Frequently Asked Questions

Penguen.io is a free vocabulary learning app. You study words from 640+ curated collections, practice through 7 different activities (flashcards, dictation, matching, and more), and track your progress with streaks, accuracy stats, and mastery scores. No ads, no subscriptions.

Yes. Penguen.io is completely free to use. There are no subscription fees, no pricing plans, and no ads.

Penguen.io is for language learners at any level: students building academic vocabulary, people preparing for exams like TOEFL or IELTS, professionals expanding their working vocabulary, or anyone learning a new language who wants to actually retain what they study.

After setting your native language, you browse collections and pick one to study. Each collection is split into levels and groups of 20 words. You choose a group, practice its words using any of 7 activities, and build mastery word by word. Your stats, streaks, and mastery scores update as you go.

A collection is a full vocabulary set built around a specific topic or language level, such as Animals, Jobs, or Business English. Each collection is divided into levels (A1, A2, B1, B2), and each level contains groups of 20 words. This structure lets you make steady, measurable progress without facing an overwhelming word list.

Each collection is divided into levels, and each level contains smaller groups. Each group includes 20 words, making learning manageable and structured.

Yes. You can view the word list for an entire collection, or the word list for a single group. This helps you preview and review vocabulary at any time.

Yes. Tap the bookmark icon on any word to add it to your favourites. Your saved words are all in your Favourites, so you can revisit tricky vocabulary or build your own personal review list.

Yes. In flashcard mode you see a word on one side and flip it to reveal the translation. It is a quick way to preview a group before trying the more active practice modes, or to skim vocabulary you have not studied yet.

Penguen.io has 7 practice activities: Flashcards, Dictation, Listen & Choose, Fill Letters, Matches, Multiple Choice, and Test. Each mode trains a different skill (listening, spelling, recognition, or active recall), so you learn words from multiple angles instead of reading the same list over and over. Using a mix of modes is the fastest path to mastery.

In Dictation, the app reads a word aloud and you type what you hear. It trains listening comprehension and spelling at the same time, two skills that passive reading never develops. If you get it wrong, the correct spelling is shown immediately so you can learn from the mistake on the spot.

In Listen & Choose, you hear a word spoken aloud and pick its correct meaning from four options. It is designed to train your ear, which is ideal for connecting the spoken form of a word with its meaning.

In Fill Letters, you see a word with some letters missing and must fill them in correctly. Because you cannot guess by recognition alone, you have to actively reconstruct the word, which is one of the most effective ways to cement spelling.

In Matches, you pair each word with its correct translation by selecting matching cards. The format is fast-paced, which pushes you to build quick word recognition rather than slow deliberate recall.

In Multiple Choice, you see a word and select its correct meaning from four choices. It is the quickest way to sweep through a full group and clearly see which words you know confidently versus which ones you are still guessing.

Test mode quizzes you on all the words in a group using multiple-choice questions. Answers are hidden until the end, then you see your final score (correct out of total). It works best as a checkpoint after practicing: use it to confirm you are ready before moving on to the next group.

Yes. Your Stats shows words studied, words mastered, accuracy rate, current streak, and best streak. You can also drill into stats for any specific group, including hard words, total sessions, and mastery per word.

Yes. Your Stats logs every practice session so you can see when and how often you studied. Combined with the activity heatmap on your Profile, it gives you a clear picture of your consistency over time.

Yes. Penguen.io awards achievements for reaching milestones like mastering 100 words, maintaining a 7-day streak, or completing a collection. You can view all your earned badges on the Achievements.

Yes. The Leaderboard ranks learners by their total practice score, with both weekly and all-time views. It is a good motivator if you enjoy friendly competition while you study.

You can sign up using your email address and a password, or sign up instantly with your Google account. After registering with email, you will receive a verification email to activate your account.

Yes. After signing up with email, you will receive a verification link. You need to click the link to activate your account. The verification link expires after 24 hours.

Check your spam or junk folder first. If you still don't see it, you can request a new verification email from the resend verification page. Make sure the email address you entered is correct.

Yes. You can sign up and log in using your Google account. No separate password or email verification is needed when using Google sign-in.

Your password must be at least 8 characters long. We recommend using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols for better security.

Yes. You can delete your account from your profile page. You will need to confirm your email address before the deletion is processed. Please note that this action is permanent and cannot be undone.

Go to the login page and click "Forgot Password." Enter your email address, and you will receive a password reset link. Click the link and set your new password.

The password reset link expires after 1 hour. If your link has expired, you can request a new one from the forgot password page.

Check your spam or junk folder. If you still don't see it, wait at least 10 minutes before requesting another reset link. Make sure you are entering the correct email address associated with your account.

There is a 10-minute cooldown between password reset requests. This is to protect your account from abuse. After 10 minutes, you can request a new link.

Yes. Your passwords are securely encrypted and never stored in plain text. Your personal information and learning progress are protected and never shared with third parties.

Yes. You can add a bio, set your display name, and control your privacy settings from your profile page. You can choose whether to show your email, join date, and native language to other users.

Yes. Your profile is public, but you control what information is visible. You can toggle the visibility of your email address, join date, and native language from your privacy settings.

When you first log in, you will be asked to select your native language. You can change it anytime from the language selector on the dashboard. This setting determines which collections are shown to you.

The activity heatmap shows your learning activity over the past 365 days. Each square represents a day, and the color intensity shows how active you were. It helps you stay consistent and track your daily habit.

A streak is the number of consecutive days you have completed at least one practice session. If you miss a day, your current streak resets to zero, but your best streak is always saved.

Each word has a mastery level from 0 to 5. Every correct answer moves it one level up; a wrong answer resets it to zero. A word is considered mastered when it reaches level 5, which means you have answered it correctly 5 times without getting it wrong in between. Mastered words are tracked per group so your stats always reflect how deeply you know the vocabulary.

Accuracy is calculated based on the percentage of correct answers across your practice sessions for a specific group or collection. It helps you identify areas where you need more practice.

Yes. You can view detailed statistics for each group, including total words, words studied, words mastered, accuracy, hard words, current streak, and total practice sessions.

Most vocabulary apps give you a flat word list or lock key features behind a subscription. Penguen.io organizes 640+ curated sets into small 20-word groups so you always know exactly what to study next. Seven practice modes keep sessions varied so you learn from multiple angles. The spaced repetition system makes sure you review words at the right time. And everything is completely free and ad-free.

No. All core features are available without payment.

No. Penguen.io is ad-free, so you can focus on learning without distractions.

The key to retaining vocabulary is active recall: being tested on words, not just reading them. Penguen.io builds this in through its practice modes. You type words from audio, fill in missing letters, match pairs, and take quizzes rather than passively reviewing a list. The spaced repetition system spaces out reviews based on how well you know each word, so time you spend studying goes where it is actually needed.

You can reach us through our contact form. Choose a topic (General Inquiry, Technical Support, or Billing), describe your question, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also email us at support@penguen.io.

You can use the "Report Issue" button available on practice pages, or visit our contact form and select "Technical Support" as the topic. Please include as much detail as possible so we can help you quickly.