How to Memorize Vocabulary in a New Language with Flashcards

You've gone through your word list from start to finish several times, yet when you run into one of those words in a sentence, the meaning just won't come. Anyone who has studied a foreign language knows the feeling. If words won't stick, it's usually not because you're bad at languages. It's more often about how you look at them and when you look at them again.

Why rereading your word list falls short

• The meaning is right there next to the word. When you see the word and its meaning at the same time, you never get a chance to recall it, so it starts to look familiar without really sticking.
• You keep seeing words you already know. Reviewing the words you've mastered just as often as the ones you keep forgetting wastes your time.
• You end up memorizing the order. If you always go through the list in the same order, the previous word cues the next one, giving you the illusion that you know it.

Why flashcards and spaced repetition work

A flashcard shows you only the front, so you have to recall the meaning first. The effort of retrieving it is what strengthens the memory. Add spaced repetition, and the words you know well come up less and less often while the ones you keep forgetting come up more often, so you can remember more words for longer in the same amount of time.

Tips for making vocabulary cards

1. Foreign word on the front, English meaning on the back. Start with cards that have you see the foreign word and recall its meaning. If you also need to speak and write, you can make separate cards that go from the English meaning to the foreign word.
2. Add an example sentence. Put one short example sentence on the back, and you'll remember how the word is actually used along with it. A sentence you came across in your textbook or an article is even better.
3. Stick to one or two meanings. Don't copy every definition from the dictionary. Write down only the meaning you need for what you're studying right now.
4. Turn confusing words into multiple-choice questions. For easily confused pairs, like Spanish "ser" and "estar," make a multiple-choice question that has you pick one of the two. It's good practice for telling them apart.
5. Use photos and screenshots too. Capture a textbook page or your handwritten notes and paste it onto the back to make cards quickly without typing.

How many words should you learn a day?

With spaced repetition, the more new words you add, the more cards you'll have to review a few days later. Start with about 10–20 new words a day, and adjust so your daily reviews never feel like too much. The rule is to finish the day's reviews first, before moving on to new words.

1. First, go through all the cards due for review today.
2. If you have time left, add new word cards and study them once.
3. Be honest and mark the cards you don't know as "Don't know."

Memorizing vocabulary with LQuiz

Create a vocabulary set in LQuiz, then split it into folders by textbook unit (Day 1, Day 2…) or by topic and add your cards. When you study, words you mark "Know" come back after 1, 3, 7, 15 days and so on, while words you mark "Don't know" come back the next day.

• Switch the study order to random so you don't fool yourself by relying on the order.
• You can see at a glance how many words are due today, so you know exactly how much to do each day.
• It opens in your phone's browser too, which makes it easy to squeeze in a quick review on the go.