Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Vocabulary Expansion App?

It's a mobile-first daily practice system for building a richer, more precise vocabulary. Instead of memorizing isolated definitions, you learn through thematic word clusters — groups of 5–8 related words with definitions, usage examples, and nuance notes explaining when to use each word over its near-synonyms. Spaced repetition review ensures words stay in your long-term memory.

What is a word cluster?

A word cluster is a group of 5–8 thematically related words presented together. For example, "Degrees of Certainty" clusters words like "certain," "confident," "probable," "likely," and "plausible." Learning them together makes the nuance between them clear in a way that learning each word in isolation never would. Every cluster includes nuance notes that explain the distinction between near-synonyms.

How are clusters organized?

Clusters are organized into domains (Emotions, Work, Social, Descriptions, Academic, Daily Life) and difficulty levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced). You can browse all clusters in the Library tab. Within each domain, clusters unlock progressively: complete 2 Beginner clusters to unlock Intermediate, complete 2 Intermediate to unlock Advanced. This ensures you build a foundation before tackling nuanced distinctions.

What is spaced repetition?

Spaced repetition is a learning technique where you review words at increasing intervals based on how well you remember them. After learning a cluster, the words enter a review schedule. When a word comes up for review, you rate your recall: Again (I forgot), Hard (I struggled), Good (I remembered), or Easy (I knew it instantly). "Again" schedules the word for tomorrow; "Easy" extends the interval significantly. This builds long-term retention efficiently without over-reviewing words you already know.

What are the exercise types?

• Context Clue — a sentence with a blank; choose from 4 word options which fits best
• Nuance Pick — given a specific scenario, choose between 2–3 near-synonyms; the explanation after each answer explains why your choice is (or isn't) the best fit
• Usage Check — a sentence with a highlighted word; decide whether the word is used correctly and see the explanation
• Quick Drill — a 3-minute timer with rapid-fire questions mixing all three types; your score is shown at the end

Exercise difficulty scales with mastery level — Learning words get easier exercises; Mastered words get Nuance Pick and Usage Check.

What are the mastery levels?

Words move through three mastery levels based on exercise performance:

• Learning — seen 1–2 times, still in early exposure
• Familiar — answered correctly 3–5 times across different exercise types
• Mastered — answered correctly 6+ times in a row across exercise types

The Progress tab shows your total word count at each level and your domain coverage heatmap.

How does my streak work?

Your streak counts consecutive days where you complete at least one learning session (finishing a cluster, doing a review session, or completing a Quick Drill). Streaks reset at midnight local time if no session was completed that day. Your current streak and longest streak both appear on the Progress tab.

What are the subscription tiers?

• Free (ad-supported) — all 50+ word clusters, spaced repetition, all exercise types including Quick Drill, progress tracking. Banner ads appear on the Today, Library, and Progress tabs — never during exercises or review sessions
• Ad-Free (one-time purchase) — removes ads permanently. Requires creating an account
• Basic Subscription (monthly or annual) — removes ads, adds cloud sync across devices, and AI Writing Suggestions

What are AI Writing Suggestions?

A Basic Subscription feature: paste any paragraph of your own writing into the AI Writing Suggestions tool and it analyzes your text against your learned vocabulary, suggesting more precise word replacements. For example, it might suggest replacing "good" with "substantive" or "help" with "facilitate" based on the nuances you've learned. The suggestions are drawn from clusters you've actually studied — not generic synonyms.

Does the app work offline?

Yes. All word cluster content, your progress, streaks, and exercise history are stored locally in Drift (SQLite) on your device. You can complete a full learning session with no internet connection. Cloud sync for subscribers requires a connection — progress made offline queues automatically and syncs when you reconnect. An offline indicator banner appears when there is no connection.

Do I need an account to use the app?

No. The app creates an anonymous session silently on first launch. You can learn clusters, do reviews, and track progress without any account. Create a free account from the Profile tab when you want your progress backed up or synced across devices. All existing progress transfers via account linking with zero data loss.

How long does a typical session take?

A standard daily session — review queue plus one new cluster — takes 8–15 minutes. Quick Drill alone takes exactly 3 minutes. The app supports both patterns: Lucinda does a scheduled 15-minute session every morning at 7:15 AM; Nadia fits in a Quick Drill on her lunch break. Both count toward the streak.