What it called when you can remember a word

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Prof. Frederick Stroman

Score: 4.4/5
(33 votes)

Lethologica

is both the forgetting of a word and the trace of that word we know is somewhere in our memory.

What does it mean when I forget a word?

It is not necessarily a sign of something serious*, but more of an occasional brain glitch. Scientists have found that some things make TOTs more common – such as caffeine, fatigue, and strong emotions – and that words learned later in life are more likely to be forgotten.

What is it called when you can’t remember something?

Amnesia is a dramatic form of memory loss. If you have amnesia you may be unable to recall past information (retrograde amnesia) and/or hold onto new information (anterograde amnesia). Amnesia, in the Greek language, means “forgetfulness.” However, amnesia is far more complicated and severe than everyday forgetfulness.

Is it normal to forget a word?

As you get older, chances are you’ll sometimes forget a word, where you left your car keys, or the name of a neighbor you bumped into at the market. These small memory lapses happen. They’re a normal part of aging — just like creaky knees, wrinkled skin, or blurry vision.

What causes difficulty remembering words?

Aphasia is a communication disorder that makes it hard to use words. It can affect your speech, writing, and ability to understand language. Aphasia results from damage or injury to language parts of the brain. It’s more common in older adults, particularly those who have had a stroke.

30 related questions found

This is called the Tip of the Tongue phenomenon.

People in a tip-of-the-tongue state can often recall one or more features of the target word, such as the first letter, its syllabic stress, and words similar in sound and/or meaning. Individuals report a feeling of being seized by the state, feeling something like mild anguish while searching for the word, and a sense of relief when the word is found.

It’s a very common phenomenon, and it presents itself in several similar forms, as the Wikipedia description notes. Remembering just the first letter is a common form but not the only cue.

There are a couple of suggested causes, but generally the problem is failure to completely retrieve information you «know» is in fact there. The Wikipedia article has some information on the general theories.

In a way, building up a strong vocabulary depends on your capability of memorizing new words. The more effectively you can memorize a word, the longer you can remember the word, and your vocabulary will become essentially rich.

But, how long does it take to memorize a word? Memorizing a new word depends on a few factors. However, it takes about 50 seconds to effectively memorize a new word if you follow a few simple tricks. 

Also, you should try spaced repetition system (SRS) for a better result. It’s a memorization method that suggests you go through a study material giving periodic intervals. The retention percentage reaches up to 80% after six intervals.  

At the same time, it’s also true that not everyone has the same cognitive efficiency. So, the actual time to memorize a word will vary from person to person. Still, you can say that 1 minute is sufficient enough!

Our brain functions are complicated, and the processes are very intricate. Even the best neuroscientists struggle to understand the behavior of our brains fully. So, you should go through the whole article to understand the topic at hand in detail.

Why Do We Forget Anything?

First, let me answer a simple question — what does “memorizing” mean?

The process of memorizing comprises of two things –

• Acquiring information
• Recalling that piece of information at will

That’s it!

Our brains hold on to every piece of information that we encounter in our lives. But, at the same time, we forget a great amount of information too.

So, why does that happen?

Neurobiologist Dr. Corette Wierenga from Universiteit Utrecht has shared some interesting information regarding the matter.

Whenever we acquire new information, we store it in our neuron cells. The more relevant or important our brain feel that piece of information is, the more synopsis connection that segment of the neuron cells have.

When we want to recollect a piece of memory, we need to trigger the neuron cells that store that piece of information.

However, if that segment of brain cells doesn’t have enough synopsis connections, we can’t trigger it.

Thus, we forget something.

Types of Memories: How to Memorize Anything Effectively?

As we are on the topic, we should know that not all memories hold the same amount of importance to us. We consider some memories to be more important and some memories to be irrelevant.

Obviously, the memories our brain sees as irrelevant goes to «I forgot that» section!

So, let’s take a look at the types of memories –

• Immediate Memory
• Working Memory
• Permanent or Long-Term Memory

Immediate Memory

The immediate memories are extremely short-term memories. Typically, these memories last for only about a millisecond.

When we constantly look through our eyes, we are creating uncountable numbers of immediate memories. Our brains mostly label these immediate memories as “irrelevant” or “unimportant.”

Being unimportant, we don’t actively store them in our brains.

For example, when we commute through a train, we see thousands of things on the train. We skip storing most of these things in our brains. These skipped memories are the immediate memories.

In a word, they are the forgettable memories.  

Some neurologists also call the immediate memories as sensory memories. They are called sensory memories as these memories are formed based on our fives sensory abilities.

So, according to that point of view, you can divide them into three categories — 

• Iconic memory – Connected to visual senses
• Echoic memory – Connected to auditory senses
• Haptic memory — Connected to auditory senses

Working Memory

These are the type of memories that we store in our brains only to serve some specific purpose.

Once that specific purpose is fulfilled, we term them as «irrelevant.»

For example, imagine that you are reading a novel, and you stopped reading it to have some snacks. Then, you look at the page number so that you can resume reading again after having the snacks.

The page number then becomes a working memory.

You will probably remember it until you start reading the novel again. After serving the specific purpose of resuming reading the book, you will also forget the page number.

Anything that we remember for more than 0.5 seconds to an hour goes to our working memory section.

Sometimes, experts call the working memories – short-term memories.

When we learn a new word from any language, the piece of information is first stored as a short-term memory.

Our goal will be to convert this memory from short-term to long-term.

Permanent or Long-term Memory

As the name suggests, our brains store these memories for a long, long time. We can effectively remember and recall these memories from one hour to complete life-time.

You remembering your full name is an example of a long-term memory.

The more neuron connections our brains attach to a piece of long-term memory, the better we can remember them.

The process of memorizing is strongly connected to this topic.

The typical act of memorizing is mainly, giving your brain more exposure to a piece of information.

For example, if you see an uncommon word like “agelast” for the first time in your life, you can easily forget it. So, how to remember the word or how to remember the spelling of the word? If the word gets more exposure, you will more likely to remember it easily.

The key to remembering anything for a long time is – more exposure.

The Forgetting Curve: The Science Behind Forgetting Anything

Have you ever noticed that you tend to forget things after a certain if you don’t study them? There is a hypothesis that tries to explain the phenomenon.

It’s the famous hypothesis by Hermann Ebbinghaus published in 1885 as Über das Gedächtnis that translates into English as Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology.

Ebbinghaus tried to memorize nonsense syllables (similar to newly learned words). Then, he plotted the result on a retention percentage vs. elapsed time graph.

Thus, he gave birth to the famous forgetting curve.

Ebbinghaus also formed a formula that justifies the forgetting curve. It’s like this –

Here,

b is the percentage of information successfully retained

t is elapsed time since memorization (in minutes)

Here is an illustration —

As you can see, you will fully remember anything while you memorize it. However, your brains will slowly start to forget it. And finally, after 31 days, you will only remember 21% of the material that you have studies. 

You might think that this equation and hypothesis might seem a far-fetched as it was published back in 1885. 

The thing is a group of scientists tried to replicate the forgetting curve using the newer data and approaches. Their results were surprisingly close to the original research done by Ebbinghaus!

Ebbinghaus hypothesized that many factors play influential roles in the rate and speed of forgetting anything –

• Difficulty of the study material
• The meaningfulness of the material to an individual
• Psychological condition of the individual (stress or sleep)

Also, he suggested the two methods that would help someone to remember study material for a long time –

• The Use of superior memory representation technique (mnemonic)
• Spaced repetition

If you are looking for how to memorize words fast, Spaced repetition is the best option that you are going to have! It means to go through the study material after a while.

Here is an illustration that signifies the success of spaced repetition method –

As you can see, your retention rate gets a spike every time you have reviewed an already learned topic. With the power of spaced repetition, you can store anything in your memory for a long time. This is how to improve memory!

More Exposure = Quicker Memorization

The key to effectively memorize a word is greatly connected to word exposure. It means the more you will encounter a word, the more chance of retention that word will have.

For example, let’s consider the word “agelast” again.

Agelast refers to a person who never laughs or barely laughs. Certainly, it’s an uncommon word. If you see this word for the first time in your life, you can easily forget it soon.

However, if you encounter this word over and over again, something strange will begin to happen!

Your brain will slowly convert this short-term memory into a long-term memory.

Linguistic experts suggest that if you encounter a word 12-times through a year, your brain will store the piece of information as a long-term memory.

Susanne Rott from the University of Illinois, Chicago, published a paper on this topic. According to her study, six exposure over a period of four weeks significantly increases the word retention rate.

There is still no definite number of exposure frequency that works for all. However, there is no doubt that a higher count of exposure ensures better word retention. So, how to memorize words quickly? Give frequent and regular exposure of the word to your brain. 

5 Factors that Affect the Memorizing Process

Now that you are clear about the types of memory and how you can successfully memorize a word (more exposure), you need to know about all the factors that affect the memorizing process.

The Degree of Attention

No matter what, you will never have constant attention towards studies. Sometimes your heart would want to play some video games; sometimes, you would want to see your favorite anime series, and so on.

Your brain will grasp onto any piece of information only when you are actively paying attention. The more attention you pay, the quicker you can memorize a word.

So, we can simply form an equation – the degree of attention is negatively proportional to the time needed to memorize a word!

At the same time, your wakefulness, concentration, and mindfulness also play a crucial role in a similar way.

The Degree of Motivation

Have you ever noticed that you can memorize or study better only a few days before you have a big exam?

Why?

Your brain tells you that you need to do better in that exam, and there is no other option. Some feel afraid of the failure (not exactly getting an F), some feel the drive to have a good result in the exam.

This strange desperation or urge boosts your brain to memorize study materials quicker.   

However, when it comes to memorizing new words and building up a strong vocabulary, your motivation shouldn’t only be having a good score in the exam. You need to retain the words in your brain for a long time.

You need to store them as “long-term” memory, not “working memory!”

So, try to aim for excellence and motive your brain to see the bigger picture. It will help you attain better and long-lasting results. 

Your Mental State

Mindfulness is essential!

Clearer mind helps you to grasp more knowledge. At the same time, you need to feel the urge to memorize a word from the core of your heart.

If you truly want to memorize a word from the core of your heart while considering no other secondary reason, it will beget better results.

On the other hand, if you are feeling down or sad or feel forced to memorize a word, you will need way more time than you should need.

Here’s a tip!

Try growing a habit of memorizing ten new words in the early morning, when your cognitive functions are flowing with positive mental energy.

External Environment

The location and external environment of your study place can influence your cognitive efficiency.

For example, if you are trying to memorize new words while commuting through the subway in a jam-packed train car, you will most like see a below-average result.

Now, if you do the same thing in the early morning in a calm and blissful park, you will a completely different result.

Right?

External environmental factors like the location, lighting, noise, and smell stimulate our brains in a different way. We will feel more conscious about them rather than focusing on memorizing the words.

So, choose your study location wisely.

Make yourself comfortable but not too comfortable (you will end up having a nap instead!).

Breathing!

Yes, you have read it right! Your breathing practices affect your memorizing capabilities too.

A 2016 study found out that having dynamic rhythmic nasal breathing helps our brains to work more efficiently. Also, we can memorize things better if we can breathe properly.

Scientists label this breathing behavior as olfactory breathing. Another 2018 study discusses that olfactory breathing stimulates the prefrontal cortex to take part in the memorizing functions.

So, you should practice having a steady and rhythmic nasal breathing while studying new words, and you will have better results. 

Partaking in the meditational activities will also come in handy!

How to Memorize a Word Effectively? 7 Essential Tips 

The first step towards is building a vocabulary base. And believe me, this is the hardest step of all.

Even learning all the grammatical rules of a language will seem like a piece of cake after you have a strong vocabulary base.

Things are even tougher for kids. If you are a native English speaker, then thigs could be a little easy for you. But still, you will struggle to boost your vocabulary to 25,000 words quota.

Why am I focusing on the number 25,000?

It’s simple!

It’s the average word collection that a native English language speaker has.

Here’s the thing, even though all the five factors of memorizing anything (mentioned in the previous section) are in your favor, you will still struggle to memorize new words.

Because memorizing new words is a daunting challenge.

Still, you could try following these steps. They will help you increase your word retention capability. Also, they are the answer to your question — how to memorize words fast!

Word Mapping

Word mapping is a simple and effective visual tool that you can use to develop your vocabulary.

A typical web has the main word in the center and a couple of branches connected to it. 

For example, consider the word “weather.”

Weather can be –

• Cold
• Hot
• Windy
• Rainy

Now, put the word weather in the center of the web and connect the four other words (cold, hot, windy, and rainy) connected to the weather with lined branches.

That was the first stage!

Now, begin the second stage.

This time, you will add up more branches with the previous branched word. The stage-two branches will be the synonyms of stage-one branches (cold, hot, etc.)

For example, you can define cold weather as – freezing, frigid, snowy, and nippy. So, these four words form the second stage of the web.

Similarly, you will add words to – hot, rainy, and windy branches too.

Are you still feeling confused?

Here, take a look at this completed example –

You can create different other forms of word maps –

Model-2 – A map consisting of parts of speech, synonyms, antonyms, example in a sentence, etc.

Model-3 – A map consisting of your personal definition, dictionary definition, association, word clue, and picture.

And so on …

Go on, make your own word maps that suit your needs and situations.

The only limit is your imagination and creativity.

The Context Library

The best way to remember a new word is by giving it a context.

For example, what does the word “set” mean?

• Put something to any specified place?
• Being in a fixed position?
• Representation of a situation of a film or a play?

The right answer would be all of them! The definition of the word changes with the changing cases.

In fact, there are 464 different definitions of the word “set” 464 in the Oxford English Dictionary!

So, how can you know which definition of the word is active in a sentence?

This is where context comes to play!

Context refers to the other words that surround a specific word in a sentence. Even the whole paragraph can help you figure out the proper definition of a word.

For example, consider the following sentences –

Tom set the table for lunch.

Mark set the chair by the couch.

In the first sentence, set is referring to arranging the food and other tools to have a meal. But in the second sentence, set is referring to placing an object to any specific place.

You will have to use the context to help you memorize a word.

From now on, while making a list of words to memorize, don’t just write the word. Add the definitions along with contexts in a sentence. If you find a different meaning of an already known word, add the new meaning with a context in your list.

This is how you can create a Context Library.

Listen and Read at the Same Time

When we think of memorizing new words, we typically consider only reading the words.

However, our brains gather and retain information better if we can collaborate more than one skill to perform a cognitive task.

In this case, combining reading with listening extensively increases the knowledge retention rate.

So, what does that mean?

Well, in simpler words, try to listen to the words while reading. By doing so, your brain will find the proper pronunciation of words and spelling at the same time. In short, your brain will retain the words better.

You can use simple tools like Google Translate here too.  

Also, you can also depend on the tools of SpellQuiz. SpellQuiz uses a dual skill approach (listening and typing) to enhance spelling skills. You will learn how to memorize words quickly and how to remember sight words better.

There are some other fun activities that can come in handy in this case.

For example, if you are watching a movie or a TV series, turn on the subtitles. You will listen to the words and read the words all at the same time.

You can also read the podcast transcripts while listening to them.  

There are many ways to incorporate listening and reading together to enhance vocabulary skills.

Learning Associated Words Together

Scattered approaches will always give you a poor result when it comes to memorizing anything. It’s even truer when it comes to memorizing new words.

However, tables turn completely if you pack all the connected words together and memorize them in a batch.

Our brains use the connection between the contexts of the words and try to establish some kind of link between them.

For example, try to find ten to twelve words related to geography from the dictionary. Like this –

1. Channel
2. Peninsula
3. Valley
4. Mountain
5. Hill
6. Plain
7. Plateau
8. Butte
9. Canyon
10. Glacier
11. Fjord
12. Cliff

Now, put these words on a page of your notebook and try to memorize them together. You will see that memorizing these words will become extremely easy.

Studying Compound Words

A huge portion of the English language is made up of compound words. Compound words are words that are comprised of two or more individual words.

For example, “spaceship” is a compound word made up of “space” and “ship.» Similarly, newspaper, doorbell, friendship are some other examples of compound words.

If you see long words, try to break them into smaller parts. You will notice that most of the long words are, in fact, compound words. Breaking these words in smaller chunks will help you memorize them.

Don’t Use the Rote Memorization but Dynamic Memorization

When you study for a tough test for your final exams, how do you study?

Repeat reading the same study materials over and over again until you memorize every word, full-stop, and comma of the text?

Probably!

This is an old memorization technique commonly known as the rote memorization.

The problem with this technique is that it a very time-consuming procedure, and you will probably forget what you have memorized after a few months.

Rather, you should aim for a different approach known as a dynamic approach. In this method, you don’t rely on only one form of memorization technique but multiple different ones.    

For example, if you have used the reading the words method in the first revision stage, you will use listening to the audio recording in the second revision. After that, you will write the words that you have learned during the third revision stage.

In short, you will use a different method in every revision stage.

Your brain will absorb the knowledge much better in this way.

Take Notes, It Helps

Whenever you are memorizing new words, have a notebook by your side. No matter which memorizing method you are using, using the notebook will help you memorize the content better.

In this way, even if you have forgotten what you have read, your brain might trigger by remembering what you have written in your notebook.

Your notebook will act as a supporting memorizing tool.

You can also use the notebook to plan out your strategies, or you could just note down a new-found word.

There is no hard and fast rule for using your notebook efficiently. Use your own methods to take down the notes.

But you need to take down notes – it will help, trust me!

Final Thoughts

Memorizing new words will definitely help you build up a strong vocabulary. So, the key takeaway of this article is that you will need about 30 to 50 seconds to memorize a word. But you need to give the words about 6 to 12 exposures over a period of time to covert the knowledge in your long-term memories.

Finally, you can adopt many different strategies to efficiently memorize a word.

Be relentless and creative; you will definitely attain success.

Hey you, there is a piece of great news, now you can participate in the Spelling Bee Online game. In this game, you will compete against players coming from all over the world in real-time. Participating in the SBO game will help you memorize a word in a fun way!

Words! They are everywhere! So. Many. Words.

You see them, learn them, then forget them! Why? Why? What is the secret to memorizing words?

Two types of memory

The brain has two kinds of memory – short-term memory, and long-term memory.

When you look at a phone number on a piece of paper, then dial it – that’s short term memory. You only remember it for as long as you need it.

Your home address, your cousins’ names, the letters of the alphabet … these are all in your long-term memory. You aren’t likely to forget them.

So if you are learning a new language (or improving your vocabulary for your first language!), most words stay in your short-term memory. How do you move words from short-term memory to long-term memory???

The two most important factors in remembering words are elaboration – thinking deeply about the word, and repetition – saying the word many times. When you think deeply about the word, you study its meaning, the words that are associated with it, the parts of the word, and you connect the word with an image, smell, event, or something else in the real world. When you repeat the word, you read it, say it, write it down, or listen to it again and again. This helps keep it in your mind.

Elaboration – Many Ways

When you elaborate your knowledge of a word, you think about it many ways. The reason this works is that our mind remembers things by associating them with other things. The more things the word is associated with, the stronger it will be in your memory. Here are some ways to study a word deeply:

• Write down (or think about) what the word means (the dictionary definition of the word). If you are a language learner, use a learner’s dictionary such as Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary. (A learner’s dictionary uses simpler words to explain meaning compared to a regular dictionary.) It’s also helpful to write down or think about the meaning in your own words.
• What does the word mean in your language? Frequently words in different languages are used differently, so the word in English might not be 100% the same as the word in your language. However, associating the word with a translation will help you keep it in mind.
• Is there an image you can associate with the word? Research shows that when a word and a picture go together, it is easier to remember the word.
• Have you ever had a taste or smell remind you of an event, place, or person? Our sensory memories are very strong. Was there a sight, smell, or feeling you noticed when you learned the word? Think about it to make the association stronger.
• What words are associated with this word? There are many types of associations:
  • Synonyms (what word means the same thing?)
    * light – bright
  • Antonyms (what means the opposite thing?)
    * light – dark
  • Type-of relationships (what kind of thing is this?)
    * red – color
  • Same types (what other things are this type?)
    * red – black
    * red – pink
  • Thematic relationships (what does this thing relate to?)
    * light – sunshine
    * light – outside
    * light – warm
  • Collocations (what words are used frequently with this word?)
    * _turn on the_ light
    * _bright_ light

Studying, writing down, brainstorming in a group… these are activities you can use to find many ways to remember the word.

Repetition – Many Days

There is a Russian proverb, Repetition is the mother of learning, and this is particularly true for language learning.

The more times you repeat the word, the stronger your memory will be.

Ways to repeat the word:

• Notice when you see the word again.
  • If you learn a word and then see or hear it again (in reading, conversation, television, etc.), notice the word. Think, “Oh, that’s a word I just learned! It means _______________.” The more you focus your attention, the better.
• Use the word in writing or conversation.
  • There is a difference between receptive knowledge (you know the word when you see it) and productive knowledge (you say or write the word). Receptive knowledge comes first, but productive knowledge is stronger for memory. Using the word will help you remember it.
• Deliberately study the word (this is called to drill).
  • Study the word with flashcards, a vocabulary list, a vocabulary notebook, or an app like Vocab Victor.
  • Say the word out loud when you see it, practice writing it.
  • Set aside time each week to drill the words you learned that week, and to review the words you learned the previous week.

Become a memory master

You can master your words and become a vocabulary winner!

**Learn the word many ways, and practice it many days!**
by Heidi Brumbaugh, PhD
Vocab Victor helps improve your vocabulary by strengthening word associations!

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. 

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

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? 

Related: What type of language learner are you?

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!

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]

Like it? Pin it for later!

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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By OptiLingo • 6 minute read

Most people associate studying vocabulary with flashcards and hours spent staring at a dull book. This may be what a lot of people do, but these methods are outdated. Cramming is not how you remember words in a foreign language effectively.

There are several things you could do to make your vocabulary studies effective. Using modern teaching techniques, you can conquer your vocabulary list quickly and efficiently. We recommend these methods for successful memory exercises and fun.

How Memory Works

Before you can find out how you can remember words effectively, you need to know how memory works. It’s not as simple as long and short term memory.

Your brain is actively trying to forget. This is something Ebbinghaus called “The Forgetting Curve”. Imagine that you learn something new on Day 1. The next day, you’ve already begun to slowly forget it. By Day 7, you remember less than 20% of what you studied on the first day. This is a huge difference that prevents learners from remembering.

Luckily, there’s a way to offset “The Forgetting Curve”. This method is called spaced repetition. The best time to revisit the previous material is when you start to forget it. You also want to space those intervals out over time, revisiting material further and further apart. If you study on Day 1, for instance, then review on Day 3. That will bounce the curve back so you’ll remember the information a little longer. Then, as time goes on, you space those sessions out. This is the most effective way to remember your language lessons.

Actively Remember Words and Vocabulary

The traditional means of remembering words is largely passive. That is why it seems to take forever for you to commit things to memory – you’re basically pouring the information into your brain and hoping it stays without any further assistance. While this can work if you do it often enough, it is incredibly inefficient.

In contrast, active vocabulary study makes you process what you have learned, then organizes and structures it in a way that makes sense to you. Essentially, you are paraphrasing what you are learning so that it fits into your brain in a way that you can more readily access it.

Paraphrasing information can be done in many ways. Here are a few suggestions for ways to paraphrase what you are learning:

• Write it down in your own words as a summary.
• Create a cheat sheet that you can refer to as needed; the cheat sheet can be whatever structure you find the most helpful to review.
• Explain it to someone else. This is best done with another person since they can tell you if it makes sense, but you can also explain things to your dog or cat if you don’t have a person handy.
• Create a mental image of it. Visualization is key for committing things to memory. The visual can be of an object, a chart, a web, or even a map.
• Create a story and narrate the concepts. This can be very short, but make it memorable for the best results.

Find Other Sources

One of the most frustrating things about learning another language is that you are stuck with a book (at least in the beginning). If you use a book that is poorly written, you are going to have a very difficult time learning anything. Find another source and see if you can more easily understand the concepts the way that book presents them.

Even if you like the book or material you are using, find a couple of alternatives. By looking at the language from several different angles, it is more likely to leave a more lasting impression on your memory.

The following are some easily accessible sources that can enhance what you learn:

• Wikipedia
• YouTube
• Reddit

You will want to take what you learn with a grain of salt, but they give you some relatively reliable information since all of them use experts to update the information.

Use Mnemonics to Visualize a Story

People are visual and emotional by nature. When you have a mental image of something, it creates emotions (even if they are rather tepid emotions), enough that what you saw is more likely to stick with you. And if you have a set of vocabulary words you need to study, using mnemonics can help.

Mnemonics are a memory aid. By placing your list of words into a story, you have a higher chance of remembering those words. Recall time will increase too.

The problem is that not everyone is creative. It’s ok, you don’t have to be. Here are a few things you can do to make your stories more memorable.

• Create characters who are caricatures or exaggerations. When you are learning about colors, visualize characters who wear clothing that are obnoxiously obvious about the colors. When you exaggerate, your mind will hold the image better with what you are learning.
• Create a story around a concept. Make the stories crazy and strange so that you can remember exactly what you wanted to remember. This is particularly easy when you are learning verbs.
• Create analogies for the concepts. By equating the ideas to things that you know, your mind will latch on to the new ideas.

It will take a bit of getting used to these methods because you haven’t been taught to do this. However, it won’t take long before it is second nature, just like picking up a book and trying to remember its contents. The difference is that it is both more enjoyable and more efficient when you put ideas into stories.

Prioritize What Words You Remember

Not everything you study is of equal value. Of course, you cannot neglect the stuff you don’t like, but you can prioritize your learning in a way that makes it more natural for you to remember words.

If you already know something well, don’t start with it every study session. You already know it. Move on to the new stuff and start committing that to memory. It will make you feel less secure about what you know, but that is a good thing. Starting with what you do know gives you the wrong impression that you know the language well. The truth is you don’t. You just feel better because you know a small part of it.

These three tips will help you to better prioritize your vocabulary studies.

1. Don’t study things you already know well and with which you feel comfortable.
2. Spend more time with things that make you uncomfortable. It means you don’t know them and should be spending more time on them.
3. Occasionally pull both the familiar and new material together to ensure you retain what you learned while pushing yourself into new territory.

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.