Rule 1. The word should appear in context
An isolated card gives you a translation but not a situation. When a word comes from an article, an example, or a story, memory gets far more anchors to hold on to.
Rule 2. Do not add too much at once
If too many new words are saved every day, the queue grows faster than it can stabilise. Over time that breaks the routine.
Rule 3. Bring the word back before it fully disappears
Review is most useful when memory feels slightly stretched. Too early is boring. Too late turns the word into a fresh learning event again.
Rule 4. Stay with themes instead of random piles
When reading and vocabulary stay inside related topics, the words start supporting one another. Technology supports technology, career supports career, news supports news.
Rule 5. Keep review short but stable
Five minutes every day is often stronger than one hour once a week. Vocabulary responds to rhythm more than to occasional heroics.
Rule 6. Check more than recognition
If a word feels familiar on a card but still does not come up in reading, the skill is still weak. That is why it helps when vocabulary returns both in review and in later texts.
Rule 7. Remove unnecessary manual friction
The more manual steps are required - copying words, opening a separate dictionary, deciding when to review - the faster the whole system falls apart. A good tool removes that friction.
What Readavo changes
| Problem | What Readavo does | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Word without context | The word starts inside an article | Stronger memory traces |
| Chaotic review timing | The system schedules the return | Less forgetting and less wasted effort |
| Too much manual work | Translation, saving, and review are connected | The routine survives longer |