How to Learn Vocabulary That Actually Sticks

Most learners "study" vocabulary by staring at a list the night before. A week later it''s gone. Here''s how to make words stay.

Learn phrases, not words

Don''t learn make. Learn make a decision, make friends, make a mistake. Words live in the company they keep, and chunks are easier to recall and far more natural to say.

Use spaced repetition

Review a new word after a day, then three days, then a week, then a month. Each well-timed review tells your brain "keep this." A flashcard app like Anki automates the schedule, but even a simple notebook with dated columns works.

Give every word a hook

• A picture in your head
• A personal example sentence (about you, not a textbook character)
• A word it rhymes with or sounds like in your language

The weirder the hook, the better it sticks.

Aim for use, not recognition

You don''t know a word until you can produce it. After learning five new words, immediately write or say three sentences using them. Recall beats re-reading every time.

Keep it small and daily

Five words a day, learned properly, is 1,800 words a year — more than enough for confident everyday conversation. Ten words crammed once a week is mostly forgotten by Friday.

Bring your new words to a lesson and put them to work — using them with a teacher who can correct and stretch them is what turns "recognised" into "owned".