Worked examples
Real numbers, real scores.
“get fluent in Japanese in 6 months”
91%
You Are The Plot
- Hours to go
- 2,150
- Hours / week needed
- 82.5
- Weekly shortfall
- 77.5 h
“get conversational in Spanish this year”
9%
Suspiciously Reasonable
- Hours to go
- 560
- Hours / week needed
- 10.7
- Weekly shortfall
- 4.7 h
“learn to code in 6 months”
38%
Bold, But Sane
- Hours to go
- 780
- Hours / week needed
- 29.9
- Weekly shortfall
- 14.9 h
How it’s scored
Math, not vibes.
Every factor is scored on its own, capped, and added up to a score from 0 to 100. Same inputs, same score, every time. It measures how hard the plan leans on optimism, not your odds of success.
Full methodologyWeekly study load
Hours of practice needed per week ÷ 2 — a full-time 40-hour week scores 20.
max 40
Study shortfall
(hours needed per week − hours you plan per week) × 0.8.
max 40
Timeline compression
(12 − months) × 1.8.
max 20
Questions
Before you commit.
How many hours does it take to learn a language?
The US Foreign Service Institute's classroom estimates are a common benchmark: roughly 600–750 hours for languages close to English like Spanish or French, about 1,100 for languages like Russian or Hindi, and about 2,200 for Japanese, Arabic, Korean or Mandarin. Self-study usually takes longer.
Can I become fluent in 6 months?
Only if the weekly hours add up. Japanese in 6 months is about 85 hours of practice a week, more than a full-time job. The calculator shows the exact number for your goal.
Does it work for skills other than languages?
Yes. Set "hours the skill takes" to your own estimate for coding, an instrument or anything else measured in practice time.