Login

u/Impossible-Sign7781

Image 1 — We hated GRE vocab lists so we built a game
Image 2 — We hated GRE vocab lists so we built a game
Image 3 — We hated GRE vocab lists so we built a game
Image 4 — We hated GRE vocab lists so we built a game
Image 5 — We hated GRE vocab lists so we built a game
▲ 2 r/gradadmissions

We hated GRE vocab lists so we built a game

For the GRE, I knew I had to memorize a huge number of words, but honestly I hated sitting with long vocab lists. I’d procrastinate constantly because it just felt so dry and repetitive.

I used to play apps like Elevate sometimes and realized that learning through small games was way more engaging for me than just reading definitions again and again. I’m also a pretty visual learner, so seeing images/examples helped me remember words much better.

At some point I thought why doesn’t something like this exist specifically for GRE vocab instead of random general English words. So I made a rough version for myself first, and it actually started helping me retain words better during mocks.

After that my friend and I spent the last few months building a much cleaner version around actual GRE words and revision. We also track your weak words and use spaced repetition to help you memorise them.

Thought I’d share it here in case some of you struggle with vocab the same way I did.

https://verbalflo.com/

Feedback and suggestions appreciated :)

u/Impossible-Sign7781 — 9 days ago
▲ 15 r/Korean

Am I wrong for thinking vocabulary matters more than grammar early on?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how people actually learn vocabulary when learning a language, especially Korean.

One thing I’ve noticed (for myself and friends) is that a lot of apps seem very grammar-heavy early on, but the biggest barrier to understanding content often just feels like not knowing enough words.

So I’ve been experimenting with a small vocab-focused learning system based around:

  • high-frequency words
  • quick repetition
  • small games/memory challenges
  • learning words fast enough to start understanding real content earlier (videos, shows, YouTube, etc.)

But before I spend more time building this out, I wanted to ask people actually learning Korean:

  • What’s been the hardest part about vocabulary acquisition for you?
  • Have apps like Anki/Duolingo/Memrise worked for you long term? Why or why not?
  • Do you prefer immersion + picking things up naturally, or more structured vocab learning?
  • At what point did you start understanding real content comfortably?
  • Is vocab even the bottleneck, or is something else harder?

I’m genuinely trying to understand whether this is a real problem or just something I personally feel while learning languages.

Would love honest opinions, including negative ones.

reddit.com
u/Impossible-Sign7781 — 11 days ago
▲ 5 r/German

Am I wrong for thinking vocabulary matters more than grammar early on?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how people actually learn vocabulary when learning a language, especially German.

One thing I’ve noticed (for myself and friends) is that a lot of apps seem very grammar-heavy early on, but the biggest barrier to understanding content often just feels like not knowing enough words.

So I’ve been experimenting with a small vocab-focused learning system based around:

  • high-frequency words
  • quick repetition
  • small games/memory challenges
  • learning words fast enough to start understanding real content earlier (videos, shows, YouTube, etc.)

But before I spend more time building this out, I wanted to ask people actually learning German:

  • What’s been the hardest part about vocabulary acquisition for you?
  • Have apps like Anki/Duolingo/Memrise worked for you long term? Why or why not?
  • Do you prefer immersion + picking things up naturally, or more structured vocab learning?
  • At what point did you start understanding real content comfortably?
  • Is vocab even the bottleneck, or is something else harder?

I’m genuinely trying to understand whether this is a real problem or just something I personally feel while learning languages.

Would love honest opinions, including negative ones.

reddit.com
u/Impossible-Sign7781 — 11 days ago