A Spaced Repetition Vocabulary App Without Flashcards
July 3, 2026
Lexi is a spaced repetition vocabulary app for iPhone and iPad that delivers reviews through personalized crosswords. You type a missing word from a sentence, with crossing letters to help. The app manages each word’s review schedule.
Flashcards can also support recall and spaced practice. Lexi offers a different format for people who enjoy puzzles or would rather not build and grade their own decks.
What a review looks like
A sentence and a meaning together identify the missing word:
“The unfair comment continued to ______ long after the meeting.”
(verb) To keep causing bitterness or irritation.
Reveal the six-letter word
RANKLE
In Lexi, you type the answer into a crossword. Later, a different clue helps you recall it again.
The answer is rankle. Rather than select it from a list, you retrieve and type it into a crossword. If you are unsure, the crossing letters give you a starting point.
The next review can use a different sentence. The word keeps one schedule across its clues, so a change in wording does not make it a new vocabulary item.
What the schedule does
Lexi tracks words individually and brings them into puzzles when they are due. Its grading uses your solve time, adjusted for clue and word length, to help adapt the schedule. You do not need to choose a difficulty rating after each answer.
This is an estimate of recall difficulty, not a direct measurement of memory. Distractions and typing speed can affect a session.
How new words are introduced
Illustrated cards pair a definition with an evocative image, a matching example sentence, and connotation tags. A card introduces the word before a puzzle asks you to recall it.
The bank contains about 20,000 words to explore.
When similar words keep getting mixed up
Learning a definition is only part of choosing the right word. Frugal and stingy both involve spending little, but carry different judgments. Lexi Premium includes contrastive matching, typing, and nuance drills for supported word groups.
Try the distinction between frugal and stingy.
A format you want to come back to
The practical choice is a routine you are willing to repeat. If you enjoy designing prompts and studying a particular subject, a flashcard system may suit you. If you want ready-made vocabulary practice inside a word puzzle, Lexi is worth trying.
Core crosswords and spaced repetition are free, with no ads. Try a clue before downloading, or compare Lexi with Vocabulary by Monkey Taps.