This feature is disruptive and does more harm than good. It ignores regional peculiarities and geographic idiosyncrasies that are common in language.
It stops the flow of a review by adding an extra layer of translation: I can’t translate something from Japanese to English, I have to translate something from Japanese to my understanding of it English, then my understanding of it in English to a dictionary-appropriate definition.
WaniKani is meant to teach Japanese, not proper English. That extra layer of translation does nothing other than make this program frustrating to use.
Words on the block list are almost always there to avoid learners from coming away from a lesson with an incorrect understanding of the nuances of the Japanese word. To give a specific example, “East” is near enough to “West” that both words would be accepted by the other’s “near enough” detector, and so to avoid this happening, the wrong word is on the block list. Ditto for “North” and “South”.
If you’re trying to add a user synonym and are discovering it’s a word on the block list, there’s a chance that you need to reassess your understanding of the Japanese word.
What do you mean by that sorry? I add a lot of synonyms so I want to know if I am doing something wrong. (it makes it easier for me as a non english native)
Every card on WaniKani has two hidden lists: an allow list, which is any answer that would be considered correct, and a block list, which is any answer that would always be counted as incorrect - generally it’s words of similar spelling but incorrect meaning, but sometimes it’s similar words that nevertheless have differing subtexts to the Japanese word. If you attempt to add a user synonym to a card and it happens to be the same as a word on that card’s block list, the block list will take precedence and still mark the answer as incorrect.
Basically, there’s nothing wrong with user synonyms, it’s only an issue that crops up when you try to add a synonym that’s considered incorrect.
Oh, that never happened to me! I didnt know user synonyms could be rejected. That’s a pretty good feature imo, especially being non native, I could be adding unrelated stuff.
Although I probably already do it by adding the words translated in my language in the user synonyms xD but that’s fine
The most recent example is 指差す, “to point at”. The system will not accept “to point out”.
I understand the minutia of each: one refers to the physical act of using your index finger whereas the other means “to direct attention to something”.
In the vernacular of where I live, “to point out” means “to use your index finger to point at something”, but the system rejects “to point out” as a synonym for “to point at”.
That’s just the most recent example - having synonyms rejected is something that has happened to me repeatedly and I have never found that restriction beneficial.
You can “point out” something in English by using your finger as well, but it’s still a different concept from literally just “pointing at” something. I’m pointing at my screen right now, but nobody else is here and I’m not pointing at anything in particular… if I swivel my chair I’m pointing at the wall. So I’m definitely not pointing anything out.
pointing out sounds like if there were a list of objects you select one or you are pointing out a quality of something, but pointing at can be pointing at a group or one in the group. Nuances of words can be very delicate.
WaniKani already has a separate word for “to point out” - it’s 指摘する. You’ll encounter it at level 38.
There’s a difference in the meanings. “Point out”, and 指摘する, both mean to draw someone’s attention to something, while “point at”, and 指差す, are literally just aiming your finger at something. You can point something out while pointing at it, but you can also do just one of those things.
I have explicitly stated that I understand the distinction. Continuing to point out that there is a distinction is neither helpful, not does it acknowledge the essential tension of my original post, which is that terms can be synonymous in colloquial patterns of speech and the system is inflexible in this regard.
this is an interesting issue.. i guess when adding a user synonym which is on the block list wk could potentially warn you that it’s on there, but let you add it anyway ? i don’t know. accessibility is certainly important. i hope you can appreciate why ‘point out’ is not generally accepted here, though.
If only there was a way to bypass the block list. I tried to see if it works with the Double Check script (it has the option to override wrong answers and mark them correct), but unfortunately it won’t for words on the block list.
Seems like one can only hope the team has a solution.
I am not attempting to diminish the importance of capturing minutia in language and I certainly understand why steering learners away from conflating related-but-distinct terminology should be factored into a language-learning program’s design.
I’m simply saying that maybe the synonym system’s present behavior of arbitrarily blocking things might need to be reconsidered.
While I understand in your particular case that your added synonym does reflect an accurate understanding of the word, for a majority of learners such a synonym would reflect a misunderstanding.
I do understand wanikanis hesitancy to allow it to be added, but yeah maybe like the ability to override blocked synonyms with a “yes I do understand the differences between these” buttons would be a good common ground.
I seem to recall some vocabulary triggering a pop-up that says something to the effect of, “Did you know this has multiple meanings?”
I would propose permitting users to enter blocklisted synonyms, then triggering a message like, “The more common understanding is ______” when those synonyms are used in reviews.
This would accommodate use cases like my own - where local parlance may deviate from dictionary definitions - while still reminding users not to confuse similar but different phrases.
