Pick three words you met this week and write each in one sentence you actually might say, like I need to reschedule our meeting. Purpose: using words in your own context beats rereading definitions, and these three sentences become your first review list.
The practice loop
Test yourself on yesterday's words first, saying or writing each meaning before you look. Ten to fifteen minutes total is enough, and testing first is what makes the review stick.
Mark any word you missed and restart it at the front of the list, so missed words come back tomorrow instead of waiting a full week.
For each word you got right, add a short delay before its next review, for example two days, then four, then a week. Lengthening the gap this way is a standard spaced repetition schedule, though exact timings vary by learner.
Write one fresh sentence with a word you just reviewed, like The deadline was tighter than expected. Producing the word in your own context strengthens recall beyond recognition.
End by adding tomorrow's three words to the list, drawn from something you actually read or heard this week. Stop there, even if you feel momentum, so the routine stays sustainable.
Want a quick check of how this works? Pick one word from yesterday, close this page, and try to use it in a sentence about your day. If a real sentence comes to mind in under a minute, the loop is doing its job; if nothing comes, shorten that word's review gap rather than adding more words.
A worked demonstration
Take one word from yesterday's list, cover the definition, and say its meaning out loud before you look. Suppose the word is reluctant. You might recall: not wanting to do something, unsure or unwilling.
If you got it right, next write a fresh sentence about your own life, like I was reluctant to admit I had forgotten her birthday. Keep it personal so the word connects to real speech, not just the textbook meaning.
If you missed it, check the definition, write one short sentence with the word anyway, and put it back at the front of tomorrow's list. A miss is useful information, not a failure; it just sets the review gap.
Then finish the check: close your notes, count to ten, and say the sentence once more without looking. If the meaning and your own sentence both come back, the word has moved from recognition into recall.
Watch for one honest signal. When you are speaking or writing later today, notice whether reluctant appears naturally, as in I'm reluctant to commit to Friday. If it does twice in a week, retire it from the list and spend that slot on a new word.
One complete pass of this exercise takes about two minutes per word. Run it on all three words from yesterday, then move on to the next review step in your routine.
Checking your progress
A simple self-check: take an online vocabulary size test today and note the estimate it gives. Treat the result as a rough guide, not an exact count, since test makers themselves describe these scores as approximate.
After three months of your daily review routine, retake the same test. A higher estimate means the routine is working; a flat result suggests your new words are not yet sticking.
One next adjustment if progress stalls: reduce how many new words you add each day from three to two, and spend the saved time on more reviews of older words. Fewer, better-learned words usually beat a longer forgotten list.
For a second observable check that needs no test, keep a running count of retired words, ones you used naturally twice in a week. Growth in that count over a month is direct evidence your vocabulary is expanding.