Guide
How to memorize vocabulary fast
Learn a few words at a time, test yourself instead of rereading, and bring each word back at growing gaps: minutes, then a day, then days, then weeks. In one study, testing beat rereading 56% to 42% after a week; across 271 comparisons, spacing beat cramming 47% to 37%.
1. Two at a time
Small batches are easier to hold in mind and to test straight away. Sorry Scroll teaches two new words per step.
2. Test, don't reread
In Roediger and Karpicke (2006), students who took a recall test on a passage remembered 56% of it a week later; students who reread it remembered 42%. Rereading only won when the test came five minutes later, which is why it feels like it works. Cover the meaning and pull it from memory.
3. Space the reviews out
Cepeda and colleagues' meta-analysis pooled 271 comparisons: spaced practice averaged 47% final recall against 37% for the same practice massed together, and the best gap grows with how long you want to remember. A schedule that works: 20 minutes after your first correct answer, then 1, 3, 7 and 21 days later.
4. Learn words in a sentence
A word with an example is easier to recall and to use. Here's the first word of Sorry Scroll's Japanese deck as it appears:
こんにちは · konnichiwa
hello
こんにちは、元気ですか？
Konnichiwa, genki desu ka?
Hello, how are you?
Tip: Used from late morning to early evening. Written with は but pronounced 'wa'.
5. Cap the new words
Each new word brings about five reviews over the next three weeks. Around 12 new words a day keeps reviews manageable: the review maths.
Doing all five without trying
Sorry Scroll builds these into a 30-second step in front of the apps you block: two new words with a sentence and audio, a check on each, one older word due for review, and new words capped at 12 a day. Free for one app. The language goal · free word lists.
Questions
What's the fastest way to memorize vocabulary?
Test yourself on each word soon after learning it, then again at growing gaps (minutes, a day, a few days, a week). Retrieval and spacing are the two best-supported techniques.
Should I reread my word list?
Rereading feels productive but works less well than testing over a week. Cover the meaning and recall it instead.
How often should I review?
Sorry Scroll uses 20 minutes after your first correct answer, then 1, 3, 7 and 21 days later. A missed word comes back after a minute.
Do example sentences help?
They give each word a context to hang on, and show how it's used. Every word in Sorry Scroll's decks has one, with a translation and audio.