Speaks

Speaks is a set of custom GPTs, not a standalone app. You add the bot for the language you are learning to your own ChatGPT account and then simply chat with it. Anything you put inside "quotes" gets translated directly, while the rest of the conversation is treated as general language help — questions about grammar, register, phrasing or cultural nuance.

The design goal is transparency. Unlike a one-line translation engine, a Speaks GPT shows its working: it explains why a phrase means what it means, points out the register or politeness level, flags false friends, and suggests more idiomatic alternatives when a literal rendering would sound odd to a native speaker. That makes it useful both as a quick translation aid and as a lightweight tutor.

The bots are intended for people who are past the "just get the gist" stage and want to genuinely be able to function in a language — travelling, living abroad, chatting with family, or working with colleagues. The site points out that fast, no-thinking translation is better served by tools like Google Translate or DeepL, and positions Speaks as the option for people who want to understand what they are saying.