Your brain is great at words. Word lists are the problem.
rootscroll runs on three tricks memory researchers have tested for decades. Try two of them on your own brain, and watch the third play out.
You already know half of these words.
Tap the bold pieces, then guess what the word means.
Why this works
Learning one root makes every word in its family easier. Studies of root teaching find steady gains in vocabulary.
The honest fine print
Roots work best inside a family. Some words hide their roots, so rootscroll always shows the real definition too. The definitions in this game are the ones the app shows.
Same four reviews. Only the timing changes.
Memory starts fading the moment you learn something. Review while it's still fresh and you barely strengthen it. Wait until it's starting to slip, and each review buys a longer gap.
Why this works
Reviewing right as a word starts to slip gives the biggest boost, and each review buys a longer gap. Spacing beat cramming for 90% of students in a flashcard study.
The weird part
Most of those students thought cramming worked better. It feels productive because the word is fresh. It fades just as fast. rootscroll does the spacing for you.
The harder way is the one that sticks.
Study one word each way. Notice which one feels easier.
Why this works
Pulling a word out of memory strengthens it. Rereading feels smooth, and that smoothness tricks you into thinking you know it.
How rootscroll uses it
Every review asks for the meaning first and shows the answer second. The small struggle is the whole point.
Three study moves that actually work.
Use them on anything, with or without us. rootscroll does all three for you while you read.
Spread it out.
Ten minutes on four different days beats forty minutes the night before.
Quiz yourself.
Cover the answer and try to remember it first. If it feels hard, it's working.
Learn the root.
One root unlocks a family. Spect alone gets you inspect, respect, and circumspect.
