How to memorise English vocabulary: 6 methods that make words stick
Methods that help you keep new words rather than forget them after one look, and how to use them every day.
1. Spaced repetition: remember just before you forget
Seeing a new word once isn't enough; it fades within days. According to the spacing effect, well known in memory research, spreading your reviews over time leads to longer-lasting learning than doing them all on the same day. In practice: review a new word at short intervals, and at longer and longer intervals once you know it well.
Wordlingo's review cards work this way: a word you miss comes back the next day, and a word you know comes back after 1, 3, 7, 16 and 35 days. You study the words that are due card by card and mark each one Knew it or Didn't know.
2. Active recall: test yourself instead of rereading
Reading a word list again and again feels familiar but does little for your memory. Trying to come up with the word yourself from a clue, a definition or a translation works much better; even when you get it wrong, the right answer sticks the moment you see it.
That's exactly what the ring does: every letter comes with a clue and you recall the word. After the round, you see the right answer and the Turkish meaning of every word.
3. Learn words with their meaning and context
A bare pairing like "journey = yolculuk" is fragile. Learning a word with an English definition, an example situation or its topic links it to other things you know. Reading "Travelling from one place to another, usually far" and coming up with journey reminds you of both its meaning and its use.
In Wordlingo, clues come in Turkish or English (you choose in Profile); if the definition isn't enough, TR −5 shows the word's Turkish meaning. Topic rounds let you practise words from the same area together.
4. Say the word out loud
Saying a word aloud rather than just seeing it helps you remember it both visually and by sound, and it trains your pronunciation too. When you learn a new word, listen to how it's said and repeat it a few times.
In the game, tap the microphone key and say the word; what you said goes into the answer boxes, and you check it and submit. You can listen to the pronunciation after each round and in word search.
5. Little and often
A few minutes every day, rather than one long session a week, spaces your reviews naturally and makes the habit easier to build. Short, regular sessions are easier to keep up than long, rare ones.
A Wordlingo round takes 3 minutes, and your streak grows with every day you play. The Daily ring opens with new words every day, and everyone plays the same words.
6. Keep your own word list
The words you don't know that come up while you read, watch or talk are the most useful ones for you. Writing them down and studying them separately moves you on faster than ready-made lists.
In Wordlingo, type a word you don't know into the box on Home to see its Turkish meaning and level, then save it to study later. 5 searches a day are free, unlimited with Plus.
Wordlingo: PassaparolaThe English vocabulary game: one clue for every letter, six levels from A1 to C2. A1 and A2 are free, and your first round takes 3 minutes.
