Not remembering a word or words

If you can memorize new vocabulary faster, you can learn a language faster too!  So, how do you memorize vocabulary faster and more effectively? Here are 10 proven memory hacks you should use!

How long it takes to learn a language? Well, that largely depends on your memory. What techniques should you use to help you to remember words in a foreign language? Simple. Use memory hacks! 

But first, let me dispel a common myth that you’re probably thinking. You don’t, I repeat, you DON’T have a bad memory. Just because you haven’t learned a language as quickly as you’d like or you forgot where you left your keys, that doesn’t mean you have a bad memory. You just didn’t make it a priority to remember.

Maybe you were multitasking and didn’t pay attention to where you put your keys or you have had something else on your mind. It happens. It’s totally normal and happens to all of us.

Our memory is a muscle. To build a good memory we just need to use simple techniques and methods for it to reach its full potential. Think of it like following a curated fitness programme with daily workout videos that help you build a strong and healthy body. Your memory is the same. It works best when it has been “trained” when it has a framework to work with.

The same can be said when it comes to remembering new words in a foreign language. Just because you see a word once, twice or even a hundred times, it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically remember it and so you can use it in a conversation. 

We often talk about people with great memories as though it were some sort of an innate gift, but that is not the case. Great memories are learned. — Joshua Foer, Author of Moonwalking with Einstein

Memory can be trained just like any muscle, and you know what else? Learning a foreign language is actually an excellent way to improve your memory and your overall cognitive abilities. The more you learn, the easier it becomes to memorize new information. 

So, trust me when I say, you’re NOT missing the so-called “language learning gene”. The only thing you ARE missing are these top 10 proven techniques that will 10x your memory so you can remember more and learn languages faster! I’ve used each of these memory techniques and continue to use many of them to learn Italian, Norwegian, French and Afrikaans.

But first, it’s important to understand…

How does our Memory Work? 

Oxford Languages defines memory as ‘the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information’. Seems clear enough. But how does it actually work? Well, there are three main processes involved: encoding, storage, and recall.

The process of memory begins with encoding: acquiring or learning new information. Simply put, to remember something you need to learn it first. We take in information through different channels, but as we take it in we also analyze it and adapt it so it can be stored in our brain. 

This new information is usually encoded in one of the four ways: acoustically (how something sounds); visually (the way something looks); semantically (what something means); or in a tactile or elaborative way (how something feels and connects to other things). 

For example, if you’ve just met someone at a party and you want to remember their name you can repeat their name out loud, associate it with the way the person looks, place the name in a specific context or setting (like the exact place where you’ve met), or rely on the connections you can make with this name or person (maybe you know someone else with the same name). 

After the information has been encoded, it goes to storage so that we can recall, or use it later. This is what most people think about when they talk about memory.

The effect between short-term and long-term memory

There are two types of storage. When you first encounter something new, first, this information goes to your short-term memory. From here, it is either forgotten or, if needed and stored correctly, goes to your long-term memory. 

Short-term memory is very brief (hence the name!), lasting 15-30 seconds and can hold between 5 and 9 (the average number is 7) items of information. Your short-term memory is at work when you do something like read a list of words and then immediately repeat them. It helps you to quickly obtain the information you need at the moment, while you are performing a task, but it’s highly likely you will forget this information afterwards. 

Our long-term memory has a much longer time span (from a few minutes to a lifetime) with practically unlimited capacity. For information to be transferred from your short-term memory into your long term memory, you need to repeat it or interact with it at least a few times. 

The final step of the process is retrieval. This is where you access information stored in your memory. There are two different types of retrieval: recall and recognition. When you recognize something, you have some form of a clue that helps you retrieve information. You can often quite easily recognize new vocabulary when you are reading a text. But recalling it without any cues when you need to produce it in a conversation can be much harder. 

Here’s a fun video to help bring the process of memory to life.

Why do we forget? 

One of the main reasons for forgetting is actually failing to retrieve information. So, the information may still be somewhere there in your brain, but, you just can’t access it. 

In 1885, a German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted an experiment in which he tested how well he remembered a list of nonsense syllables over increasingly longer periods of time. Using the results of his experiment, he created what is now known as the ‘Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve’.  

He found out that the forgetting curve is exponential in nature. After you have just learned something, memory retention is 100%. However, it drops rapidly to 40% within just a few days. After that, the declination of memory retention slows down again. 

He also found out that if you repeat or practice something a lot, the information is stored more strongly and the forgetting curve becomes much more shallow. Basically, you are faced with a use-it-or-lose-it situation, and the first few days are absolutely essential. 

Here’s a little explainer video to show The Forgetting Curve process.

So, what can you do to improve your memory?

With the following 10 super effective memory hacks, you’ll learn how to memorize vocabulary, store it in your memory longer, and retrieve it easier. 

Let’s dive in!

10 Proven Memory Hacks: How to Memorize New Vocabulary Faster 

1. Use spaced-repetition

As we’ve seen above, repetition is key to storing information in long-term memory. Spaced repetition is a popular method with polyglots and the language learning community in general.

Spaced repetition works by presenting you with information right before you forget it to make sure that it stays fresh in your mind. You don’t mindlessly repeat information over and over again; you repeat it across increasing intervals of time. 

For example, say you’ve learned some Italian greetings and other useful Italian phrases before your trip to Italy. You repeat them a few minutes later, then a few hours, then a day, then a few days, then a week…You get the idea! 

Spaced repetition is designed to ‘fight’ the forgetting curve and trains your brain by ‘lifting heavier and heavier weights’ so you can recall information at longer intervals. 

One of the first spaced-repetition algorithms was the Leitner flashcard system. The system was based on paper flashcards (does anyone still make those?) that in the process of learning were divided into different levels and placed into different boxes. Flashcards of different levels were repeated with a different frequency. For instance, Level 1 cards every day, Level 2 cards every two days, Level 3 cards every four days, Level 4 cards every eight days, and so on. 

The Leitner system can be quite cumbersome and laborious: not only do you need to make vocabulary cards, but to find some boxes to store them in, as well as to remember to move cards from level to level as you learn the words and phrases. Fortunately, nowadays you don’t have to do this. Various websites and language learning apps were created with the use of spaced repetition to help you memorize vocabulary more effectively.

Here are a few examples: Memrise, Anki, Quizlet, TinyCards, Memorion, Traverse. These apps may differ from each other slightly, but the main idea of spaced repetition is there. Most of them are free or have a free version – try them out for yourself and see which one you like better. 

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Related: Memrise vs Duolingo: Which Language App is Best For You?

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2. Convert new words to pictures

We are visual creatures. About 80-90% of the information we absorb is visual. A large percentage of us (65-80%) are visual learners. We recall information supported by images much more effectively. So, why not use images and visual learning to memorize vocabulary? 

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Related: What type of language learner are you?

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Here’s one of the ways you can do it. Look at the word you want to remember. Does it remind you of something? Do the characters look like or resemble a similar word in your native language or another language you know?

Some languages have done part of the job for you. If you are learning Chinese or Japanese, there are some characters that are based on real objects and actually look like them. Here is the Japanese character that means tree: 木. It may not be the way you would draw a tree, but it is pretty easy to convert this character into a memorable mental image. 

Let’s take a look at another example. The Spanish word for ‘bench’ is ‘banco’, which is very similar to the word ‘bank’. The solution is simple: draw a mental picture of a bench near a bank, and you’ll have no problem remembering this word. The Spanish word for ‘cat’ is ‘gato’ and it is quite similar to its English equivalent – you can also imagine the letter ‘g’ being the curled tail of this furry pet. 

To sum it up, the main idea behind this technique is to draw a mental picture based on the word’s shape, meaning, and/or sound. Creating this additional association with the word will help you store it in your memory longer and recall it easier.

3. Create your own ‘Memory Palace’

Memory palace – sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it is also a powerful way to memorize vocabulary. 

The technique was developed by ancient Greeks, but it doesn’t make it any less effective. Many people use it today to remember all sorts of information such as cards in a game of poker, names at a party, formulas needed for an exam, grocery lists, and, of course, vocabulary. 

A memory palace is a place you visualise in your mind where you can store mnemonic images and other information. It doesn’t have to be an actual palace – in fact, it works much more effectively if you imagine a place that you know well, like your home or office. 

Creating a memory palace works by creating a strong association of the word with an image and, in this case, a physical location. 

Here’s how you build a memory palace:

1. Imagine a place you know well in your mind, like your home or office.
2. Map your way through it: entering the front door, walking along the corridor, entering rooms, etc. Imagine the furniture you see on your way and other objects.
3. Take a list of what you need to memorize – say, some new vocabulary – and place the items or words along your way. 
4. To make it even more memorable, make the objects and words you remember interact with the location and create other associations if possible. For instance, ‘el gato’ (the cat) can meet you at the gate scratching at the gate-post. 

Try it out! I’m sure the memory palace you build will be like no other – and that it will help you memorize vocabulary really well.

Watch this video by Joshua Foer to learn how to create your own memory palace.

Also worth checking out is his popular TED talk

4. ‘Stack’ your words with the Stacking Method.

A stack is a neatly arranged pile of objects put one on top of the other. You probably have at least one stack in your home: a stack of plates, books, DVDs, papers. But what does it have to do with memorizing vocabulary? 

You can also ‘stack’ information items to remember them better. Stacking works great with memorizing lists, like a grocery list, but it is also great for memorizing vocabulary, especially vocabulary on the same topic or united by some context. 

This method also relies on vivid visualization, but in this case, you don’t just create a vivid image for each vocabulary unit – you literally stack them one on top of the other.

Let us say you need to learn the names of some kitchen utensils in Italian. Start with a ‘tazza’, or ‘cup’. Imagine it vividly in your mind, the way it looks, the kind of shape it has. Then put a ‘piatto’ (plate) on top of the ‘taza’. What’s next? Maybe, a ‘forchetta’ (fork)? ‘Put’ it on the ‘piatto’ vertically and then try to balance something on it. 

It may sound just a tiny bit absurd, but it works! Creating a vivid image of a stack of ‘piatti’ (dishes) in your mind will help you remember the words better through a strong association. The more absurd the image, the better, as it’ll be more memorable to you.

The only drawback to this technique is that it puts the vocabulary units in a particular order, and retrieving them in any other order will be a bit harder.

5. Create fun mnemonics

Mnemonic devices or mnemonics are various techniques that help you store information in long-term memory and retrieve it more effectively. Mnemonics are based on creating meaningful associations with the information by using things such as images, memorable phrases, short poems, or even kinesthetic forms. 

Mnemonics work by building connections with the word. It becomes not just a word from a foreign language, but a concept connected to an image, a joke, a song, or something else. The stronger this image and this connection are, the better mnemonic devices work.

There are different kinds of mnemonics that you can use to memorize vocabulary:

• Acronyms or Expression Mnemonics – Take the first letters from the words that you need to remember and build a word or an acronym with them. For example, you can remember the points of the compass – North, East, West, and South – with the acronym ‘NEWS’. You can also take other words that begin with the same first letters and make a whole phrase with them. For instance, you can use the phrase ‘PLEASE EXCUSE MY DEAR AUNT SALLY’ to remember the names of mathematical operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract.
• Music Mnemonics – Remembering lyrics to a song is much easier than just remembering a text. The rhyming and the melody makes it easier to remember and also more fun. I can bet you still remember some nursery rhymes from your childhood. Do you remember the ‘ABC song’? This is an example of a music mnemonic. 
• Rhyming Mnemonics –  Things that rhyme are easier and more fun to remember as well. Here is an example of a rhyming mnemonic you can use to remember the number of days in each month of the year:30 days hath September, April, June, and November.
  All the rest have 31
  Except February my dear son.
  It has 28 and that is fine
  But in Leap Year it has 29.

• The Rhyming Peg System – The Peg system uses visual imagery to create a ‘hook’ or ‘peg’ from which to ‘hang’, or associate, your memories. It works like linking words that sound alike to create new associations. When they rhyme they tend to be more effective, but it’s not essential.. (11) See if you can remember this short list of words (say the numbers out loud): 

1. 1. Bun 
   2. Shoe 
   3. Tree
   4. Door
   5. Hive
   6. Sticks
   7. Heaven
   8. Gate
   9. Vine
   10. Hen

These are just a few examples. There are many more varieties of mnemonics and you can even mix and match them to create your own personal associations. 

Mnemonics can be used to learn the alphabet, vocabulary, grammar, and other aspects of the language. 

For example, many French students mix up these two common French prepositions – ‘au dessus’ (above), and ‘au dessous’ (below). Since they are similar in spelling, how can you remember them? By using a mnemonic, of course! 

A phrase you can use to help you remember the difference is: ‘If in the air you see a bus, it must be ‘au dessus’. If on the ground you see a mouse, it must be ‘au dessous’.’ 

Sound bizarre? That’s exactly why you’ll never mix up these two prepositions again!

This video perfectly explains how mnemonics work.

6. Share and Teach Others with The Protégé Effect

There’s an old Latin proverb that the best way to learn something, is to teach it to someone else. “By teaching, we learn,” – Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC – 65 AD). This is also known as The Protégé Effect.

Does this really work and, if so, how? If we refer back to how our memory works, recalling information is one of the key processes involved in memorizing something. The more you use and interact with the information, the more effectively you’ll remember it. So, by teaching others and sharing your knowledge in a meaningful way, you’re actually helping to solidify your knowledge into your long-term memory.

Share with someone you know what you’ve learned. Let them ask you questions about it. This will help you identify not only practice what you’ve learned but also to make sure you’ve understood it yourself. No one home? Explain it to your “gato” (cat)! 

This works even if you’re a beginner. When you share your knowledge with other beginners, you’re not only consolidating for yourself what you’ve learned, but are building friendships and also more opportunities to recall this new information. Not only that, but learning together is fun too!

7. Always write it down

Very few people write things down nowadays. Let’s be honest, most of our lives are documented in an electronic format, either on our phones or laptops. There’s nothing wrong with this, but when it comes to actually remembering things, it’s much more effective to write things down. That’s right, using a pen and paper will actually help you remember more.  Why is this?

The Association for Psychological Science states that, “there is something about typing that leads to mindless processing. And there is something about ink and paper that prompts students to go beyond merely hearing and recording new information…”. 

One of the reasons why writing things down is so effective is because it requires more in-depth processing. We often summarize things into our own words too, which only adds to our interaction with the information. But it doesn’t stop there. The way we choose to organize information on the page, such as which parts to highlight to make them more visible also requires additional processing. 

Making good notes quite often means you don’t even need to refer to them later because you’ve already processed the material when you wrote them! 

Try it out! The next time you sit down to study, close Google docs, and physically write down what you’re learning. I guarantee you’ll retain more.

8. Memorise with little effort using The Goldlist Method

The Goldlist Method is another technique that is based on writing things down and popular with polyglots. The Goldlist Method works by writing down lists of expressions you want to learn in a notebook. Then, at least two weeks later, you copy them again, sorting out the expressions that you remember from those you don’t. As if by magic, you’ll see that you’ve remembered 30% of the expressions from each list without ever having studied them! No bad, right?! 

How to use the The Goldlist Method:

1. Divide a page into 4 sections, A, B, C, and D. In section A, write down a list of 20 vocabulary units you want to memorize. Read every phrase and its translation out loud. Put this list aside and “forget” about it, for now.
2. Over the next 13 days, create new lists with 4 new sections. 
3. On day 15, go back to the 1st list (Step 1) and test yourself by covering up the translation of the items into your native language. You will see that you remember about 30% – about 6 words/phrases from it. Copy the remaining 14 words into section B. 

You probably see where this is going. You repeat the process with all the other lists, then go back to the first one and do it all again. According to David James, the creator of the method, as long as you are relaxed and enjoying the process, you will naturally pick up a few items into your long-term memory each time. For the items you don’t remember, you simply learn on the next round. 

Watch this fantastci video by Lýdia Machová who explains how to use The Goldlist Method.

9. Focus makes progress!

So many things distract us throughout the day and that can keep us from really focusing learning languages. Do your best to cut out as many distractions as possible whenever you want to dedicate some time to learning your target language. If you’re at home, explain to members of your household that you need this time to study. If you are somewhere in public, try noise-canceling headphones or listening to relaxing ambient music to help you drown out the noises. Put your phone away or, if you are using a mobile app to learn, turn off all notifications quickly by switching to night mode. 

When you are focused and engaged, when you pay attention to what you are learning, you will retain much more from the learning session compared to when you are constantly distracted.

10. Combine words with images with Dual Coding 

Dual coding is where you combine both visual and verbal information. Developed by Allan Paivio of the University of Western Ontario in 1971, Paivio based his method on the idea that the formation of mental images aids learning. For example, you store the concept of a ‘cat’ in your mind as both the word and an image of a cat, and you can retrieve them together, or separately. 

Here are some examples of using dual coding in language learning: 

• Drawing out a historical timeline of events
• Using comics or storyboards to remember stories and texts 
• Visual note-taking with part of the information presented as images
• Flashcards that include images
• Visual cues used during quizzes 

As you’ve seen in the previously mentioned memory tips in,  creating visual associations are a really powerful tool which is why dual coding is so effective.

Have you ever used a visual dictionary with high-quality images illustrating each word? That’s dual coding!

Need help improving your memory?

If you’re lost in the weeds when it comes to effectively learning new words, check out the Your Solid Vocab Memory. This online was developed by my friend Kerstin Cable, an experienced language learner and teacher who really knows her stuff.  I always follow Kerstin’s tips, and this course is excellent. If you feel the need to stop chasing your tail and remember any word easily, take a look at Your Solid Vocab Memory.

This course has been one of my favourite resources of the year because it teaches you how to learn and remember vocab in 3 simple steps:

• GROW your word list with strategic goal setting and a solid system for taking notes in seconds
• MEMORIZE any word, even the ones you forget all the time, in less than a minute
• REVIEW with fun and easy methods, not overwhelming lists and card decks

Check out Your Solid Vocab Memory here – I know you’ll love it!

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Want to know more about learning languages? Start here!

• 22 Top Language Learning Resources You Should Use
• How to Learn Languages Like Crazy, Even If You Have a Crazy Life [3-Step Method]
• How long does it REALLY take to learn a language? [A Practical Guide]
• How to Get Fluent: 9 Reasons You’re Not Fluent…YET! [& What To Do Instead]
• 18 Unexpected Advantages & Health Benefits of Learning A Foreign Language
• 23 Cool Gift for Language Learners They Will Actually Use and Love
• Memrise vs Duolingo: Which Language App is Best For You?
• Mondly Review: 10 Ways Mondly Drastically Improved My Language Learning
• 203 Most Beautiful Untranslatable Words [The Ultimate List: A-Z]
• 6 Language Learning Tips: How to Learn a Language from Home
• What Type of Language Learner Are You? Your 4-Step Personalised Learning Plan
• 44 Best Movies on Disney Plus for Learning Languages
• 13 Ways to Seamlessly Integrate Language Learning into Your Daily Life
• 10 Pro Tips: How to Learn a Language with a Full-Time Job
• 7 Reasons Why You Should Go on a Language Holiday
• Essential Travel Phrases: How to be Travel Fluent in 10 Simple Steps
• How to Learn Your First Foreign Language in 8 Simple Steps: A Beginner’s Guide
• 11 Life-Changing Reasons Why You Should Learn a Language
• 42 beautiful Inspirational Quotes for Language Learners
• Language learning tips: 11 Polyglots Reveal The Secrets of Their Success
• Top 10 Best Ways to Learn a Language Better and Faster
• How Many Languages are there in the World?
• 78 FREE Dictionaries to Learn a Language Fast [Free eBook Download]
• 22 KEY Travel Phrases That Will Transform Your Travels [Free Guide]

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Over to you!

Which one of these memory tips and hacks will you try first? What is your current method for learning languages. Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation. Remember, if you haven’t already done so, find out what type of language learner you are here.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Sometimes, in the middle of telling a story, making a point, or explaining a request, we suddenly get stuck on a word. It just won’t come, even though we have the strong feeling that it should be right there.

It’s not that we don’t have the vocabulary to describe what we want to say; we most definitely know the word. We just can’t get it out. What is happening when words fail us? Or maybe it is we who are failing the words?

Tip of the tongue

On its own, occasionally forgetting a word is a completely normal part of life.

The psychological term for this experience is “tip of the tongue” state. It was first studied by experimental psychologists in the 1960s who showed that people in a tip of the tongue state were able to access information about letters, sounds, and meanings related to the word they were searching for even when they couldn’t come up with the word.

When you forget a word, it has not disappeared from memory; it is still there, but in the moment of speaking something is preventing it from being fully retrieved.

What would prevent the retrieval of a word? A word can be thought of as a collection of features: it has a meaning and associated meanings and images. It has a form, which includes its pronunciation, a written representation, and a syllable and stress pattern.

It also leaves traces in neural connections of how frequently or recently it has been used.

The retrieval of a word might be disrupted by a problem in activating one or just a few of those features. Stress, fatigue, and distraction can all lead to insufficient activation for retrieval.

Even deaf users of sign languages experience “tip of the finger” states when they forget a sign.

More serious problems that damage or slow the necessary neural connections can also cause problems for word retrieval. The inability to find words can indicate brain injury or infection, strokes, and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

However, in those cases, word-forgetting will be only one of many other symptoms. On its own, occasionally forgetting a word is a completely normal part of life. 

Tip of the tongue states are a common experience across languages. Even deaf users of sign languages experience “tip of the finger” states when they forget a sign. They are also common across the age range. However, they do become more frequent as we get older.

Forgetting a word can be frustrating, but most of the time the situation resolves itself quickly. The word comes back, and we continue. A study by Burke et al (1991) found that most tip of the tongue states cured themselves spontaneously without too much trouble.

In fact, younger people seemed to be more agitated by the state, trying multiple active strategies to force themselves to remember, while older people passively waited for the word to come back.

It’s almost as if the longer your lifetime experience with word-forgetting, the more you can relax and trust that the word will pop-up eventually.

But word-forgetting does cause older people a special kind of distress, because they worry more about what it means about the health of their memory.

While it is true that some memory functions decline with age, tip of the tongue states are independent of that decline.

In a study of age-related increases of tip-of-the-tongue states, Salthouse & Mandell (2013) found that “even though increased age is associated with lower levels of episodic memory and with more frequent TOTs [tip of the tongue states], which can be viewed as failures to access information from memory, the two phenomena seem to be largely independent of one another.” 

In other words, a failure to remember a word need not be seen as a general memory problem. It is just a failure to remember a word.

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“Off Topic Verbosity” and other ways aging affects language

One issue that studies have shown gets worse with age may challenge the evaluation of what “worse” really means when it comes to language.

Our communicative goals change as we age. We have more to reflect on, and more to impart.

“Off Topic Verbosity” (OTV) is how researchers describe the practice of veering off topic while speaking, adding irrelevant or extraneous details to a narration in progress. OTV increases with age, but not for every type of conversation. 

OTV does not affect tasks of communicating factual content like describing a picture. It is when subjects tell more personal, biographical information that OTV becomes a problem.

Or maybe it’s not a problem at all. Our communicative goals change as we age. We have more to reflect on, and more to impart. If we grow to value the goal of sharing experience over brevity and economy, the problem may not lie with the speaker, but the listener.

It’s not going off topic if the topic has changed.

You’re having a conversation when you suddenly can’t remember a word you want to use. Then a couple hours later, it just pops into your head out of nowhere. You can’t help but think, “That’s what I wanted to say! Why couldn’t I remember it?”

Unfortunately, using a word is a lot harder than simply knowing it. As Cambridge’s guide to learning vocabulary puts it, “Productive knowledge of vocabulary requires more learning than receptive knowledge.”

Luckily, there are many ways to solve this problem and dramatically increase the amount of vocabulary we can use in conversation. We’ll go over three vocabulary learning strategies that’ll help you do just that.

1. Be Picky

Our first piece of advice is to be picky about the words you learn. It takes a lot of work to become familiar enough with a word in order to use it properly, so don’t try to learn all the words that come your way. For example:

• If you’re watching a TV show or reading a book which uses a lot of words you don’t understand, don’t look them all up. Focus on learning the words in the parts you find most interesting.
• If your textbook has long lists of vocabulary words, think about which words you actually need and focus on remembering those.

But how do you know if you need a word? Of course, it helps to have a native-speaking friend or a tutor who can tell you if the word is actually used in real life. 

However, you should also keep in mind that you are ultimately the one who decides whether or not a word is useful to you. For example, let’s say you encounter a new word, “homebody” (i.e. someone who likes to spend a lot of time at home). 

Stop for one second to ask yourself if you’d ever need to actively use this word. If you aren’t a homebody, your active vocabulary can probably do without it. So, you can move on to learning vocabulary that is more useful to you. 

2. Practice Saying the Words Out Loud

One reason it takes us a long time to learn to use new words is because we don’t practice saying them enough. 

It’s easy for us to think we know a word just because we understand it. However, more often than not, we don’t know its pronunciation well enough to use it in conversation.

Native-speaking children face the same issue actually. For example, they’ll often confuse words like “alligator” and “elevator,” “chicken” and “kitchen,” and “pitcher” and “picture.” Like them, we are also trying to make sense of a new language and all its sounds.

So once we’ve decided that a word is useful, the next thing we want to do is practice saying it. This will train our “muscle memory” so the word can come out automatically in conversation. 

3. Practice Recalling the Words

Since our goal is to be able to recall words in conversation, we’ll want to get practice recalling them in general. For example, if you’re learning the word “yellow,” you can make flashcards with the pictures of yellow things on the front and the word “yellow” on the back.

Research suggests that fill-in-the-blanks exercises help learners remember new vocabulary. For example, this study at the University of Haifa found that students better remembered words when they completed a fill-in-the-blanks summary of a text they had just read.

Here are some ways we can use fill-in-the-blanks exercises to practice recalling new words:

• If you’re reading an article, underline the words you want to learn. At the end of the article, go back to each of these underlined words, cover them up with a finger and try to remember them.
• When you’re watching a TV show, write down the lines that use a word you’re interested in, but make sure to remove the word from the lines. Then after the show, see if you can recall the word from the lines.
• Make fill-in-the-blanks flashcards: On the front of each card, put some sentences that use the vocabulary word you’re learning, but make sure to remove the word from the sentences. Then on the other side, put the answer.

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Learning vocabulary in English is easier said than done. For example, you might spend time learning a word and later realize that nobody actually uses it. Or you might practice saying a word many times and then find out that people still don’t understand what you’re saying.

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Do you keep forgetting the English words you learn?

Are you tried of looking up the same words in the dictionary repeatedly?

If so, you’ve come to the right place.

This guide will teach you the top 3 techniques to remember vocabulary better.

Here are the techniques:

1. Process words deeply
2. Associate words with mental images
3. Review words at spaced intervals

Let’s dive into each method in detail.

Technique #1: Process Words Deeply

This method is based on the Levels of Processing effect, which states that words that are “processed” more deeply are remembered better.

Most people don’t make an effort to remember words. When looking up a word in the dictionary, they simply read the definition once and move on. This is “shallow” processing and it’s a bad way to remember anything.

So how you can learn a word more deeply?

Well, the first thing you can do is read all the definitions (if it has multiple meanings), as well as the usage examples.

But this is still shallow and doesn’t involve much mental effort.

You can go even deeper.

For example, think about the general meaning of the word. Ask yourself whether the meaning is good, bad, or neutral.

Suppose you’re learning the word effort (a vigorous or determined attempt, physical or mental exertion), how would you categorize this word?

For me, the general meaning of effort gives me a picture of someone trying hard to achieve something, so I categorize it as good.

But for someone else, the word might make them think about someone trying to finish a lot of boring tasks, so they will categorize it as bad.

It doesn’t really matter whether you think a word is good, bad, or neutral. What matters is that this process forces you to think about the word meaning more deeply.

Categorizing words is just one way to memorize words deeply. Another thing you can do is try to think of the word’s synonyms and antonyms (words with similar and opposite meanings).

Or you may create a mental image or a story that signifies the word meaning. For example, if you want to memorize the word forfeit (to lose something as a penalty for wrongdoing), perhaps you can imagine yourself losing a lot of money because you’ve done something against the laws.

The key is to perform some kind of mental exercise that forces you think about the word meaning on a deeper level.

My Thoughts on The Technique

This technique is probably the easiest to do since it can be performed quickly without using anything special like vocabulary software.

The drawback is that it’s probably the least effective method of the three.

The nature of new memories is that they fade quickly if you don’t make an effort to recall them afterwards.

So, even if you try to memorize words deeply, there’s still a chance of forgetting.

That being said, if you want to remember vocabulary a little better and don’t want to use methods that are too complicated or hard to do, this technique is pretty good.

Technique #2: Associate Words with Mental Images

Ever heard of World Memory Championships?

These are competitions in which participants compete by memorizing as much information as possible within a given period of time.

In such events, it’s not difficult to find someone who can memorize the order of 50 random cards within three minutes.

These people are not super humans; they’re able to do what they do through practice and a number of memorization techniques.

Let’s look at one of those techniques: the Association technique.

How to Do The Technique

First, you need to know the pronunciation of the word you’re trying to memorize. Sometimes, you can guess it based on the spelling. If you’re not sure, listen to the pronunciation on a dictionary (or on YouTube).

After that, say or listen to the word over and over. Does it sound like another word (or words) you know? Does it sound like the name of a person? An animal?

The word(s) you think of can be English words or words in your native language. But they should refer to things you can visualize: objects, animals, people, or places.

Let’s say I want to memorize these words:

• Adroit: clever or skillful in using the hands or mind.
• Effort: a vigorous or determined attempt, physical or mental exertion.
• Forfeit: lose something as a penalty for wrongdoing.

Here’s how each of them sound like to me:

• Adroit sounds like android (a human-like robot).
• Effort sounds like F (letter) and Ford (A car manufacturer)
• Forfeit sounds like four (number) and Fed (Fed can refer to either FedEx delivery or Roger Federer).

Once you’ve come up with the substitute word(s), visualize those words in your mind and try to “associate” (link) that mental image to the word meaning.

How do you link the image of an android (our substitute word for adroit) to the meaning “clever or skillful in using the hands or mind?”

Maybe you can imagine the android doing something that requires complex hand movements. Perhaps visualize it playing a guitar solo on stage.

Put some effort into it. Add some details to that mental image. Perhaps imagine the android using a few advanced guitar techniques such as speed picking, sweeping, and tapping.

And that’s it. The next time you see or hear the word adroit, it will remind you of an android, then you’ll think about that silly mental image, and you’ll remember the word meaning!

Let’s do one more example: forfeit (sounds like four and Fed).

How do you associate four and Fed with the meaning “lose something as a penalty for wrongdoing?”

Perhaps we can imagine that Roger Federer has three siblings (so there are “four Feds”). They love each others very much. Then one day during a tennis match Roger Federer misses the ball completely. He gets so mad at himself for making such a stupid mistake and throws his racket on the ground.

Because of this inappropriate action, the tennis association decides to put his three siblings in prison. So Roger Federer loses the three people he loves because of his wrongdoing.

Now, put a real effort into visualizing this story.

Concentrate….really…really…hard.

It won’t work if you just do it casually.

And you’re done! The next time you encounter the word forfeit, you’ll think of four Feds, you’ll think of this silly story, and you’ll remember the meaning.

My Thoughts on The Technique

With some practice, this technique can be powerful.

If the association you create is strong enough, it’s possible to remember a word forever, without any repetition.

It works because of various reasons:

• We tend to remember images and stories better than words and meanings.
• It makes you pay attention to the pronunciation and meaning.
• Information is better remembered if it’s created by yourself (the generation effect).

A minor issue I have with this technique is that you have to know the pronunciation.

Although there are plenty of online dictionaries with audio pronunciations, it can be annoying in some situations like when you’re in a library or classroom and don’t have earbuds.

And as you can see, it take some effort, time, and creativity to come up with substitute words and mental images. (But this will gets easier with practice.)

Overall, this is a very effective technique. It’s fun to do and doesn’t require any special tool. (Personally, I like this one the best.)

Technique #3: Review Words at Spaced Intervals

In 1885, a German psychologist did a number of experiments on memory.

The experiments involved memorizing lists of nonsense syllables such as DAX, BOK, and YAT.

In one experiment, he memorize two lists in two different ways:

• He repeated the first list 36 times in a single day.
• He repeated the second list 12 times a day for three days (so the total number of repetitions is 12 X 3 = 36, the same as the first list).

Later he recalled the two lists and found that recall of the second list was substantially better.

What does this mean?

It means you remember better when repetitions are “spaced out.”

So instead of memorizing a particular word many times within the same day, you may do it over a span of days or weeks like this:

• First repetition: 1 day
• Second repetition: 7 days
• Third repetition: 16 days
• Fourth repetition: 35 days

This spaced repetition strategy allows you to remember better, with fewer repetitions.

The reason why this works is a highly debated discussion among researchers. Some theorized that when you recall information this way, it signals your brain that the information is important and should be stored long term.

Practical Application

How do you apply spaced repetition to your vocabulary learning?

It’s relatively simple. Many vocabulary/memory apps have spaced repetition integrated into their software, so you don’t have to figure out when to repeat certain words, the app will take care of that for you.

A popular spaced repetition app is Anki. When you want to memorize a word, you create a flashcard (it’s a card with the target word on one side and the meaning on the other).

After you’ve entered a good number of words into Anki, you can start reviewing them. If you get a word wrong, the app will show the same word again soon. If you get a word right, you won’t see the word for a while.

You can watch this video to see how it works:

My Thoughts on The Technique

Generally speaking, the more complex a memory technique, the more costly it is to use.

Although this spaced repetition technique is effective, it comes with a price.

The price is that you have to keep adding new words into the app. And you have to spend time reviewing them. This can be a hassle for some people (myself included).

However, if you want to remember every word without fail and don’t mind a little bit of complexity, this is the technique for you.

If you’re not sure, you can give it a try. If it turns out to be too much for you, you can resort to the first two techniques.

Final Thoughts: How to Remember English Vocabulary

You have learned three best methods for remembering words in English (or any other language).

Now is the time for you to pick a method (or methods) to use.

All these methods have been scientifically proven and tested. You can use one, two, or even all three depending on how sophisticated you want your approach to be:

• A more sophisticated approach is more effective but less convenient and more time consuming.
• A simpler approach is less effective but easy to do (an extreme example is not trying to remember vocabulary at all)

Whatever approach you come up with, please be reminded that English vocabulary is only one aspect of your English competency. Don’t be obsessed with it too much and forget to improve other things like grammar, comprehension, speaking and writing skills.

So if you want to focus on the big picture as well, check out my guide on how to learn English.