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Bye Bye Lexicala, Hello OpenAI
12 Sep 2025

For more than a year Word Holder ran entirely on Lexicala's dictionary API. It worked fine, but the "no caching" rule made it harder and harder to build the kind of tool I want: fast, friendly, and fun to use. If more users started using it, costs would skyrocket too with having to make a paid API call for every word every time a user wanted to see the definition. So I decided to switch to OpenAI.

Why the switch?

Costs: Above all, not being able to cache results was a deal-breaker. No more paying for the same word over and over.

Speed: With caching I can serve repeat lookups instantly.

Reliability: If the API goes down, I can still serve words you've already searched.

Why OpenAI?

OpenAI lets me cache responses, and on top of that, their models can do way more than static dictionary entries. Definitions, examples, usage notes, even adapting to different skill levels — all possible just by changing the prompt.

What's new?

Fresh examples: Instead of one canned sentence, you get examples that feel alive and relevant.

Contextual definitions: Not there yet, but the model can explain words in simpler or more advanced terms depending on who's reading.

Quizzes: Always part of the plan, now powered by the same engine.

Under the hood

Moving from a "fixed" dictionary API to AI responses took some re-engineering. I now craft prompts carefully so the output is structured (JSON first, human-readable later), and I cache results so lookups are snappy.

A note of caution

AI is powerful, but not perfect. Definitions might vary slightly, and sometimes it gets things wrong. I do my best to filter and validate, but if you're preparing for an exam or need precise usage, cross-check with a traditional dictionary too.

Looking ahead

I'm grateful for Lexicala's quality data, but their restrictions didn't match the vision for Word Holder. OpenAI gives me freedom to build faster, more playful features — and that's what excites me most.

This is still a work in progress, made by one developer who loves both software and languages. Thanks for holding your words with me!