First 100 Words Flash Cards: 7 Powerful Tricks To Make Vocabulary Stick Fast – Perfect If You’re Just Getting Started With Flashcards

Forget Lists — Your First 100 Words Deserve Better

If you’re trying to learn your first 100 words in a new language (or for any subject), flashcards are honestly the easiest way to make them actually stick.

But here’s the catch:

It’s not just what words you pick, it’s how you review them.

That’s where an app like Flashrecall makes a massive difference. It turns vocab into smart flashcards in seconds and then reminds you exactly when to review so you don’t forget. You can grab it here:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Let’s walk through how to nail your first 100 words using flashcards, step by step.

Step 1: Choose The Right First 100 Words

Don’t overthink it, but don’t just grab random words either.

For languages

Start with words you’ll actually use daily:

• I, you, we, they
• This, that, here, there
• Common verbs: go, want, need, like, eat, drink, make, see
• Everyday nouns: water, food, house, school, work, phone, time
• Basic adjectives: big, small, good, bad, new, old

Your first 100 should feel like “survival mode” vocabulary — stuff you could use in real conversations.

For exams or school

Think:

• The first 100 key terms from your syllabus
• Core definitions from your textbook
• Top formulas, dates, or concepts your teacher keeps repeating

You can literally snap a pic of your textbook page and let Flashrecall auto-generate flashcards from it, then just clean them up in a minute.

Step 2: Make Flashcards That Don’t Suck

Bad flashcards = more confusion.

Good flashcards = “oh wow, I actually remember this.”

Keep each card simple

One idea per card. No paragraphs. No mini essays.

> Front: What are all the causes of World War I and explain them in detail

> Back: [giant wall of text]

• Card 1: “Cause of WWI: Militarism – definition”
• Card 2: “Cause of WWI: Alliances – definition”
• Card 3: “Cause of WWI: Imperialism – definition”
• Card 4: “Cause of WWI: Nationalism – definition”

Same for vocab:

> Front: “to go, to move, to walk, to travel (all meanings)”

> Front: “to go”

> Back: [translation + short example]

Use examples, not just dry definitions

For language vocab:

> Front: “to eat”

> Back: “to eat (translation)

> Example: I eat breakfast at 8.”

For concepts:

> Front: “Photosynthesis”

> Back: “Process plants use to turn light into energy + simple one-sentence example”

In Flashrecall, you can:

• Type cards manually
• Paste text
• Or import from PDFs, web pages, YouTube links, images, even audio

It’ll pull out the important bits and turn them into cards fast, so you’re not stuck formatting all day.

Step 3: Learn Your First 100 Words With Active Recall

Active recall = you try to remember first, then check the answer.

That’s why flashcards work so well: they force your brain to struggle a tiny bit before it sees the answer. That “mini struggle” is what makes memories stronger.

With Flashrecall, every session is built around active recall:

• You see the front of the card
• You answer in your head (or out loud)
• Then you tap to reveal the back and mark how hard it was

No passive rereading, no fake “I totally know this” feeling.

Step 4: Use Spaced Repetition (This Is Where The Magic Happens)

If you only remember one thing from this article, let it be this:

Spaced repetition = you review cards right before you’re about to forget them.

Easy cards show up less often, hard ones show up more.

Doing this manually is annoying.

Doing this with an app that handles it for you? Way easier.

• Automatic scheduling
• Study reminders
• Smart intervals based on how well you remember each card

So once you add your first 100 words, the app basically tells you:

> “Hey, it’s time to review these 23 cards today so you don’t forget them.”

You don’t have to track anything yourself.

Step 5: Turn Your First 100 Words Into Real-Life Practice

If you’re learning a language, don’t just memorize — use the words.

Here’s how to build cards that help you actually speak:

1. Use both directions

• Card 1: “to eat → [translation]”
• Card 2: “[translation] → to eat”

That way your brain can go both ways: from your native language to the new one and back.

2. Add simple sentence cards

Once you know the word on its own, create a few sentence cards:

> Front: “I eat breakfast at 8.” (in target language)

> Back: “I eat breakfast at 8. – translation”

You can:

• Paste example sentences
• Grab them from articles
• Or type your own

And if something is confusing, Flashrecall lets you chat with your flashcards (yep, literally). You can ask:

> “Explain this sentence more simply”

> “Give me 3 more example sentences with this word”

It’s like having a tiny tutor living inside your flashcards.

Step 6: Study In Short, Consistent Sessions

You don’t need 3-hour grind sessions.

For your first 100 words, something like this works great:

• Day 1–3:
• Learn 15–20 new words per day
• Review old ones with spaced repetition
• After that:
• 10–15 minutes per day reviewing
• Add a few new words only when the old ones feel solid

Flashrecall helps a lot here because:

• It sends study reminders so you don’t forget to review
• It tells you exactly how many cards are due each day
• It works offline, so you can study on the train, in a queue, or between classes

Tiny, daily sessions beat rare, long ones every time.

Step 7: Use All Your Inputs – Text, Images, YouTube, PDFs

You don’t have to type everything by hand.

With Flashrecall, you can create flashcards from:

• Images – snap a photo of a textbook page, vocab list, or handwritten notes
• Text – paste from notes, websites, or docs
• Audio – great for language listening practice
• PDFs – lecture slides, study guides, ebooks
• YouTube links – pull key info from videos
• Typed prompts – just tell it what you’re learning and let it generate starter cards

So if you already have a “Top 100 words” PDF or screenshot, you can turn it into ready-to-study flashcards in minutes.

Example: First 100 Words For A Language – How To Set It Up

Let’s say you’re learning Spanish and you want to lock in your first 100 words.

Here’s a simple plan:

1. Gather the words

• Use a “Top 100 Spanish words” list
• Or grab them from a beginner textbook

2. Import into Flashrecall

• Paste the list or upload a PDF/screenshot
• Let the app generate cards

3. Clean the cards

• Add example sentences for tricky words
• Split any card that has too much info

4. Study daily with spaced repetition

• 10–15 minutes per day
• Mark cards as Easy/Hard so the schedule adapts

5. Level up

• Add sentence cards using your new words
• Use the chat feature to get more examples or explanations

By the time you’ve cycled through these a few times, those first 100 words will feel automatic.

Why Use Flashrecall Instead Of Paper Cards Or Other Apps?

You can absolutely use paper flashcards. But here’s what you miss:

• No automatic spaced repetition
• No reminders
• No instant cards from images/PDFs/YouTube
• No “chat with your flashcard” explanations
• Harder to carry hundreds of cards around

Other flashcard apps exist, but Flashrecall is built to be:

• Fast – cards from images, text, PDFs, YouTube in seconds
• Modern & clean – not clunky, not ugly
• Flexible – great for languages, exams, medicine, business, school, anything
• Smart – active recall + spaced repetition + auto reminders
• Portable – works on iPhone and iPad, and works offline
• Free to start – you can test it without committing

If you’re serious about locking in your first 100 words and then scaling to 500, 1,000, or more, you want something that grows with you, not just a pile of index cards.

Grab it here and try it with your first 100 words:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Quick Recap: How To Master Your First 100 Words With Flashcards

• Pick useful words, not random ones
• Make simple, focused flashcards (one idea per card)
• Use active recall instead of rereading
• Let spaced repetition handle the timing for you
• Add examples and sentences to make words usable
• Study in short, consistent daily sessions
• Use tools like Flashrecall to create and review cards faster

Do this with your first 100 words, and you’ll be shocked how quickly your memory (and confidence) levels up.

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.

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