Dragon Lingo Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about learning Welsh with Dragon Lingo — spaced repetition, levels, streaks, achievements, friends, personal decks and more.
Is Dragon Lingo really free?
Yes — Dragon Lingo is completely free to use, with no subscriptions, ads, or paywalls. Our goal is to make Welsh accessible to everyone.
What is spaced repetition?
Spaced repetition is a learning technique where you review information at gradually increasing intervals. Cards you find easy are shown less often, while cards you struggle with appear more frequently — helping you learn efficiently and retain words long-term. See our How It Works page for a full explanation of the SM-2 algorithm that powers this.
What exactly is the SM-2 algorithm?
SM-2 is the spaced-repetition algorithm originally created for SuperMemo and later used by Anki. After every review, it adjusts two numbers for that card: an "ease factor" (how easy you generally find it) and an "interval" (days until the next review). Rating a card Easy or Good grows the interval — often multiplying it — so well-known words are reviewed less and less often, while rating it Hard or Again shortens the interval so weak words come back around sooner.
Do I need to know any Welsh to start?
No. The Beginner decks start with everyday greetings and basic vocabulary, so complete beginners can jump straight in. If you already speak some Welsh, you can set your active level to Intermediate, Advanced or even Fluent and skip ahead.
How many words and topics are covered?
The platform covers thousands of flashcards across over 100 topic decks, including grammar topics like mutations, verb conjugation, conjugated prepositions and idioms — grouped into Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Fluent levels.
What is the "Fluent" level?
Fluent decks are sentence-based rather than single-word — they combine vocabulary from the earlier levels into natural, idiomatic Welsh phrases and short conversations, helping bridge the gap between knowing individual words and actually speaking Welsh.
What does the daily streak mean?
Your streak counts the number of consecutive days you've completed at least one review. It's a simple way to encourage consistent daily practice, which is the most effective way to learn a language. Your longest-ever streak is also recorded, and several achievement badges are tied to streak milestones.
How many new cards do I learn per day?
You choose this when you sign up — Relaxed (5), Steady (10, recommended), Brisk (20) or Intensive (40) new cards per day. This caps how many brand-new words are introduced each day so your future reviews stay manageable, and you can change it anytime from the Settings page.
Can I focus on a specific difficulty level?
Yes. In your study settings, you can choose your "active level" (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Fluent) — new cards will only be introduced from decks at that level until you choose to move on.
Is this based on Anki?
Dragon Lingo uses the same SM-2 spaced-repetition algorithm that powers Anki, one of the most popular and effective flashcard apps, but is purpose-built and pre-loaded with Welsh vocabulary and grammar.
What is Typed Mode?
Before each study session starts, you're asked whether you want Typed Mode for that session. If you choose it, every card shows the English meaning first and you type the Welsh word or phrase from memory, including spelling and mutations — a stricter test of recall than simple recognition. If you choose Normal Mode, cards show the Welsh side first as usual.
What happens if I press "Again" on a card?
The card is moved to the back of your current session's queue, so other due cards come first — but it'll come back round before the session ends. If it's the only card left in the session, it'll keep reappearing until you rate it Hard, Good or Easy. Its SM-2 schedule also resets so it's due again tomorrow.
What are achievements and badges?
As you study, you automatically unlock badges for milestones such as reaching a streak of 3, 7, 30, 100 or even 365 days; learning your 10th, 100th, 500th or 1,000th+ word; completing thousands of reviews; and finishing entire topic decks. You can view all your earned and locked badges on the Achievements page.
Can I add friends and compare progress?
Yes. From the Friends page you can search for other users by username and send a friend request. Once accepted, you'll both appear on each other's leaderboard, ranked by current streak alongside longest streak, words learned and total reviews.
Can I create my own flashcards?
Yes. Any user can create their own personal decks from the dashboard and add their own Welsh/English word pairs with optional notes. These personal decks are private — only you can see and study them — but they use exactly the same spaced-repetition scheduling as the built-in decks.
Can I print a vocabulary list?
Yes — every deck has a "print cheatsheet" button that opens a clean, printable page listing every word, its translation, and any notes or example sentences for that topic.
What is Random Study and Hard Words mode?
Once you've completed every card in a topic, Random Study lets you revisit its words for casual extra practice outside the normal spaced-repetition schedule. Hard Words mode pulls together the cards you've found most difficult across all your decks — those with a low ease factor, or that you've recently marked "Again" — so you can drill your weak spots directly.
Does Dragon Lingo have a dark mode?
Yes — use the dark mode toggle in the navigation bar to switch between light and dark themes. Your preference is remembered automatically for next time.
I forgot my password — what do I do?
On the login screen, click "Forgotten your password?" and enter your account email. You'll be sent a secure link to choose a new password.