ADR 0032 Match Pairs Tap To Hear

ADR-0032: A word in match pairs says itself when tapped, by a switch of its own that is on by default

Source of truth: this wiki page.

• Status: Accepted. Amends ADR-0026, which left match pairs without a speaker, its word tiles speaking only while Play words automatically was on. The rest of ADR-0026 stands.
• Date: 2026-10-06

Context

ADR-0026 gave every card a speaker but one: "Match pairs has no speaker. Its words are tiles, not one card's word." A tile tapped said its word only while Play words automatically was on, which it is not for a new learner, so a match was silent. It left the question with the owner, who answered: "sound is needed for the match pairs. there are lots of minimal pairs and script/ISO are not enough for early learners."

Asked how, they chose "a single button to enable tap to hear". Asked its default and scope, they chose on by default, and its own setting, remembered between sessions: not Play words automatically, and not per session.

Decision

• A setting of its own, SettingsNotifier.matchTapToHear, stored as match_tap_to_hear like the other switches, on by default. Settings stored before it existed read as on. It is independent of Play words automatically: neither changes the other.
• One speaker button on the match-pairs card, at the end of the prompt's line, switches it. Its icon is a speaker with waves while on and a crossed speaker while off, drawn as SpeakerIcon is, on a tonal circle while on. It is 48 dp square, has a tooltip, and tells screen readers what it does and its state ("Hear words when tapped, on"), and says the new state as it changes.
• While it is on, tapping a word tile, the language learned, says its word through DrillSession.playCard, whatever Play words automatically says. While it is off, a word tile says nothing. A meaning tile never speaks, and dragging a word does not.
• Sound in Settings still wins. With it off nothing plays, the button is greyed out and crossed out, and a tap on it says sound is off for the whole app, as a speaker's does, and changes nothing. Where the phone has no voice for the language there is no button, as there is no speaker.

Consequences

• A new learner now hears a word each time they tap one in a match, which is what the owner asked for. A learner who liked matches silent has to switch the button off once, and it stays off.
• The setting has no row in Settings > Sound: the button is its only switch.
• Taps on a word tile are not counted toward ADR-0026's tip about long-pressing a speaker; the button has no long press.
• Hearing a word in a match gives nothing away: the meanings are already on the screen beside it.
• The note in ADR-0026 that a match is silent with Play words automatically off is out of date; this ADR is where to look.

Alternatives considered

• Play words automatically for match pairs, as before: off for a new learner, which left a match silent. The owner chose a setting of its own.
• Off by default: a learner would have to find a button to hear anything. The owner chose on.
• Per session: the choice would be asked again at every match. The owner chose to remember it.
• A speaker on each tile: the owner asked for a single button.

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