Vocabulary and Flashcard Sheet

Who this is for

Words on the left, meanings on the right, and an example of each one in use. It suits a language list, a set of scientific terms, legal vocabulary or any subject where the words have to be learned before the ideas make sense.

Language learners at any stage, students meeting the vocabulary of a new subject, and anyone who would rather build their own list from what they actually met than work from somebody else's.

What this helps you track

• The terms themselves, written out by hand, which is half the learning
• What each one means, in your own words rather than a dictionary's
• An example of the term in use, so the meaning has something to hold on to
• Which ones you can already recall without looking

How to use it

1. Write the subject or language, the topic and the date at the top.
2. Add terms as you meet them, in the order you met them — a page from a lesson, a chapter or a reading.
3. Write the meaning in your own words. Copying a definition you do not understand only moves the problem.
4. Add a short example: a sentence, a formula, a phrase from the text where you found it.
5. Cover the meaning column and work down the list; tick 'known' only for the ones you recalled without help.
6. Fold the sheet down the middle to test yourself, or cut the rows into cards if you prefer to shuffle them.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Does it work for any language?

Yes. The columns are blank headings — term, meaning, example — so they take a language, a set of technical terms, or anything else with a word and a definition.

Should I tick 'known' more than once?

The printed sheet has one box, because a single honest tick is more use than a grid of half-remembered ones. If you want to test repeatedly, print the sheet again and see which ticks survive.

Can I cut it into flashcards?

Yes — the rows are deep enough to cut along and fold, with the term on one side and the meaning on the other. Print it on thicker paper if the cards have to last.

Is there a version that saves my list?

The browser version keeps what you type in your own browser and prints or downloads a completed sheet, so a long list can be built up over several sittings.