Vocabulary list builder: the words worth learning, ready to study
Generic word lists teach words you will never use. This prompt has your todo.is agent build a vocabulary list from what you actually read or need: a chapter, an article, an exam word list or a topic like job interviews. Each word comes with a clear meaning, an example sentence, common word partners and, for languages, gender or pronunciation.
The prompt
- Build a vocabulary list from [SOURCE] for [LEARNER]. Pick the [NUMBER OF WORDS] most useful words or phrases for that level, skipping words they likely know already. For each: the word, part of speech, a short simple definition, [TRANSLATION LANGUAGE] translation, one example sentence from the source or a natural new one, common collocations, and for nouns in gendered languages the article and plural. Group the words by theme and mark the 10 most important. Add a short gap-fill exercise with answers. Give me a Word document to study and print, a CSV for Anki or Quizlet, and email both. Then every [REVIEW SCHEDULE] send me 5 words to review on WhatsApp.
What to change
- [SOURCE]: E.g. "the article I attached", "chapter 3 of my German textbook", "IELTS topic: environment", "vocabulary for nursing shifts in Spanish".
- [LEARNER]: E.g. "me, B1 English learner", "7th grade English class", "a GRE test-taker".
- [NUMBER OF WORDS]: E.g. "30". 20 to 40 per list is easy to learn in a week or two.
- [TRANSLATION LANGUAGE]: E.g. "Spanish", "Arabic", or "no translation" for an English-only list.
- [REVIEW SCHEDULE]: E.g. "weekday at 8:00" or "Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 19:00".
Example result
- Vocabulary list: the environment (IELTS, B1 to B2)
- Source: attached article on city air pollution · 30 words · Spanish translations
- Theme 1: causes (top words marked ★)
- • ★ emissions (noun, plural) · gases sent into the air, especially from cars and factories · emisiones
- • Example: The city wants to cut emissions from buses by half.
- • Collocations: reduce/cut emissions, carbon emissions, vehicle emissions
- • ★ fossil fuels (noun) · coal, oil and gas used for energy · combustibles fósiles
- • Example: Most of the region's electricity still comes from fossil fuels.
- • Collocations: burn fossil fuels, dependence on fossil fuels
- Theme 2: effects
- • ★ respiratory (adjective) · related to breathing · respiratorio
- • Example: Doctors reported more respiratory illnesses in winter.
- • Collocations: respiratory problems, respiratory disease
- • deteriorate (verb) · to become worse · empeorar, deteriorarse
- • Example: Air quality deteriorates on still, cold days.
- Theme 3: solutions
- • ★ renewable (adjective) · that can be replaced naturally (sun, wind) · renovable
- • Collocations: renewable energy, renewable sources
- • phase out (phrasal verb) · to stop using something gradually · eliminar gradualmente
- • Example: The government plans to phase out diesel cars by 2035.
- Theme 4: talking about the issue
- • tackle (verb) · to deal with a problem · abordar, hacer frente a
- • Collocations: tackle pollution, tackle the problem head-on
- Gap-fill (sample)
- • 1. The new law aims to ______ diesel cars over ten years.
- • 2. Children in the city have more ______ problems than those in the countryside.
- • 3. Switching to ______ energy would cut ______ sharply.
- • Answers: 1 phase out · 2 respiratory · 3 renewable, emissions
- Your WhatsApp review (example)
- • "Today's 5: emissions, tackle, deteriorate, phase out, renewable. Reply with a sentence using two of them."
How to do it with todo.is
- Attach the text or name the topic, and fill in your level and the translation language.
- Paste the to-do in todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- You get a printable Word list, an Anki or Quizlet CSV and a gap-fill exercise by email.
- Reply to the review messages with your own sentences. Your agent corrects them and repeats words you get wrong.
Tips for a better result
- Learn words with their partners (collocations). "Make a decision" is more useful than "decision" alone.
- Pull words from texts you read anyway. Seeing a word in context makes it easier to remember.
- Keep lists short: 20 to 40 words, reviewed often, beats a 300-word list you read once.
- Write your own example sentence for each starred word. Using a word is what moves it from reading to speaking.
vocabulary list builder: FAQ
- How many new words can I learn a day? Many learners manage 5 to 15 new words a day if they review them with spaced repetition. Reviewing old words matters as much as adding new ones.
- Can it make a list from a book or article? Yes. Attach the PDF or Word file, a photo of the page, or paste a link to a public article.
- Does it work for languages other than English? Yes. It builds lists for Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Arabic and many more, with articles, plurals and readings where needed.
- Can I import the list into Anki? Yes. The CSV has front, back and tag columns that import into Anki, Quizlet and most flashcard apps.
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