Think fast: How do you say desk in Spanish? What about briefcase?

If you’ve ever nailed a lesson but couldn't remember the word on your own later, you're not alone. Recognizing a word is one thing, but recalling it in the moment is an entirely different task—and one that matters a lot for learners eager to have conversations in their new language.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce a brand-new exercise designed to boost your memory and word recall: Flashcards!

Meet your new memory booster

Flashcards now appear in your lessons to help you actively recall words—instead of just needing to recognize them in exercises. Here’s how they work:

  • You’ll get a stack of five cards, each showing a word in your own language (like boy).
  • You'll need to *say* the translation aloud in the language you're learning (like niño). Can't speak at the moment? You can type it instead!
  • If you’re correct, the card turns green and disappears. 🎉
  • If the answer is incorrect, the card flips, reveals the answer, and plays it aloud. Then that card moves to the back of the stack to give you another chance.

Duolingo Flashcards tap into active recall, the principle that memory strengthens as you actively retrieve words when you actually need them.

Designed to help it stick

Flashcards as fun as they are useful:

  • You only need three right answers to pass (easy win!).
  • Little mistakes? No problem—typos and almost-right pronunciations still count.
  • Saying answers out loud doubles as speaking practice, so your words stick better and your confidence grows.

At the end of the Flashcards lesson, you’ll get an encouraging summary showing where you excelled and what could use additional practice on. 💪

Three summary screens for new Duolingo Flashcards. The first shows the result of getting all five words correct: The five words appear on screen in green boxes. Next is the result of getting four right: The four correct responses are in green boxes and the one incorrect response is in a gray box. If less than four cards are responded to correctly, the incorrect responses appear in red boxes in the summary screen.

A new way to strengthen your memory

So the next time a Flashcard stack pops up, tap into your memory, say it out loud, and build stronger language skills in a flash. ⚡