Questions
The ones worth answering before you download it: what it costs, what it runs on, where it keeps your files, and what it never sends anywhere.
Is it really free?
Yes. No ads, no trial, no in-app purchases and no subscription. The zip and the Microsoft Store build are the same application, and both are free.
Does it need an internet connection?
No. StickyWords works offline, and there is no account and no sign-up. The only thing the zip build asks the network for is a small file on this site, to see whether a newer version has been released; the Store version leaves that to Windows.
Is it only for languages?
No. A list is a set of pairs, and the note shows you one side and then the other, so anything with two sides fits: cases and what they decided, dates and what happened, formulas, capitals, drug names. Four of the six lists that ship with it are not languages at all.
Can I bring in a list I already have?
Yes, through CSV import - a single dialog rather than a wizard. The preview table's column headings are the mapping dropdowns, the separator is detected, and the status line runs the real parse as you change things. An import can replace the open list or append to it.
What does it run on?
Windows 10 & 11. The zip is portable - there is no installer and no runtime to install. Unzip it and run it.
Does it work on a Mac?
Not at the moment. StickyWords runs on Windows 10 & 11.
Should I take the Microsoft Store version or the zip?
They are the same build. The Store version keeps its settings, statistics and log in its own packaged folder rather than %APPDATA%, because Windows gives a packaged app a private store instead of the shared profile; installing it over the download carries your settings and statistics across on the first launch. The Store version installs without a SmartScreen warning and Windows keeps it up to date; the zip needs no installing and runs from any folder.
Windows says it protected my PC. Is StickyWords safe?
Yes. The zip build is not code-signed, and Windows SmartScreen warns about any program it has not yet seen downloaded many times, so the first launch can show that message. Choose More info, then Run anyway. The Microsoft Store version is signed by Microsoft, so it installs without the warning.
How quickly does the note move on?
As quickly as you choose. An item holds for 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 or 13 seconds, set under Change word every in the Options menu, in list order or at random, drawing only on the words still marked active. If the answer is held back, it appears halfway through the item's turn.
Where does the pronunciation come from?
From Windows itself, through SAPI 5. StickyWords reads both voice registries, so the voices Windows Settings installs are found alongside the classic ones. Nothing leaves your machine to produce speech.
What if there is no voice for my language?
The Pronounce button becomes an install button and opens Windows' Speech settings directly, and it switches back to speaking the moment the app detects the new voice. A list can be labelled with any of 184 languages, not only the ones your machine can already speak - the picker marks which is which, because the point is often to install that voice next.
I have created an awesome list that I would like to share with everyone. How can I do this?
Email the .sws file to us. We review every list before it is posted, and once it passes we put it on the word lists page, where anyone can download it. The file is small, plain JSON, and it carries that list’s own settings inside it, so it arrives already tuned. Send it to hello@firstpush.dev.
Where are my files?
Word lists live wherever you keep them - they are ordinary .sws files you can copy, back up, sync or email to someone else. Everything else the app remembers is three files under %APPDATA%\StickyWords\: settings.json, statistics.json and StickyWords.log.
Does it collect anything about me?
StickyWords has no account, no telemetry, no analytics, no crash reporting and no advertising, and it never sends your word lists, settings or statistics anywhere. One request does leave your computer: about once a day, the zip build asks this site for a small file to see whether a newer version is out. That request carries none of your data, but like any request on the internet it reaches the server with your IP address. The Microsoft Store version does not make it, because Windows handles its updates. What StickyWords does record stays on your own disk: a count of how many times each of your words has been shown, in statistics.json in your user profile, alongside your settings and a diagnostic log. Read the privacy policy.
Can it start with Windows?
Yes, from the Options menu. The download writes it straight to the registry; the Store build uses Windows' own startup task, so it can never go stale against a file. Either way, Settings › Apps › Startup has the last word.