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Free guides to build your vocabulary

Practical articles with real English examples and cited sources. Pick by what you want to fix right now: every guide ends with a concrete first step.

full guides: 8
of reading in total: 59 min
no sign-up: Free

Where to start

What do you want to fix?

2 guidesI want to follow shows without subtitlesWhy you can follow the plot and still miss lines, and how many words stand between you and the rest.
2 guidesI want to stop forgetting what I studyWhat memory does with what you learn, and what makes a word stick.
2 guidesI live in the USThe vocabulary of everyday American systems: work, health care, school, renting and paperwork.
2 guidesI want to speak more naturallyFor when you understand almost everything, but the word won't come when you need to speak.

Featured

The guide to use today

If you only read one, start here: it's a list to keep coming back to, not an article you read once.

Practical list

30 alternatives to basic English words, with examples

Swap busy, very tired and I think for what native speakers actually say. Every alternative comes with an example sentence, a translation and a register note: whether it's casual, fine for work or regional.

30 alternatives
10 min read
example + translation + register

Preview

busyswamped
very tiredwiped out
I thinkI'd say

Work9
Conversation7
Opinions7
Feelings7

Definitions checked against Merriam-Webster and Wiktionary, cited in the guide.

I want to follow shows without subtitles

Why you can follow the plot and still miss lines, and how many words stand between you and the rest.

6 min read

Explainer with data

How many words do you need to watch TV without subtitles?

Research points to 3,000 to 7,000 word families, depending on how much you want to understand. See where those numbers come from and what to study first.

You'll come away with: the research on vocabulary coverage and why studying by frequency pays off.

7 min read

Diagnosis

The words your English is missing: how to get off the plateau

Understanding 70% of a TV show feels like enough, but it isn't. See what intermediate vocabulary gaps are and why more generic content won't close them.

You'll come away with: what intermediate gaps are, and a four-step way to close them.

I want to stop forgetting what I study

What memory does with what you learn, and what makes a word stick.

6 min read

Explainer

Why you forget the English you study (and what makes it stick)

You learn an expression and a week later it's gone. Learn how the forgetting curve works, why rereading doesn't stick and why trying to recall works better.

You'll come away with: why rereading feels like progress and recall actually builds it.

7 min read

Method

Spaced repetition: what it is and how it works for English

Spaced repetition means reviewing what you learned at longer and longer intervals. See where the idea comes from, a real review schedule and what research says.

You'll come away with: how increasing review intervals work and how to plan them.

I live in the US

The vocabulary of everyday American systems: work, health care, school, renting and paperwork.

Want to see how the app fits into life over here? Brazilians in the US

8 min read

Guide by situation

English for Brazilians in the US: everyday vocabulary

Work, the doctor, the pharmacy, your kids' school, renting and paperwork: the real words and phrases English courses skip, explained in plain English.

You'll come away with: term and phrase tables for six everyday situations in the US.

10 min read

Practical list

30 alternatives to basic English words, with examples

Swap busy, very tired and I think for what native speakers actually say: 30 alternatives by situation, each with an example, its nuance and its register.

You'll come away with: what coworkers and neighbors say instead of busy, I think and no problem.

I want to speak more naturally

For when you understand almost everything, but the word won't come when you need to speak.

7 min read

Diagnosis

I understand English but can't speak it: what to do

You recognize the word when you hear it, but it won't come when you need to speak. See the difference between passive and active vocabulary, and what to train.

You'll come away with: the gap between passive and active vocabulary and how to practice producing words.

8 min read

Routine

How to study English vocabulary in 20 minutes a day

A few distracted minutes don't add up to much. Here's how to build a focused 20-minute session: what to do in each block, when to fit it in, how to keep going.

You'll come away with: how to split 20 focused minutes between reviewing, looking up new words and speaking out loud.

All articles

From reading to practice

Build your vocabulary with the words your English is missing.

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