⚡ Promptolis Original · Learning & Growth
🧠 Vocabulary Spaced Repetition Designer
90% of words need 8+ exposures over weeks to enter active vocabulary (Nation 2001).
Why this is epic
Most language learners use Anki defaults that aren't optimized for THEIR learning patterns. Paul Nation's research (Learning Vocabulary in Another Language 2001, 2013): 8+ exposures over weeks is the threshold for productive vocabulary. Spaced repetition is the mechanism.
This prompt designs intervals (Day 1 → 3 → 7 → 14 → 30 → 60 → 120) calibrated to difficulty + personal retention rate. Harder words need tighter initial intervals; easier words can extend faster.
Also handles the 'leech' problem — words you've seen 20 times and still forget. Specific interventions (mnemonics, sentence embedding, context shift) for words that won't stick to normal spaced repetition.
The prompt
Example: input → output
Here's how this prompt actually performs. Real input below, real output from Claude Opus 4.
<target-language>German (standard, for work)</target-language> <current-vocab-level>~1500 active words, B1-ish</current-vocab-level> <time-per-day-for-vocab>15-20 min</time-per-day-for-vocab> <specific-context>Professional — moved to Berlin for work, need B2 by end of year</specific-context> <leeches-current>berücksichtigen, verwirklichen, entsprechend, gegebenenfalls, beziehungsweise</leeches-current>
Your SRS Strategy — B1 → B2 German, 6-month runway
Daily Structure (15-20 min)
- New words: 7-10 daily (builds ~2000 new words / 6 months if consistent)
- Reviews: 30-60 cards daily (scales with accumulated cards)
- Time allocation: 5 min new cards + 10-15 min reviews
Source for new words: Berlin context — workplace conversations, Deutsche Welle news articles at B1-B2 level, conversations with locals. Prioritize words you actually ENCOUNTER over frequency lists.
Interval Schedule (your starting points)
Standard SRS:
- Failed: repeat in 10 min (same session)
- New: 1 day
- Good answer: 3 days
- Good again: 7 days
- Good: 14 days
- Good: 30 days
- Good: 60 days (considered known)
- Good: 120+ days
Your adjustments for B1 German specifically:
- Nouns with articles (der/die/das) → tight intervals first 2 weeks (gender memorization is slow)
- Verbs → include sample sentences in context (verb forms are irregular)
- Compound words → break into parts; remember root + affix
Card Format
Each card:
- Front: German word + article (if noun) + pronunciation hint if hard
- Back: English meaning + 1 context sentence (real one from where you encountered it) + 1 related word (synonym or opposite) + mini-mnemonic if tricky
Example card:
Front:
berücksichtigen (verb)
/bəˈʁʏksɪçtɪɡn̩/
Back:
To take into account, to consider
'Wir müssen alle Faktoren berücksichtigen.' (We must take all factors into account.)
Related: betrachten (to consider, contemplate) — less formal.
Mnemonic: 'Berück-sichtigen' — 'bringing-sight to something' — taking it into view.
Anki Setup
- New cards per day: 7-10
- Review limit: 200 max (prevent overwhelm)
- Learning steps: 15m 1d (two-step learning before graduating to review)
- Graduating interval: 3 days
- Easy interval: 4 days (for truly easy cards)
- Starting ease: 250 (standard)
- Bury siblings: yes (don't see related cards same day)
- Show answer time limit: 10 seconds (force recall, don't agonize)
Leech Rescue Protocol — Your Current 5 Leeches
These are words you've failed repeatedly. Normal spaced repetition isn't working. Try:
1. berücksichtigen — 'take into account'
New approach: use in a sentence YOU write every day for 1 week. 'Ich muss alle Optionen berücksichtigen' (I must consider all options). Say aloud morning. After 7 days, retire to normal review.
2. verwirklichen — 'realize, make happen'
Break down: 'ver' (intensifier) + 'wirklich' (really, truly) + 'en' (verb ending). 'To make something truly / really.' Mnemonic: 'to make real.' Use in sentence about your work goals: 'Ich will dieses Projekt verwirklichen.'
3. entsprechend — 'accordingly, corresponding'
Context sentence lock: 'Die Preise sind dem Markt entsprechend' (The prices correspond to the market). Write this sentence 5 times. Then create 3 variations.
4. gegebenenfalls — 'if necessary, as the case may be'
Formal / bureaucratic word. You'll see in documents. Accept this is a 'recognition only' word — you don't need to produce it. Demote to 'recognition' deck (see meaning, don't recall production).
5. beziehungsweise (bzw.) — 'or; respectively'
Abbreviation form helps — 'bzw.' appears constantly in written German. Read German news 20 min daily; encounter this 10x / week organically. Don't separately drill; let context teach.
General leech principle: if normal SRS isn't working, the issue is either (a) meaning not grounded in usable context, (b) you're memorizing English translation, not word-meaning.
Weekly Review
Every Sunday, 15 min:
- Scan past week's new cards: how many are now 'known' (past 30-day interval)?
- Leeches: which got retired, which still stuck?
- Adjust new-word rate if backlog growing (drop to 5/day) or vanishing (up to 12/day).
After 3 months: vocabulary should have grown 500-700 active words. If less: review schedule adjustment needed.
Troubleshooting
If review backlog grows to 500+:
Skip new cards for 3-7 days. Catch up on reviews. Reduce new-card rate after.
If words aren't 'sticking' despite reviews:
Your context may be too thin. Add richer context sentences. Real encounters > isolated word-meaning pairs.
If you're bored with flashcards:
Shift modality. Read in German 20 min daily. Encounter words naturally. Add new words from reading, not from lists.
If you're missing reviews 2-3 days per week:
Too many reviews. Reduce new-cards per day until reviews fit your time budget.
Common use cases
- Language learners building vocabulary systematically
- Medical / law / tech students with professional vocabulary requirements
- Anyone using Anki and hitting plateau
- Recovering from 'forgot everything' during vocabulary hiatus
- Preparing for language proficiency exams (DELE, JLPT, HSK, etc.)
Best AI model for this
Sonnet 4.5 — systematic, high-frequency use.
Pro tips
- Use physical cards OR Anki app — both work. Anki is more powerful but physical cards force active engagement.
- Each card: target word + context sentence + one image or visualization cue. Not target word → translation alone.
- Add words AS YOU ENCOUNTER THEM, not from frequency lists. You retain words better when you met them in context.
- Limit new words to 5-10 per day. More = poor retention due to review backlog.
- Daily review non-negotiable. Skip 3 days = review mountain destroys motivation.
- Leeches (words you fail 5+ times): different intervention. Not repetition. Mnemonic + sentence + mini-story.
Customization tips
- For language-exam prep (DELE, JLPT, HSK): official exam-vocabulary lists exist. Use those 3-6 months before exam. Add domain-specific vocabulary from practice-test feedback.
- For professional vocabulary: domain-specific corpus matters. Medical German vocabulary is different from casual German. Source from industry publications.
- For character-based languages (Mandarin, Japanese kanji): separate card types for recognition (seeing character) vs. production (writing character). Different difficulty levels; don't conflate.
- For cognate-rich language pairs (English ↔ Spanish/Italian/French): cognates are 'free' words — low spaced-repetition burden. Focus on false-friends + non-cognates.
- For irregular verb forms: separate deck just for irregular verbs. Heavy early investment; plateau-preventing later.
- For accidental over-learner (you know 5000 words but can't converse): you have passive vocabulary; need production practice. Conversation roleplay + written production are the gap.
Variants
Default Daily SRS
Standard spaced-repetition schedule
Language-Exam Intensive
2-3 month focused prep for DELE/JLPT/HSK
Professional Vocabulary (medical/legal/tech)
Domain-specific terminology
Leech Rescue Protocol
Words that won't stick — alternative interventions
Post-Hiatus Recovery
Rebuilding vocab after months of not practicing
Frequently asked questions
How do I use the Vocabulary Spaced Repetition Designer prompt?
Open the prompt page, click 'Copy prompt', paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and replace the placeholders in curly braces with your real input. The prompt is also launchable directly in each model with one click.
Which AI model works best with Vocabulary Spaced Repetition Designer?
Sonnet 4.5 — systematic, high-frequency use.
Can I customize the Vocabulary Spaced Repetition Designer prompt for my use case?
Yes — every Promptolis Original is designed to be customized. Key levers: Use physical cards OR Anki app — both work. Anki is more powerful but physical cards force active engagement.; Each card: target word + context sentence + one image or visualization cue. Not target word → translation alone.
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