Free Sluka alternative: GreetAI Practice adds the speaking Sluka leaves out
Sluka is a browser extension that combines ideas from LingQ and Language Reactor: colour-coded subtitles, known-word tracking, frequency lists and keys that jump to the next line with a word you don’t know yet. It is a powerful tool for listening and vocabulary.
But in Sluka’s own update video, its co-creator says it plainly: “The only thing we don’t have is speaking.”
That is the gap GreetAI Practice was built for. If your goal is to actually say things in French, Spanish or German, not just recognise them, this is the Sluka alternative to try, and it is free.
The short version
- Choose Sluka if you want to track every word you know, hunt for high-frequency words and drill listening vocabulary.
- Choose GreetAI Practice if you want to understand shows without the learning curve and turn what you watch into speaking practice with a score, for free.
- Use both if you like Sluka’s word tracking and also want to talk. They solve different problems.
Sluka vs GreetAI Practice at a glance
| Sluka | GreetAI Practice | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Listening and vocabulary | Listening and speaking |
| Speaking practice | No (an AI chat box is “the closest thing”) | Yes: replay a line, say it back, get a score |
| Subtitles | Colour-coded by word status, optional blur | English above French, Spanish or German subtitles |
| Word tracking | Known / learning / ignored for every word, frequency rank | Every word you tap, saved with its meaning and the line it came from |
| Review | Words around your target word, Anki export | Lines you stumbled on wait until you say them with 4 stars |
| Setup | Many settings and key combinations | Sign in, pick your language and level, press play |
| Price | Free for the first 1,000 words, then a one-time licence | Free, nothing to buy |
| Browser | Chrome (Firefox announced) | Chrome on desktop |
Why speaking matters more than a bigger word count
Knowing a word when you hear it is not the same as being able to use it. Many learners reach thousands of “known” words and still freeze in a real conversation. Sluka’s own commenters raise the same worry: if you mark a word as known after a few listens, you can end up with a pile of half-remembered words.
Saying a line out loud fixes that in a way reading and listening can’t:
- You notice what you can’t say. A line that looked easy on screen is often hard in your mouth.
- You copy real rhythm and intonation, not just the words.
- You remember it better. A phrase you have said several times sticks longer than one you only saw.
This is the idea behind shadowing, and it is why we built GreetAI Practice around saying lines back. Read more in our guide to the shadowing technique.
What GreetAI Practice does on Netflix
- English above the line. Watch with subtitles in the language you’re learning, and GreetAI puts English just above them. Shows without an English track are translated live.
- Tap any word. See what it means in this sentence and hear it. It is saved with the line it came from.
- Practise the line. Replay it, hear a clean model, say it back and get scored. Recording only happens while you practise.
- Scene cards. During dialogue, short cards ask you to pick the right meaning or say a line from the scene.
- Review what you missed. Lines you stumbled on wait in Review until you say them with 4 stars.
- Keys for the player. Alt+R replays the line, Alt+L loops it, Alt+N and Alt+P move to the next or previous line.
Where Sluka is ahead
To be fair, Sluka does things we don’t:
- Per-word status on every subtitle, and lines hide themselves once you know every word in them.
- Word hunting: Shift+D jumps to the next line that contains a frequent word you don’t know, even ten minutes ahead.
- Frequency ranks for the top 8,000 words, so you can focus on the most common ones first.
- Anki export with a screenshot and audio, and a reading mode for web pages.
- More languages, including Japanese, Russian, Thai and Arabic.
If those are what you need, Sluka is a great tool, and nothing stops you from adding speaking practice next to it.
Who should switch
GreetAI Practice is the better fit if:
- You found Sluka confusing. Many viewers say they watched several videos and still didn’t get how it works. GreetAI has no modes to learn: turn on subtitles and watch.
- You want to speak, not just understand. Every line in a show becomes something you can practise and score.
- You’d rather enjoy the episode. You watch in order with English to lean on, instead of jumping between target words.
- You don’t want to pay. The extension is free.
Quick answers
Is GreetAI Practice a Sluka alternative? Yes, for learners whose goal is speaking. It works on Netflix in Chrome and adds speaking practice with a score, which Sluka doesn’t have.
Is GreetAI Practice free? Yes. The extension is free to install and use, with no licence to buy.
Which languages does it support? French, Spanish and German, with Italian coming soon.
Can I use GreetAI Practice and Sluka together? You can try. They are separate extensions, and many learners use one tool for vocabulary and another for speaking.
Is my microphone always on? No. A short clip is recorded only when you tap to practise a line, and it is used to score how close you got.
Try it on your next episode
Add GreetAI Practice to Chrome, open a show on Netflix with French, Spanish or German subtitles, and say your first line back tonight. It’s free.