ENGLISH VOCABULARY · MEMORY KEYS

Learn Words the Fun Way: Break It, Picture It, Remember It!

Every tough word hides a story. We split each word into 2–3 easy sound-parts, turn the first part into a character, and build a short, funny sentence around the meaning.

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RESILIENT = REETA + SILENT

“Reeta silent hokar jaldi se recover ho jati hai.”

Meaning: able to bounce back quickly from difficulty.

Open RESILIENT →

ABATE = APE + BAT

Meet the Ape. Its story helps you remember that abate means to reduce or become less intense.

Open ABATE →
  1. Break the word
  2. Meet the character
  3. Remember the story
  4. Never forget the meaning

One Character, Hundreds of Words

You don’t need to memorise hundreds of tricks. Just remember the characters.

Every word starting with the same sound belongs to the same character. For example, all words starting with RE or RI belong to Reeta (Rita).

So whenever you see a RE or RI word, think of Reeta and recall her story for that word. Resilient? That’s the one where Reeta goes silent and recovers quickly.

Learn the character once, and she’ll walk you through every word in her family.

  • Reeta

    RE · RI

    43 words

    “reeta silent hokar jaldi se recover ho jati hai”

    resilient →
  • Ape

    AB · AP

    29 words

    “Ape ne Bat ki length kam kar di”

    abate →
  • Didi

    DE · DI

    79 words

    “Didi earth par se trees ki kami notice kar rhi hai.”

    dearth →
  • Inam

    IN

    52 words

    “inam bhai born hote se hi natural talent hai”

    inborn →
  • Bee

    BA · BE · BL · BO · BR

    29 words

    “bee walk karte karte ruk jati hai”

    balk →
  • Station

    ST

    16 words

    “Station p train bhout oonchi awaz krti hai”

    stentorian →

Meet the characters. Follow their stories. Master your vocabulary.

The Science Behind It

Our method isn’t just fun. It’s backed by research.

The technique we use is known in memory science as the Keyword Method. It was developed at Stanford University in the 1970s [1]. Learners link a new word to a familiar, similar-sounding word, then connect it to the meaning through a vivid image or story, just like Reeta + Silent = Resilient.

What the research shows:

  • Faster learning: In the original Stanford study, students using the Keyword Method remembered far more Russian words than students who studied the usual way [1]. The method also proved highly effective over a full 8–10 week course [2].
  • Better than rote memorisation: A major review of the research found the Keyword Method was more effective than other common learning strategies [3].
  • Works in real classrooms: Primary-school students taught with the Keyword Method did significantly better at learning and retaining words than students who memorised them the traditional way [4].
  • Review makes it last: Mnemonics work best when combined with regular revision [5][6]. That’s why every word on our platform comes with spaced-repetition review and live practice in our daily JAM sessions.

Learn fast with stories. Remember for life with practice.

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References

  1. Atkinson, R. C., & Raugh, M. R. (1975). An application of the mnemonic keyword method to the acquisition of a Russian vocabulary. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 1(2), 126–133. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.1.2.126
  2. Raugh, M. R., Schupbach, R. D., & Atkinson, R. C. (1975). Teaching a large Russian language vocabulary by the mnemonic keyword method (Technical Report No. 256). Institute for Mathematical Studies in the Social Sciences, Stanford University.
  3. Pressley, M., Levin, J. R., & Delaney, H. D. (1982). The mnemonic keyword method. Review of Educational Research, 52(1), 61–91.
  4. The effect of mnemonic key word method on vocabulary learning and long term retention. (2013). Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning. https://doaj.org/article/a54e7d8e3fc3478f866d48ef58586f55
  5. Wang, A. Y., Thomas, M. H., & Ouellette, J. A. (1992). Keyword mnemonic and retention of second-language vocabulary words. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(4), 520–528.
  6. Wang, A. Y., & Thomas, M. H. (1995). Effect of keywords on long-term retention: Help or hindrance? Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(3), 468–475.