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Vera
Verbal Flashcards

Produce the meaning, do not just recognize it.

High-frequency GRE words drilled aloud with usage.

You recognize the word on a card and cannot use it in a sentence.

What Vera actually is

A phone call with someone who is not there. You say the thing out loud, they answer the way a real person would, and you get to do it again — as many times as it takes, with nobody listening.

1She calls youA real phone call, about ten seconds after you tap. Lock screen, headphones, car — wherever you take calls.
2She plays the other personNot a coach reading tips. GRE Vocabulary Drilling, with someone on the other end who answers back.
3She pushes when you are vagueFollow-up questions, interruptions when you ramble, and a straight read at the end on what landed.
Start GRE Vocab

15 minutes free · no card needed

Start GRE Vocab

15 minutes free · no card needed

“What if I am bad at it?”Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.
“What if I do not know what to say?”She asks first and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.
“What if it is awkward?”It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Not practising doesn’t save you anything.

The ticket, the evening, the weeks of applying — all of it is spent before anyone says a word. The practice is the only cheap part, and the only part that changes how the rest goes.

Start GRE Vocab

15 minutes free · no card needed

What she'll actually ask

She asks these the way a real person would, then follows up on whatever you say.

  1. Define that word.
  2. Use it in a sentence.
  3. What is a near-synonym, and how do they differ?
  4. Would that word fit in this sentence?
  5. You said roughly. Give me a precise definition.
More about this one

GRE vocabulary is one of the few remaining tests where deliberate word learning pays, and it is also where the recognition illusion is strongest. Flipping a card and thinking "yes, I know that one" is not the same as producing a definition or using the word correctly. Vera drills high-frequency words aloud, asks for usage, and returns to anything you fumble.

What she listens for

Recognition illusionWords that feel known and cannot be defined.
Usage accuracyUsing a word correctly requires connotation, not just denotation.
Near-synonym distinctionsThe GRE frequently tests exactly these differences.
  • GRE vocabulary
  • high-frequency words
  • text completion
  • sentence equivalence
  • connotation
  • near-synonyms
  • verbal reasoning
  • word usage
“Four hundred cards marked known, and I could define maybe half out loud. Sobering and useful.”
Ravi M.

Related practice

SAT Vocabulary in ContextContext-based vocabulary drilling for the reading section.GMAT Verbal PracticeCritical reasoning and sentence correction drilled aloud.LSAT Logical Reasoning PracticeArgument structure drilled aloud, where flaws become obvious.TOEFL Speaking PracticeTemplates and timing drilled until the clock stops mattering.

Common questions

How many words do I need?

The high-frequency lists cover most of what appears. Depth of knowing each matters more than list length.

Does this help with text completion?

Yes — those questions turn on connotation, which usage practice builds.

How long per session?

Fifteen minutes daily. Vocabulary responds to frequency more than duration.

What if I am bad at it?

Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.

What if I do not know what to say?

She asks the first question and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.

What if it is awkward?

It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Ready to try it?

Your first 15 minutes are free. No card required.

Start GRE Vocab