Based on my experience challenging myself to learn many words in a short period of time, I’ve realized many things and learned from the mistakes I made during my previous learning. I’m still discovering new strategies to learn words fast and make them stick in the long term.

The Big Mistake: Relying on Spelling

The biggest mistake everyone should avoid is relating a new word to your native language (or a language you already know) based on spelling.

Do not create mnemonics based on how a word is spelled, especially if the target language is pronounced differently than your native language. If you rely on spelling associations, you will adopt the wrong pronunciation because your brain is focused on the written letters rather than the actual sound.

Step 1: Master the Reading Patterns First

Before you start studying vocabulary lists, you must learn how to read the target language. I don’t just mean learning the alphabet, but learning the pronunciation patterns.

Many languages rely on specific combinations of letters to create sounds. Even if you don't know what a word means yet, you should be able to read it and pronounce it correctly. Once you understand the reading patterns, you can start learning vocabulary.

Step 2: Use Sound-Based Mnemonics

If you want to use mnemonics to remember a word, do not rely on the spelling. Instead, rely on how the word is pronounced.

Example: In Polish, the word for "book" is written as "książka".

1. The Mistake: If I try to find a mnemonic that looks like the spelling "książka," I will likely pronounce it the way it looks in English (or my native language). This creates bad habits.
2. The Solution: I should focus on how the word is actually pronounced: "ksionzska". I should create a memory hook based on that sound.

Because you mastered the reading patterns in Step 1, you will still know how to write the word later, even if the pronunciation seems different from the spelling.

Tips to Make Words Stick

Here are some strategies I use to remember words:

1. Use it in context: Even if you don't know much grammar, try to use the new word in a sentence immediately. Combine it with words you already know. Don't worry if the sentence structure isn't perfect; the goal here is to remember the vocabulary, not to master grammar. Keep sentences short (5 words or less).

1. Mix it with your native language: Speak the words out loud at home, mixing them with your native language.
2. Example (Learning German): "I want to drink Kaffee. I don't like to put Zucker in it."
3. The more you repeat this, the better you will remember it.

1. Listen on the go: If there are specific hard words you are struggling with, record them on your phone along with their translations. When you are out of the house or away from your computer, listen to these recordings.

My #1 Strategy: Of all these methods, the one that works best for me is writing the word in context. I use the word in as many different sentences as possible. If the word still doesn't stick after one sentence, I create a new one, and then another, using different styles and contexts until I remember it.