To Be Understood: Why Voice Mirror Exists

Four years ago, I moved to Canada, and I thought my English was perfect. After all, I'd been learning English for about 20 years and had used it daily for at least 14 of those years. I watched movies in English—first with subtitles and then without. I read news, books, and other materials exclusively in English. I could understand everything English speakers were saying without any issues.

But after I arrived in Canada, I discovered another side to this story. It wasn't just about understanding others; it was also about being understood. And this, it turned out, was harder than I expected.

My confidence took a hit every time I said something that sounded right in my head, only to hear “Sorry, what was that?” or “Could you repeat that, please?” in response. I remember conversations with colleagues where a mispronunciation caused us to lose the thread of the discussion entirely. A misplaced stress on a syllable turned a sweet “dessert” into a scorching “desert” or made an inclusive work environment sound like something entirely bizarre—“divers” instead of “diverse.” Small mistakes had a big impact.

I found myself constantly Googling how to pronounce certain words. While Google's pronunciation tools were helpful, it wasn't the experience I wanted. It felt fragmented, and there was no continuity in practicing.

That's why I created Voice Mirror. I wanted it to be like a mirror for your voice—reflecting everything you say but with correct pronunciation. Thanks to recent advancements in artificial intelligence, we have powerful tools available that can provide immediate feedback on pronunciation, accent, and grammar. Voice Mirror takes these tools and makes them easy to use.

With Voice Mirror, I can hear myself as I would sound with perfect pronunciation—correcting those tiny errors that make a big difference in everyday conversations. It's designed to help anyone facing the same challenges I did: to build confidence and, ultimately, to be understood, not just heard.

But Voice Mirror doesn't stop at just reflecting your voice. It also provides valuable feedback on how you speak English, covering two important aspects:

1. Saying every sound correctly: It's fascinating to realize that everything we say in English is made up of around 44 distinct sounds. The first step to clear communication is ensuring you pronounce these sounds correctly. Voice Mirror analyzes your pronunciation of each sound and highlights the ones that need the most improvement, so you can focus your practice where it matters most.
2. Mastering English word pronunciations: English pronunciation isn't just about phonemes; it's about the words themselves, which can often be unpredictable. To help with this, Voice Mirror tracks the words you find challenging and gives you personalized practice. With a database of tens of thousands of English words, Voice Mirror guides you step by step. It detects your current level and introduces words that match your skill level—just challenging enough to help you grow without feeling overwhelmed.

Finally, I'd love to hear from you! If you have any feedback or specific features you'd like to see, please don't hesitate to reach out. You can email me directly at farid@tinyloop.co—your input is invaluable in shaping Voice Mirror into a tool that truly helps.