Improve your Vocabulary with the Learning App Memrise!

Learning new vocabulary is so important when learning English. Vocabulary is the basis for all the other skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The more words you recognise and know how to use, the better your reading, listening etc will be. And when talking with friends, with a wider vocabulary you’ll be able to communicate more clearly and concisely, and people will understand you more easily.


One tool I use to help me learn new words in a fun way with the people around me is Memrise. Here are some of my thoughts.

What is ‘Memrise’?

Memrise is a free language learning platform with a website, and an iOS and Android learning app for your phone or tablet. It uses audio, images, and fun, creative activities to help you learn and remember words and their meanings.

How does it work?

Memrise uses mems – things that help you create a vivid mental association between words and their meanings. These mems that help you create connections could be photos, videos, cartoons,

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mnemonics, or example sentences.

There are then different ways in which Memrise questions and tests you. For example, you may get a question/answer problem to solve and then a multiple choice question later on.

Memrise also utilises what is called “spaced repetition” to regularly review your progress. It does so with frequent easier tests in the beginning as you’re starting to learn new words, and then less frequently, but with harder tests, as the new words are committed to long-term memory.

Memrise also offers an offline mode so you can keep track of progress and continue learning without an internet connection. This means that if you forget what a word means, or forget what you have learned, you can just go back and have a quick look.

What else?

Who is it for?

Memrise is for anyone from beginner to advanced in any language.

Is it an app?

Yes, you can use Memrise on your smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android.

Do I need to pay?

No, all Memrise courses are free, and there is no advertising! There are extra features that you can get with a Memrise Pro subscription for a small fee

Do I need to login?

Yes, it’s best if you create a profile and log in using it. Your progress will then be saved so you can use different devices at different times.

Give it a try!

Try these useful tasks to get started!

Task 1 – Go to Memrise and sign up.

Task 2 – Select the language you speak, and then choose the language you’re learning. Choose a course to follow from one of those already listed.

Task 3 – Create your own course. There are so many courses already on Memrise for you to choose from, but the real, deeper learning starts when you create a course with words you are learning at the moment.

Task 4 -Challenge a friend to learn new words with you!

Have fun while learning!


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