Getting Started with Vocabu – Learn Vocabulary Effectively

This guide walks you step by step through creating study sets, adding vocabulary, and learning efficiently with Vocabu's intelligent Spaced Repetition system.

How Vocabu Works

Vocabu is built around a simple but powerful idea: the more effort your brain makes to recall a word, the better it sticks. Instead of passively re-reading vocabulary lists, you actively test yourself — and the app schedules each word to reappear at exactly the right moment.

What Is a Flashcard?

A flashcard has two sides. One side shows the word you want to learn — for example a foreign word — and the other side shows the answer, such as the translation. You read the front, try to recall the answer in your head, then tap the card to flip it and check.

This moment of active recall — the mental effort of trying to remember — is what makes flashcards so much more effective than passively reading a list.

The 6 Learning Levels

Every card in Vocabu lives at one of 6 learning levels, from Level 1 (New) to Level 6 (Mastered). Each time you rate a card correctly, it moves up one level and won't appear again until a longer interval has passed. Rate it wrong, and it drops back down.

Level 1 – New: Not yet studied
Level 2: Review after 1 day
Level 3: Review after a few days
Level 4: Review after about 1 week
Level 5: Review after about 2 weeks
Level 6 – Mastered: Review after several weeks or months

Why the Timing Matters – Spaced Repetition

The review intervals are not random. They are timed to hit the moment just before you would forget the word — a technique called Spaced Repetition, based on the scientifically proven forgetting curve. The result: you spend less time on words you already know well, and more time on the ones you don't.

Studies show Spaced Repetition is up to five times more efficient for long-term retention than cramming.

The Three Rating Options

After flipping a card you rate how well you knew the answer:

👎 Wrong: You didn't know it — the card drops one level and comes back soon
✅ Learned: You know it perfectly — the card jumps straight to Level 6 (Mastered)
👍 Correct: You got it right — the card moves up one level

⚠️ Be honest with yourself. The system only works if your ratings reflect reality. When in doubt, tap Wrong — you'll see the card again soon and it will stick much better.

Vocabu flashcard system – 6 learning levels and Spaced Repetition overview — Cards move through 6 learning levels – each level has a longer review interval than the last

Select or Create a Study Set

The home screen shows an overview of your study sets. Tap an existing set to open it, or tap the plus icon to create a new study set.

Vocabu App home screen – study sets overview and vocabulary selection — The home screen shows your study sets and the button to create new ones

Create a New Study Set

When creating a new study set, you can give it a name and choose a matching background. Then tap "Create" to set it up.

💡 Tip: Choose a descriptive name like "Business English" or "French A2" so you can easily find your sets later.

Vocabu create study set – add a vocabulary collection with name and design — Give your new study set a name and choose a design

Add Cards

Inside your study set, tap "Add Cards" or the plus icon. Vocabu offers several ways to add vocabulary:

Type manually: Enter vocabulary one at a time
Create with AI: Let the AI generate a complete collection on any topic
AI Photo Scanner: Scan vocabulary from photos or documents
Import Excel/CSV: Import existing vocabulary lists

Vocabu add vocabulary – AI scanner, manual entry or Excel import — Choose from different methods to add vocabulary cards

Type it Yourself

When creating a card manually, enter the word and add the translation. Optionally you can include example sentences, images or audio recordings. Tap "Next" to add more cards, or "Done" when you're finished.

✨ Automatic Translation: Vocabu can automatically generate translations and example sentences for you – saving you time!

Vocabu create vocabulary card – automatic translation and example sentences — Create a new card with word, translation and optional example sentences

Create with AI

You don't have to type vocabulary one by one – Vocabu can automatically create a complete card collection on any topic you choose. Simply enter a topic, pick your settings, and let the AI do the work.

How it works

In your study set, tap "Add Cards" → "Create with AI"
Enter a topic, e.g. "English words for travel" or "French verbs for everyday life"
Choose whether cards should be created with or without example sentences
Confirm with "Create" – the AI generates the cards automatically
The finished cards are added directly to your collection

💡 Tip: The more specific your topic, the better the results. "Business English for meetings" delivers more relevant cards than just "English".

Vocabu AI create cards – automatically generate vocabulary on a topic — Enter a topic and let the AI create a complete card collection

AI Photo Scanner

With the AI Photo Scanner you can digitize vocabulary quickly and easily from various sources:

Scan photos: Photograph textbooks, worksheets or other printed materials
Use screenshots: Import screenshots from digital documents or websites
Recognize handwriting: The AI can also process handwritten notes

How it works

Select "AI Photo Scanner" from the "Add Cards" menu
Take a photo or select an image containing vocabulary
The AI automatically extracts text and identifies vocabulary
Review the recognized vocabulary and correct if needed
Add the vocabulary to your collection with one tap

💡 Tip: Make sure you have good lighting and a clear image for the best scan results.

Excel Import

You can import vocabulary conveniently as a CSV or text file – for example from Excel, or from other learning apps like Anki and Quizlet (web export).

Supported Formats

2 columns: Word and translation
book, Buch
4 columns: Word, example sentence, translation, example sentence (target language)
house, I live in a house, Haus, Ich wohne in einem Haus

Format Notes

Columns can be separated by comma, semicolon or tab
Each new vocabulary item belongs on its own line
The source language goes in the left column

💡 Tip: Save Excel lists as CSV (“File → Save As → CSV“) and import them directly into Vocabu. Exports from Anki or Quizlet (web) work too.

Vocabu Excel CSV import – import vocabulary from a file — Tap “Open File” to select a CSV or text file with your vocabulary

Study Set Overview

Once you have cards in your study set, you can start learning. Tap “Study Cards” to begin a session.

The “Learning Levels” Widget

In the app you’ll see the Learning Levels widget, which shows at a glance how your cards are distributed across all 6 learning levels. Each level is displayed as its own column – from New on the far left to Mastered on the far right. The number in each column shows how many cards are currently at that level.

“Current Task” Widget

The widget shows you at a glance:

Due Cards: How many cards are scheduled for review today
New Cards: How many new words you can learn today
Level Distribution: An overview of how your cards are spread across levels

Vocabu study set overview – due cards and learning level distribution — The overview shows due cards, new vocabulary and the distribution across learning levels

All Sets Overview

On the home screen you'll see the Overview Widget, which shows at a glance how many cards are due today and when the next review is scheduled. Tap the widget to open the Overview Screen.

The Overview Screen

The Overview Screen combines cards from all your study sets into a single session – no need to switch between sets. At the top you see the total number of cards and your overall progress.

Adjust Your Session

Before starting, fine-tune the session using two sliders:

Due Cards: How many scheduled review cards to include
New Cards: How many new (unlearned) cards to add to the session

Filter by Study Set

Tap "Filter Study Sets" to restrict the session to specific sets – useful when you want to focus on a particular topic while keeping the cross-set convenience.

💡 Tip: The Overview Screen is the fastest way to stay on top of your daily reviews without switching between individual sets.

Vocabu All Sets Overview Screen – cross-set learning with due cards and new cards slider — The Overview Screen shows cards from all study sets and lets you adjust the session before starting

Choose Study Mode

Vocabu offers two study modes:

Quiz: Uses the Spaced Repetition system with optimized review intervals
Practice: Free practice without fixed intervals – ideal for refreshing knowledge

💡 Recommendation: Use Quiz mode for effective long-term learning. Practice mode is great for exam preparation.

Vocabu choose study mode – Quiz with Spaced Repetition or free Practice — Choose between intelligent Quiz mode or free Practice mode

Study Session

A study session consists of new cards, due reviews, or a mix of both, depending on the state of your study set. New cards appear for the first time, while reviews are cards you already know that are now due again at the optimal moment.

At the bottom of the screen you can always see how many cards remain in the current session – so you always know how far along you are.

You see the card and rate yourself on how well you knew the word. You have three rating options:

👎 Wrong (red thumb): The answer was wrong – the card drops one learning level and you'll review it sooner
Middle button (Mastered): You know the card perfectly – it's marked as "mastered" and placed in the last level with the longest review interval
👍 Correct (green thumb): The answer was right – the card advances one level and you'll see it again at the next optimal time

The app automatically adjusts review intervals based on your ratings, so you always study at the optimal moment. Learn more about the principle behind this under How Vocabu Works.

⚠️ Be honest: Rate yourself realistically. This is the only way the Spaced Repetition system can work at its best.

Vocabu study vocabulary – flashcard with three rating options — Rate your knowledge with three options: Wrong, Mastered or Correct

✏️ Practice spelling: With the pencil button at the bottom left of the flashcard you can also write the word. This lets you practice correct spelling at the same time and reinforces vocabulary even better.

🔵 Show learning level: The 5 dots at the top centre of the flashcard show the current learning level of that card. Tapping the dots opens the edit window – so you can adjust the card directly during a session.

🔖 Bookmark a card: Tap the symbol at the top left of the flashcard to bookmark it. Bookmarked cards are easier to find later and can be reviewed specifically.

Spelling Practice

Spelling practice trains not just whether you know a word, but whether you can spell it correctly. Tap the pencil button at the bottom left of the flashcard to start the exercise.

How it works

Tap the pencil button at the bottom left of the flashcard
An input field appears – write the word in the foreign language
Confirm your answer with "OK"
Flip the card yourself to reveal the solution
Compare your answer with the word on the card
Rate yourself: swipe right for correct or swipe left for wrong

💡 Tip: Actively writing a word engages different parts of the brain than simply recognising it. Combine spelling practice with your regular study sessions to retain vocabulary even more deeply.

Vocabu spelling practice – type the word in the foreign language, flip the card and rate with a swipe — Write the word in the foreign language, flip the card yourself and rate your answer with a swipe

AI Word Details

Tap the ℹ️ icon on any flashcard to open the AI Word Details panel. It gives you deeper context about the word – directly within your study session.

What You'll See

Pronunciation: IPA notation (e.g. /biː/)
Grammar: Word type and forms (e.g. noun · pl. bees)
Example Sentences: Two bilingual examples with the word highlighted in both languages
Synonyms: Related words shown as tags

🔵 Free users can use AI Word Details 3 times per session at no cost. A Premium subscription gives you unlimited access.

Vocabu AI Word Details – pronunciation, grammar, example sentences and synonyms on a flashcard — The AI Word Details panel shows pronunciation, grammar, bilingual examples and synonyms

Session Complete

After finishing a study session you'll see a summary with statistics on correct and incorrect answers. You can continue studying or return to the overview.

Vocabu learning statistics – results after a completed vocabulary session — Review the statistics from your study session

Daily Limits

In Settings you can set daily limits:

New cards per day: How many new words you want to learn each day
Reviews per day: Maximum number of reviews

💡 Tip for beginners: Start with 10–15 new cards per day and adjust the limit as needed.

Vocabu settings – daily limits for new vocabulary and reviews — Adjust daily limits to match your learning goals

Customize Review Intervals (optional)

Vocabu assigns each card to one of five learning levels. Each level has its own review interval – the number of days until the card is shown again. The higher the level, the longer the interval.

The Learning Levels at a Glance

The default intervals are calibrated to the scientific forgetting curve:

Level 1 – New: Not yet studied – shown in every session until rated "Correct"
Level 2: Review after 1 day
Level 3: Review after a few days
Level 4: Review after about one week
Level 5: Review after about two weeks
Level 6 – Mastered: Long-term memory – review after several weeks or months

Adjust Intervals Yourself

In Settings you can freely set the number of days for each level. This is useful if you're studying for an exam and want shorter intervals, or if you're an advanced learner who wants to increase the gaps.

⚠️ For advanced users: The default values work very well for most learners. Only change the intervals if you know what you're doing – intervals that are too short increase the workload, while intervals that are too long can promote forgetting.

Vocabu Spaced Repetition intervals – expert settings — Expert option: customize the intervals for each learning level individually

Vocabulary Difficulty

In Settings you can choose which difficulty level the pre-built vocabulary should have. Difficulty is rated using the internationally recognised CEFR system (Common European Framework of Reference) from A1 to C2.

The Difficulty Levels

Beginner (A1–A2): Simple everyday vocabulary for beginners
Intermediate (B1–B2): Extended vocabulary for intermediate learners
Advanced (C1–C2): Challenging vocabulary for highly advanced learners
Mixed (A1–C2): All difficulty levels combined

💡 Note: This setting filters pre-built vocabulary only. Cards you have added yourself are always visible regardless of this setting. You can change the difficulty at any time in the Settings screen.

Vocabu vocabulary difficulty setting – CEFR levels A1 to C2 — Choose your preferred CEFR difficulty level for pre-built vocabulary in the Settings screen

Streak & Progress

Vocabu shows your current streak (consecutive days you've studied) and your overall learning progress. Keep your streak going to build a consistent learning habit!

Streak Freeze

The "Streak Freeze" feature protects your learning streak:

Automatic protection: If you miss your daily goal, a Streak Freeze is automatically used and your streak stays intact
Earn freezes: After 5 consecutive days you earn 1 new freeze
Maximum: You can accumulate up to 2 freezes at a time

🔥 Streak tip: Just 5 minutes a day is enough to keep your streak alive. Consistency matters more than long sessions!

Vocabu learning streak – daily progress and Streak Freeze feature — Track your learning streak and stay motivated

Summary

You've now learned all the basic steps to study effectively with Vocabu:

Create or select a study set
Add cards with automatic translation
Choose a study mode (Quiz or Practice)
Study regularly and build your streak
Adjust limits and intervals as needed

✓ All done! You're now ready to learn effectively with Vocabu. Good luck!