentence cards, and fix the sync in 0.5 s steps · Sentence practice — tap a sentence card and it becomes the loop · Bilingual subtitles — split a two-language subtitle file into the original and its translation · No subtitles? Mark an A/B range and convert just that part with speech recognition · Full screen — sentence cards beside the video, with the range tools · Save a word from a subtitle card to your wordbook, with its context ◆ YouTube caption cards · Bring a YouTube video's captions in as sentence cards; tap one to repeat it · Translate a card, add it to your wordbook, or edit it · The captions carry into Shadowing and Dictation ◆ Comfortable anywhere, anytime · Background playback — loops keep running with the screen off or in other apps · Sleep timer — auto-pause after 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes · Earphone remote — previous/next steps through sentences (or 5 seconds without a transcript) · Bookmark queue — Play All runs saved ranges back-to-back, skippable from the Lock Screen ◆ Speech to text (STT) · Turn speech into sentence-by-sentence text, synced to the waveform in real time · Type subtitles yourself — practice from your own script; typed lines stay put if you run recognition later · Apple Intelligence subtitle translation — translate a whole transcript on-device and read it beside the original (iOS 26.4+, Apple Intelligence device) · On-device processing — your audio is never sent to a server ◆ Many sources · Import audio files (mp3, m4a, and more) · Import video files (MP4, M4V, MOV) · Podcasts — browse shows curated for your language, or add one by name or RSS address · Download episodes, or bring in your Apple Podcasts subscriptions · Practice any YouTube link as a stream ◆ Keep your library in order · Folders — group your material, nested as deep as you like · Favorites — mark what you open most and reach it straight from Home · Sort — by name, date added and more · Search — finds what is tucked inside a folder, and shows you where it lives ◆ Tools that help you learn · Wordbook — save words you don't know and review them · AI word explanations (Beta) — tap a wordbook entry and Apple Intelligence explains it on-device, in context · Stats — see your practice time and streak at a glance · Works on both iPhone and iPad Start free. A/B looping, playback speed, the shadowing gap, the sleep timer, and one bookmark per file or video are free. STT, YouTube caption cards, shadowing recordings, dictation, unlimited bookmarks and wordbook (with AI word explanations), background playback, podcasts, and subtitle translation come with Premium — a one-time purchase, no subscription.

"Kikimane" is an app designed for learning by listening to and imitating audio materials. Even as a beginner, you can start by simply getting your ears accustomed to the sounds and mimicking them. As you progress, you can challenge yourself with exercises like shadowing and repeating. You can also use the app to play audio continuously while commuting or doing other tasks to train your listening skills. While the app does not include pre-made study materials, it utilizes the natural language processing and text-to-speech capabilities of your iPhone or iPad, allowing you to create your own custom audio content in the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Korean, and Japanese. Audio quality depends on the system's capabilities. Additionally, by importing external audio, the app can be used for various listening-and-mimicking exercises beyond language learning—such as practicing announcements or speeches.