Heart Words Flashcards Free: 7 Powerful Ways To Help Kids Remember Tricky Words Faster – Without Boring Drills

What Are “Heart Words” (And Why Are They So Annoying)?

You know those words kids see a million times and still forget?

Words like said, was, they, come, what, could, should…

Those are often called heart words – the words kids need to “know by heart” because they don’t always follow regular phonics rules or are just weirdly spelled.

Flashcards are one of the easiest ways to practice them, especially if they’re free and fast to make. That’s where an app like Flashrecall makes life way easier:

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

With Flashrecall you can:

• Make heart word flashcards in seconds from text, images, PDFs, or even handwriting
• Use built‑in spaced repetition so your kid sees the right word at the right time
• Get study reminders so practice actually happens (without you nagging 24/7)
• Study offline on iPhone or iPad – perfect for car rides, waiting rooms, anywhere
• Start 100% free

Let’s break down how to use free heart word flashcards in a way that’s actually effective (and not soul‑crushingly boring).

Why Flashcards Work So Well For Heart Words

Heart words need lots of exposure + active recall.

Flashcards are perfect because they force your child to:

• See the word
• Try to remember it (not just recognize it in a sentence)
• Say it out loud
• Check themselves

That “try → check → repeat” loop is what actually wires the word into memory.

The problem with paper flashcards?

• You have to make them by hand
• They get lost
• You forget to review them
• Kids get bored seeing the same order over and over

With an app like Flashrecall, you get:

• Automatic shuffling
• Spaced repetition so tricky words show up more often
• Progress tracking so you can see what’s still hard
• Easy editing when you add new heart words

How To Set Up Free Heart Word Flashcards In Flashrecall

You can totally use paper if you want, but if you’re on iPhone or iPad, here’s a super simple way to do it in Flashrecall:

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

1. Create A “Heart Words” Deck

Once you install Flashrecall (free to start):

1. Open the app

2. Tap to create a new deck

3. Name it something like “Heart Words – Grade 1” or “Tricky Sight Words”

You can make separate decks by level, book, or school year if you want.

2. Add Words Manually (Fast & Simple)

For each card:

• Front: the word (e.g., said)
• Back:
• The word in a sentence
• Maybe a little hint or visual cue

Example:

• Front: said
• Back:
• Sentence: Mom said we can play outside.
• Hint: “The ai makes an /e/ sound here.”

You can add a bunch in one sitting – it’s way faster than cutting paper.

3. Or Auto‑Create Flashcards From Lists, Worksheets, Or Screenshots

This is where Flashrecall gets really powerful. You can:

• Take a photo of a heart word list or worksheet
• Import a PDF from school
• Paste text from a website or document
• Even grab words from a YouTube video description or subtitles

Flashrecall can turn that content into flashcards automatically, so you’re not typing every single word yourself. Perfect if your teacher sends big lists.

7 Powerful Ways To Use Heart Word Flashcards (That Actually Work)

1. Use Spaced Repetition Instead Of Random Drilling

Most people just shuffle and hope for the best. That’s… fine. But spaced repetition is way more effective.

Flashrecall has built‑in spaced repetition:

• Words your child knows well show up less often
• Words they keep missing show up more often
• The app plans the review schedule for you

So instead of 100 random cards every time, your kid sees the right cards at the right time – which is how memory sticks.

2. Keep Sessions Short (But Frequent)

For younger kids especially:

• Aim for 5–10 minutes
• 1–2 sessions per day is plenty
• Stop before they’re exhausted

With Flashrecall, you can:

• Turn on study reminders so you don’t forget
• Let them do a quick round while waiting for dinner, in the car, etc.

Short, consistent sessions beat one long Sunday cram.

3. Add Sentences, Not Just Isolated Words

Kids remember words better in context.

Instead of just:

> Front: were

> Back: were

Try:

> Front: were

> Back: We were at the park yesterday.

You can even add:

• A picture of a park
• A quick audio recording of you reading the sentence (Flashrecall supports audio on cards)

This makes the word feel real, not just some random letters.

4. Turn Mistakes Into Teaching Moments

When your child gets a word wrong, don’t just say “No, it’s said, not sed.”

Use the back of the card to:

• Highlight the tricky part in a different color (e.g., ai in said)
• Add a little story: “We keep this word in our heart because it doesn’t sound like it looks.”

In Flashrecall, you can quickly edit the card and add:

• Colored text
• Extra notes
• A new hint you thought of after seeing where they struggle

That way, every mistake makes the deck smarter.

5. Mix Heart Words With Regular Words

If every card is a tricky word, kids can get frustrated fast.

You can:

• Create a mixed deck of heart words + easy decodable words
• Or occasionally review easier words to build confidence

In Flashrecall, you can:

• Merge or study multiple decks together
• Keep “Heart Words – Easy” and “Heart Words – Hard” and mix them

This keeps practice feeling doable instead of overwhelming.

6. Let Kids “Chat With Their Flashcards”

One of the coolest things in Flashrecall: you can chat with the flashcard if something is confusing.

So if your kid doesn’t get why was sounds the way it does, you (or they) can:

• Tap to chat
• Ask questions like:
• “Why is was spelled w-a-s?”
• “Give me 3 more example sentences with was.”

The app can help explain, give examples, or break it down in kid‑friendly language. It’s like having a tiny tutor built into each card.

7. Use It For Any Language Or Level

Heart words aren’t just an English thing. Every language has its weird, non‑phonetic, “you just have to know it” words.

Flashrecall is great for:

• English sight / heart words
• French or Spanish irregular words
• German articles and weird plurals
• Even medical, law, or business terms later on

You can use the same app from kindergarten all the way to university.

Paper Heart Word Flashcards vs. Flashrecall (What’s Better?)

You don’t have to use an app. Paper can work too. But here’s the honest comparison:

Paper Flashcards

• No devices needed
• Easy for quick home activities

• Easy to lose
• Time‑consuming to make
• No automatic spaced repetition
• No reminders
• Hard to track which words are still weak

Flashrecall Heart Word Decks

• Free to start
• Works on iPhone and iPad
• Can create cards from photos, PDFs, text, YouTube links, or manually
• Built‑in spaced repetition & active recall
• Study reminders so you don’t forget
• Works offline
• You can chat with the flashcard when something is confusing
• Fast, modern, and easy for both kids and adults

• Requires a device (which, let’s be real, most kids already have access to)

If you want something that grows with your child and doesn’t require you to be the walking reminder system, an app like Flashrecall is just easier.

Example: A Simple Heart Word Deck Setup

Here’s a quick starter list you could drop into a Flashrecall deck:

• said
• was
• were
• they
• what
• come
• some
• could
• should
• would

For each card:

• Front: the word
• Back:
• A short sentence
• Optional hint

Example cards:

• Front: said
• Back: Dad said we can watch a movie. (Hint: “ai” sounds like short “e”)

• Front: what
• Back: What is your favorite game? (Hint: sounds like “wut”)

• Front: could
• Back: We could go to the park later. (Hint: rhymes with “would” and “should”)

You can enter these manually or paste them from a text list into Flashrecall and let the app help you build the deck quickly.

How To Keep Your Child Motivated With Heart Word Practice

A few simple tricks:

• Celebrate streaks – “Wow, you reviewed your heart words 5 days in a row!”
• Keep sessions short and positive
• Let your child tap the answers themselves in Flashrecall so they feel in control
• Occasionally add fun or silly sentences to keep things interesting

Because Flashrecall tracks progress, you can literally show them, “Look, last week you only knew 3 out of 10. Now you know 8!” That visible progress is super motivating.

Ready To Try Free Heart Word Flashcards The Easy Way?

You don’t need fancy materials or hours of prep.

• Make a simple heart word deck
• Use short, daily review sessions
• Let spaced repetition + reminders do the heavy lifting

If you want a fast, modern way to do it all on your phone or iPad, try Flashrecall here:

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

It’s free to start, works offline, and can handle heart words now and any other subject later – languages, exams, school, uni, medicine, business, you name it.

Turn those “ugh, I keep forgetting this word” moments into “oh yeah, I know this one” – one quick flashcard session at a time.

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.

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