How to Learn English Vocabulary and Actually Remember It

Most people forget new words quickly. The reason is not a bad memory. It is the method. Copying a long list of words and their translations gives your brain very little to hold on to. These five habits work much better.

1. Learn words in small topic groups

Words connected to each other are easier to remember than random words. Learn ten words about food, then ten about clothes, then ten about travel. On Pinglingo, the English vocabulary topics give you pictures, British audio and the meaning in your language for each word, so each topic is one small, complete set.

2. Connect every word to a picture or a sound

When you see a picture of a dog and hear "dog", the word connects to the thing, not to a translation. This is how children learn their first language, and it is faster than translating in your head. Games such as Pop the Bubble use a picture for each word so you practise this connection.

3. Test yourself instead of re-reading

Looking at a word again feels like learning, but trying to remember it is what makes it stick. Play a quiz, a spelling game or flashcards where you must recall the word before you see the answer. A wrong answer is useful, because it tells you what to review.

4. Learn words inside sentences

A word alone does not show you how it is used. A sentence shows which words go with it. Read and listen to the everyday English sentences, and look at the example sentences on each English word page.

5. Review at the right time

You forget a word fastest just after learning it, and more slowly each time you remember it. Spaced repetition uses this: you see a word again just before you would forget it, then after a longer gap, then a longer one. In the games, you can add the words from a round to your review deck and Pinglingo schedules the reviews for you.

Pick one topic today, play its quiz and flashcards, then add the words you missed to your deck. Choose a topic →