How ReelSay works
A quick overview of everything you can do here.
📥 Import a video
Bring in a YouTube video (subtitles fetched automatically) or your own file — even a video you recorded yourself with no captions at all, since ReelSay can transcribe the audio for you. Not sure what to pick? "Quick picks" on the import screen has pre-tested videos and whole channels (BBC Learning English, TED, and more) you can browse and import with one click.
🎬 Watch with dual subtitles
Watch with two subtitle lines at once: a literal, word-for-word English-to-Portuguese translation (so you can see the English structure) and a natural one. Tap a word for a quick translation. Found a scene tricky? Tap "This was hard" — mark as many as you want without interrupting the video, then ask Sam to break down the grammar in all of them together whenever you're ready.
💬 Talk to Sam
After an episode (or any time you pause mid-scene), talk to Sam by voice about what you just watched. He asks questions, reacts to what you say, and naturally repeats the correct version if you make a mistake — never a blunt correction. Don't feel like watching anything right now? Hit "Talk to Sam" on the home screen — no video, no topic, he just asks what's on your mind. Any word Sam says (underlined with dots) is tappable for a quick translation.
📖 Grammar coaching
Sam sometimes points out a grammar pattern naturally during a conversation (present perfect, a phrasal verb, etc). You can also tap "Analyze grammar" (on a video scene or after a conversation) for a focused mini-lesson: Sam picks 3-5 real points from what you just watched or said, and teaches them one at a time with a quick practice question each.
🎙️ Pronunciation practice
Tap "Record my pronunciation" — on a subtitle line while watching, or on Sam's last sentence during a conversation — say it out loud, then get feedback: a score and specific sounds or words to work on.
🔥 XP, streaks & achievements
Watching, talking, practicing pronunciation, and learning grammar points all earn XP. Set a daily goal (in minutes) — hit it and your streak grows. Miss a day? One free freeze protects your streak automatically, no action needed. Only positive rewards here: nothing punishes a low score or a missed day beyond losing the streak once your freezes run out.
📚 My phrases
A running collection of sentences you've practiced (pronunciation attempts, with your scores) and things you've said to Sam. You can remove anything from this view without losing any XP or achievements already earned — it's just for tidying up what you see.
🗂️ Scene flashcards
Sentences from episodes you've already watched, with a word hidden — try to recall it, reveal the answer, and rate yourself honestly. No AI grading here, just like Anki-style flashcards, so it's free to practice as much as you want. Get one wrong and it joins your "Review what I don't know" list — three correct answers in a row and it drops off, so you naturally spend more time on what actually trips you up.
🎯 Grammar radar
A mirror of what you've naturally practiced with Sam — which grammar categories you've mastered, which you're still working on, and which you've barely touched. It's just a visualization, not a locked path: your free conversation with Sam never changes because of it.
🔑 The Sentence Formula
A fixed reference page — not AI-generated, so it stays consistent every time — breaking down the #1 thing that trips up Portuguese speakers: English needs a helper (auxiliary) verb to ask a question or make it negative, and which one to use changes by tense (Do/Does, Did, Have/Has, Will...). Covers all 12 tenses, the "to be" exception, and the modals (can, could, should, must, may). Every word is tappable for a quick translation, and every example has a 🔊 button to hear it out loud. Find it from the home screen or from Grammar radar — and when Sam corrects an auxiliary/word-order mistake mid-conversation, he'll sometimes nod to this same formula.
📞 Sam is calling
An optional daily reminder: if you haven't practiced yet today, Sam can "call" you as a nudge — tap it and you land on a call screen where you can answer (jumps straight into a free conversation with Sam) or dismiss it, no pressure either way. It only ever sends once a day, and never if you've already used ReelSay that day. It's off until you turn it on — look for the invite on the home screen, or turn it on/off anytime in Settings. On iPhone, it only works if you've added ReelSay to your Home Screen first (Safari → Share → "Add to Home Screen").