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German vocabulary, step by step

German vocabulary that sticks.

Build recall with guided lessons and spaced repetition. Practice noun articles, verb forms, and sentences. Try 2 levels’ worth of new vocabulary free.

Start learning free See how it works

A planned pathYour next words, already chosen

Scheduled recallReviews that grow with you

Grammar practiceArticles, verb forms, and sentences

  1. From vocabulary to sentences

    Get to know a word from more than one angle.

    Learn its meaning. Recall its article. Find it in a sentence. Your lessons and challenges draw from the same vocabulary course, so you can build on related material.

    Gender, conjugation, preposition, and cloze challenges unlock as your level grows. Each is optional and has its own review schedule.

    How challenges fit in
    A look insideLevel 1

    Vocabulary lesson

    die Welt

    world

    Plural: die Welten

    A preview of separate lessons and optional challenges, using a word from the course.

  2. Spend your study time learning.

    Choosing a deck, sorting a word list, finding matching exercises: it all takes time. Wortplay gives you a course to follow, with common vocabulary early and related words kept together.

    Start with a few words. Meet nouns with their articles and plurals, learn related words like sehen and aussehen, and let your progress open the next level.

  3. Reviews spaced over time.

    Type answers in both directions: German to English and English to German. Both count toward a word’s progress, so you practice recognizing a word and recalling it yourself.

    As you answer correctly, the gaps stretch from hours to days, weeks, and months. Mistakes bring words back for more practice. You can also add listening questions.

    If you have used WaniKani, this rhythm will feel familiar: Wortplay is a WaniKani-style course for German.

    Apprentice

    Review a new word four times, with gradually longer gaps between reviews.

  4. Make room for a little German.

    Come back for your scheduled reviews. Add a small lesson when you have room, or choose a challenge for extra practice. Watch your level progress as words become more familiar.

    Your lesson goal is a target, and a daily review cap can spread a backlog over more days. Optional challenges keep their own queues.

    Keep it manageable

    Choose your lesson batch size and a daily review cap. Add new vocabulary when you have room for it.

    Use your browser

    Study on your phone, tablet, or laptop. Sign in to pick up your vocabulary, notes, and progress.

    Back up your progress

    Download your study record from Settings, including your progress and notes.

  5. Start small. Keep going.

    The course includes more than 16,000 words and expressions across 200 levels, from everyday vocabulary to language for work, society, and more demanding reading. Mark words you already know to move ahead.

    Build your vocabulary alongside grammar, listening, reading, and conversation. Your pace is your own; completing the course does not establish a CEFR level.

    16,000+ words & expressions200 progressive levels

    Examples and audio coverage vary by word. More material is being added, especially in later levels. About the course content

Study across devices

Use Wortplay
on your phone.

Study in your browser on a phone, tablet, or computer. Sign in to access your progress across devices. Native iOS and Android apps are planned, with no announced release date.

Start with a few words.

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