Duolingo Vocab Flashcards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Actually Remember Words Faster – Stop Forgetting Your Streak Words And Turn Them Into Long‑Term Memory
Duolingo vocab flashcards only take you so far. See why words fade, how spaced repetition + active recall fix it, and how to plug everything into Flashrecall.
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What Are Duolingo Vocab Flashcards (And Why They’re Not Enough On Their Own)
Alright, let’s talk about duolingo vocab flashcards: they’re basically flashcards you make (or export) from the words you learn on Duolingo so you can review them outside the app and actually remember them long term. Duolingo is great for discovering new words, but it doesn’t always give you deep repetition or real active recall, so a lot of vocab just… disappears after a week. Using duolingo vocab flashcards means you take those words and turn them into proper study cards you can review with spaced repetition, examples, and your own notes. That’s where a flashcard app like Flashrecall comes in – it lets you turn your Duolingo vocab into smart cards that remind you exactly when to review so the words actually stick.
Why Duolingo Alone Doesn’t Lock In Vocabulary
Duolingo is fun and gamified, but you’ve probably noticed a few things:
- You “know” a word during the lesson… then blank on it in real life
- You get tons of multiple-choice questions (recognition), but not much recall from scratch
- Old words don’t always come back often enough to stay in your brain
That’s because:
- Recognition is easier than recall – seeing “gato” and picking “cat” is way easier than producing “gato” from “cat”
- Duolingo’s review system is good, but it’s not fully tailored to your weak spots
- You can’t easily add your own context, phrases, or personal examples inside Duolingo
So the fix is simple: keep using Duolingo for discovery and practice, but move the important words into your own duolingo vocab flashcards in a separate app that’s built for memory.
Flashrecall is perfect for this because it’s literally designed for active recall + spaced repetition, and it takes almost no effort to create cards from your Duolingo vocab.
Why Turn Duolingo Vocab Into Flashcards At All?
Here’s what happens when you turn Duolingo vocab into flashcards:
- You switch from just recognizing words to recalling them from scratch
- You can add example sentences, notes, or grammar hints
- You control what you study and how often
- You can review offline, on the bus, in line, wherever
With Flashrecall, you can:
- Make flashcards manually for any word or phrase
- Or generate them instantly from text, screenshots, PDFs, or even YouTube content
- Get automatic spaced repetition with reminders so you don’t have to plan reviews
- Chat with your flashcards if you’re unsure and want extra explanations
So instead of just “I kinda remember this from Duolingo,” you get “Yeah, I know this word, I’ve seen it in my cards 4 times already in different sentences.”
How To Turn Duolingo Vocab Into Flashcards (Step‑By‑Step)
Let’s keep this super practical. Here’s a simple system you can use.
1. Pick Which Words Actually Deserve A Flashcard
Don’t turn everything into a flashcard. Focus on:
- Words you keep forgetting
- Super common words you’ll use in real conversations
- Tricky grammar forms (like verb conjugations or gendered nouns)
- Phrases you really like and want to use
If a word feels “sticky” already, you might not need a card. Save your energy for the ones that slip away.
2. Grab The Vocab From Duolingo
You’ve got a few easy options:
- Type them out manually as you go through lessons
- Take screenshots of tricky words or phrases
- Copy vocab from a notes app where you list new words from Duolingo
Flashrecall can handle all of these:
- If you have a list of words (like “gato – cat, casa – house”), you can paste the text and have Flashrecall create cards from it
- If you prefer screenshots, you can import an image and let Flashrecall pull text from it and turn it into cards
So you don’t have to sit there creating every card one by one if you don’t want to.
Setting Up Duolingo Vocab Flashcards In Flashrecall
Here’s how you can do it in a few minutes:
1. Download Flashrecall
Grab it here (free to start, works on iPhone and iPad):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
Open it up and create a new deck like:
- “Spanish – Duolingo Vocab”
- “French A1 Words”
- “German Verbs From Duolingo”
2. Add Cards (Fast, Not Painful)
You can:
- Add manually:
- Front: “gato”
- Back: “cat; masculine noun; Example: El gato está en la casa.”
- Paste a list:
- Copy text like:
- “gato – cat”
- “casa – house”
- “perro – dog”
- Let Flashrecall turn that into individual cards automatically
- Use images or PDFs:
- Screenshot your Duolingo lesson summary
- Import it into Flashrecall
- Generate cards from the text in the image
You can also add audio or use typed prompts to make listening cards, which is super helpful for pronunciation-heavy languages.
How Spaced Repetition Makes Your Duolingo Vocab Stick
Here’s the thing: just having duolingo vocab flashcards isn’t enough. The magic is in when you review them.
Spaced repetition basically does this:
- Shows you new words more often at the beginning
- Spreads them out as you get better at them
- Brings them back right before you’re likely to forget
Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :
Flashrecall has built-in spaced repetition with auto reminders, so you don’t have to think about any of that:
- Study a card → rate how easy or hard it was
- Flashrecall schedules the next review automatically
- You get study reminders so you don’t forget to open the app
- Over time, easy words show up less, hard ones show up more
You just open the app and it tells you: “Here’s what you need to review today.” No planning, no spreadsheets.
How Flashrecall Beats Just Using Duolingo’s Built‑In Review
Since you’re literally searching for duolingo vocab flashcards, you’re probably already feeling Duolingo’s limits. Here’s how Flashrecall helps:
1. True Active Recall, Not Just Multiple Choice
Duolingo often asks:
- “Which of these is ‘the cat’?” with four options
Flashrecall forces you to:
- Look at “el gato” and say/think “the cat” before flipping the card
- Or see “the cat” and recall “el gato”
That moment of “ugh, what was it again?” is exactly what makes your brain store it.
2. Your Words, Your Context
In Flashrecall you can:
- Add your own example sentences
- Note gender, formality, irregular forms
- Group words by topic: food, travel, work, etc.
So instead of just “casa = house,” you can have:
- Front: “casa”
- Back: “house; feminine; Example: Mi casa es pequeña pero cómoda.”
3. Works Offline, Anytime
On a plane, on the subway, traveling with bad data – Flashrecall works offline.
Perfect for quick review sessions when Duolingo might lag or need a connection.
4. You Can Chat With Your Flashcards
One cool thing: if you’re unsure about a word or grammar point, you can chat with the flashcard in Flashrecall and ask things like:
- “Give me 3 more example sentences with ‘casa’.”
- “What’s the plural of this?”
- “Is this formal or informal?”
It’s like having a mini tutor inside your deck, which Duolingo doesn’t really give you on a per-word basis.
Example: A Simple Duolingo → Flashrecall Workflow
Let’s say you’re learning Spanish on Duolingo.
During Your Duolingo Session
You notice you keep forgetting:
- “siempre” (always)
- “nunca” (never)
- “a veces” (sometimes)
You quickly jot them down or screenshot the lesson summary.
After The Session (2–3 Minutes)
Open Flashrecall and create cards like:
- Front: “siempre”
Back: “always; Example: Siempre estudio después de cenar.”
- Front: “nunca”
Back: “never; Example: Nunca bebo café por la noche.”
- Front: “a veces”
Back: “sometimes; Example: A veces uso Duolingo en el autobús.”
Now you’ve turned vague recognition into solid, personalized cards.
Over The Week
- Flashrecall reminds you to review
- You see “siempre” again right when you’re about to forget it
- You gradually move from “uhhh…” to instant recall
After a few rounds, those words are basically permanent.
Tips To Make Your Duolingo Vocab Flashcards Even Better
A few small tweaks make a big difference:
1. Use Both Directions
Don’t just do “foreign → native.” Also add:
- Native → foreign
- Listening → meaning (with audio)
That way you can both understand and produce the word.
2. Add Phrases, Not Just Single Words
Instead of only:
- “casa – house”
Try:
- “en casa – at home”
- “volver a casa – to return home”
Phrases are closer to real conversations and easier for your brain to remember.
3. Mark Tricky Cards And Focus On Them
If a card keeps tripping you up in Flashrecall:
- Edit the back to make it clearer
- Add another example sentence
- Maybe split it into two simpler cards
The app’s active recall system makes it obvious which words are actually hard for you.
Why Flashrecall Is Perfect For Duolingo Users
If you’re already doing Duolingo daily, adding Flashrecall is like upgrading your setup from “fun app” to “actual memory system”:
- Fast, modern, easy-to-use flashcard app
- Free to start, no huge learning curve
- Makes flashcards instantly from images, text, audio, PDFs, YouTube links, or manual input
- Built-in active recall and spaced repetition with auto reminders
- Works offline on iPhone and iPad
- Great for languages, exams, school, uni, medicine, business – basically anything you need to remember
You keep your Duolingo streak, but now your vocab actually sticks.
Grab it here and turn your duolingo vocab flashcards into something that lasts:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085
Quick Recap
- Duolingo is great for discovering new words, but not always enough to remember them long term
- duolingo vocab flashcards are just your Duolingo words turned into proper flashcards you control
- Flashrecall makes it super easy to create, review, and actually remember those words with spaced repetition and active recall
- You can import text, screenshots, and more, and study offline with smart reminders
Use Duolingo for learning new words. Use Flashrecall to make sure you never lose them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the fastest way to create flashcards?
Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.
Is there a free flashcard app?
Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.
How do I start spaced repetition?
You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.
What is active recall and how does it work?
Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.
What's the best way to learn vocabulary?
Research shows that combining flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall is highly effective. Flashrecall automates this process, generating cards from your study materials and scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.
Related Articles
- Vocab Flashcards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Learn New Words Faster And Actually Remember Them – Stop Forgetting Vocabulary And Turn Every Study Session Into A Cheat Code For Your Brain
- Duolingo Korean Flashcards: 7 Powerful Ways To Actually Remember What You Learn Faster – Stop Forgetting Words And Turn Your Daily Streak Into Real Korean Skills
- Learn Spanish Flashcards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Speak Faster And Remember Words Forever – Stop forgetting vocab and turn your phone into a Spanish-learning machine with smart flashcards that actually stick.
Practice This With Free Flashcards
Try our web flashcards right now to test yourself on what you just read. You can click to flip cards, move between questions, and see how much you really remember.
Try Flashcards in Your BrowserInside the FlashRecall app you can also create your own decks from images, PDFs, YouTube, audio, and text, then use spaced repetition to save your progress and study like top students.
Research References
The information in this article is based on peer-reviewed research and established studies in cognitive psychology and learning science.
Cepeda, 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
Meta-analysis showing spaced repetition significantly improves long-term retention compared to massed practice
Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 369-378
Review showing spacing effects work across different types of learning materials and contexts
Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19
Policy review advocating for spaced repetition in educational settings based on extensive research evidence
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966-968
Research demonstrating that active recall (retrieval practice) is more effective than re-reading for long-term learning
Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20-27
Review of research showing retrieval practice (active recall) as one of the most effective learning strategies
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58
Comprehensive review ranking learning techniques, with practice testing and distributed practice rated as highly effective
Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. New York: Dover
Pioneering research on the forgetting curve and memory retention over time

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