lingioActive Recall vs. Rereading
1Research by Roediger and Karpicke found that rereading works only briefly. Active Recall, practiced on a structured schedule, keeps material in long-term memory for longer.
Memorization · FSRS-6 Algorithm · A1 to B2
Memorize German Vocabulary Faster and Remember It Longer, Backed by Research
Lingio helps you master German vocabulary with the FSRS-6 algorithm. It predicts when a memory is starting to fade and brings the word back at the right time. Study more than 2,400 Goethe-Institut vocabulary items, complete with articles (der/die/das), plural forms, and other grammar forms.
- Every German drill runs through one card, so switching between them teaches you no new interface.
- Each chip is a screen you can open on its own, so you can drill the part that keeps failing instead of the whole deck.
- Pick a chip and the card switches to that drill, with a real prompt from the same word pool the app uses.
01How the System Works
Memory Is About Timing, Not Talent
Many learners struggle to memorize new vocabulary. Forgetting is natural. The challenge is using practice techniques and review patterns that make better use of your study time.
- The card asks and you type the answer, so it has to come out of memory rather than off the page.
- You grade how that went, and the grade is the only thing the scheduler is given.
- The same word leaves on two different dates, because the two cards are not in the same shape.
- 01
Learn New Vocabulary
Each word includes its article, plural form, Stammformen, and English and Indonesian translations. Study 2,400+ Goethe-Institut vocabulary items in a clear structure.
- 02
Test Your Recall
When a card appears, recall the answer, then rate it: Again, Hard, Good, or Easy. Your rating tells the FSRS-6 algorithm when to schedule that word again.
- 03
Track and Review Your Progress
See how many words you have mastered and filter them by topic or CEFR level. Mark any word for another review to keep your study focused.
02The Research Behind It
Why This Method Works So Well
German vocabulary means more than learning a word's meaning. You also need its article (der/die/das), plural form, and Stammformen. FSRS schedules the right word for review at the right time based on your recall rating.
Spaced Repetition vs. Cramming
2An analysis of 317 psychology experiments found that spreading study time across several days works better than cramming in one long session. Spaced Repetition helps memories last.
A Personal Interval for Every Card
3FSRS models each learner's forgetting pattern. After you rate a word, it calculates the best interval for that card. Easy words can wait weeks, while difficult words return sooner.
Sources(5)
- 1Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249-255.
- 2Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed Practice in Verbal Recall Tasks: A Review and Quantitative Synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380.
- 3Su, J., Ye, J., Nie, L., Cao, Y., & Chen, Y. (2023). Optimizing Spaced Repetition Schedule by Capturing the Dynamics of Memory. IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, 35(10).
- 4Open Spaced Repetition. srs-benchmark: a benchmark for spaced repetition schedulers.Every figure in the table above comes from here.
- 5Open Spaced Repetition. ABC of FSRS.Source of the 20 to 30 percent figure, which its authors describe as a simulation result.
03Training Mode Variety
13 Training Modes for Every Part of a Word
German vocabulary has many grammar components: articles, plural forms, Genitiv, and verb forms such as Präteritum and Partizip II. Lingio separates them into dedicated training modes, so you can focus on the part that causes the most mistakes.
Recall Mode (Free)
Freeder Tisch = ___table
The German word appears on screen. Recall its meaning, reveal the answer, then rate how difficult it was.
This essential training mode is free forever.
Production Mode (Pro)
Protable → ___der Tisch
Type the German word and its article from the English translation.
Practice producing words directly from memory.
Cloze Mode (Pro)
ProIch ___ nach Hause gegangen.bin
Complete the gaps in a Perfekt sentence by typing the correct auxiliary verb and Partizip II in context.
Practice Perfekt forms in complete sentences.
Article Mode (Pro)
Pro___ Tischder
Quickly identify the correct gender article, der, die, or das, for each noun.
Build a firm foundation for German grammar.
Plural Mode (Pro)
Prodie ___Tische
Type the plural form of a noun.
When German allows two valid plural forms, both count as correct.
Genitiv Mode (Pro)
Prodes ___Tisches
Practice noun changes in the Genitiv case.
Cover N-Deklination and strong masculine and neuter endings.
Stammformen Mode (Pro)
Progehen → ___ging
Learn the three principal verb forms at once: Präteritum, Partizip II, and the auxiliary verb (haben/sein).
Use them to build past-tense sentences correctly.
Präsens Mode (Pro)
Proer ___ (fahren)fährt
Practice present-tense conjugation for the third person singular, er/sie/es.
Cover stem-vowel changes, including Umlaut.
Adjective Declension Mode (Pro)
Promit ___ Wein (gut)gutem
Practice Adjektivdeklination by case, gender, and article type.
Grammar-table combinations create new questions every time.
Comparison Mode (Pro)
Progut → ___besser
Type the Komparativ and Superlativ forms of an adjective.
Practice irregular adjective forms too.
Synonym Mode (Pro)
Probeginnen ≈ ___anfangen
Choose the best synonym from four answers.
Broaden your vocabulary from B1 toward B2.
Antonym Mode (Pro)
Prohell ↔ ___dunkel
Choose the correct opposite for verbs and adjectives.
This question type often appears in standard exams.
Connector Mode (Pro)
ProIch bleibe, ___ es regnet.weil
Learn to use connectors such as weil, trotzdem, and entweder...oder.
See how each connector changes verb position in a sentence.
04Flexible Learning Settings
Set Your Own Learning Targets
Lingio gives you control over your daily pace and workload, based on the time you have available.
- Target Retention
- As an exam date approaches, raise your retention target for more frequent reviews. After the exam, lower it again to ease your daily workload.
- Daily New-Word Limit
- Choose how many new words to learn each day. When your schedule is busy, set it to 0 and review older vocabulary without adding new work.
- CEFR Level Focus
- All 2,400+ Lingio vocabulary items are organized by CEFR level, from A1 to B2. Focus on the words that match the level you are working toward.
Retention Range: 80% to 97%
Set 0 to 200 Words per Day
CEFR Standard: A1 to B2
05Membership Plans
Start Memorizing German Vocabulary for Free
Start learning with a free Lingio account, with no time limit. It includes all Goethe-Institut vocabulary, the FSRS algorithm, and unlimited reviews for words you have already studied.
To add more than 10 new words a day and unlock 12 other training modes, switch to Lingio Pro with an affordable annual plan.
Free Plan
- Unlimited vocabulary reviews every day.
- Up to 10 new words per day.
- Free forever access to Recall mode.
- Set your retention target and review schedule.
- Full access to 2,400+ Goethe-Institut vocabulary items.
Pro Plan
- Full access to all 13 training modes, including Articles, Plurals, Stammformen, Genitiv, Cloze, and Connectors.
- No daily limit on new vocabulary.
- Everything in the Free Plan.
- Full access to Roadmap, Courses, Exam Simulations, Quizzes, Stories, and Discussion Forum from A1 to B2.
06Questions
Commonly asked
FSRS is the algorithm that decides when you should revisit a German word to train your memory of it. For each word, it tracks how hard it is for you to keep remembering it, and estimates when you will forget it.
There is a public benchmark that replays 349,923,850 real reviews from 9,999 collections and scores how well each algorithm predicted what the learner did. FSRS-6 came out ahead of SM-2 for 99.6% of those users by log loss. The same authors publish the limit of their own test: SM-2 was never built to output a probability, so it had to be adapted before it could be scored, and a perfectly fair comparison is not possible. The often-quoted claim that FSRS needs 20 to 30 percent fewer reviews is a simulation result rather than a classroom trial. Links to both are on this page.
The queue of vocabulary you have not studied yet stays there and piles up, with the oldest in the queue appearing first when you study it. If the pile of words you have to review feels large and heavy, you can set your per-day number to zero until you have cleared the pile.
Take Your First Step Today
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This special founding offer is only available for a limited time. Subscribe now at the founding price and you can keep this lower rate for every future Pro renewal. Start your journey to mastering German with Lingio.