Our story
Why we built Lex11Plus
Lex11Plus started at our kitchen table.
If you’ve been through 11+ preparation, you’ll probably recognise the routine. Children are handed vocabulary sheets full of unfamiliar words. They read them, try to memorise them, get tested on them, then move on to the next list.
We did all of that.
In fact, we tried pretty much everything.
We had printed vocabulary sheets around the house. We made flashcards. We bought vocabulary books. We had Anki decks on different devices so we could squeeze in a few words whenever we had five minutes.
We also wanted our son to see words in the real world, not just on flashcards.
We bought copies of The Week and The Economist, highlighted unfamiliar words and talked about what they meant in the context of the article. When we came across an interesting word in a book or a practice paper, we’d add that too.
Some of it helped. But it was a lot to keep going.
The lists kept growing. The flashcards needed reviewing. Words that seemed familiar one week could disappear a few weeks later. And inevitably, we were the ones reminding him that it was time to do vocabulary again.
That was when we realised something.
Finding good words wasn’t the problem.
There are thousands of 11+ vocabulary lists online. There are excellent flashcard apps. Children come across new words in books, newspapers and practice papers all the time.
The hard part was turning all of that into a habit a child could actually keep up for months.
So we started wondering:
What if the repetition was the fun part?
What if learning ten words meant setting off on a quest?
What if getting them right earned coins and helped you progress?
What if words you’d forgotten quietly came back later?
And what if five minutes of vocabulary felt like something a child chose to do, rather than another worksheet waiting on the table?
That idea became Lex11Plus.
The methods weren’t the problem
We didn’t invent flashcards, spaced review or learning words in context. Those are useful ways to build vocabulary, and they helped us too.
What we found difficult was keeping all of it going.
Finding the words, making the cards, remembering what needed reviewing, introducing words in context and then getting a child to come back and practise again tomorrow takes a surprising amount of effort.
So Lex11Plus brings those pieces together and wraps them in something children can enjoy coming back to.
The goal isn’t to replace reading, books or conversations about new words. It’s to make regular vocabulary practice much easier to keep going.
One job, done well
Lex11Plus isn’t a complete 11+ course, and we don’t want it to be. It focuses on vocabulary for 11+ English and verbal reasoning.
Children still need reading, comprehension, writing, maths, reasoning and practice papers as part of their wider preparation.
We wanted to take one part of that preparation and make it easier to practise regularly, without it becoming another battle at the kitchen table.
How we chose the words
The word bank grew from the vocabulary we collected during our own family’s 11+ preparation.
Words came from practice papers, books, vocabulary lists and other preparation material, as well as words we came across while reading.
We reviewed the words for children aged 7 to 11, removed ones we didn’t think were appropriate or useful, wrote simple meanings and created playful example sentences to make them easier to understand and remember.
The list isn’t taken from any single exam board, and no vocabulary list can predict exactly which words will appear in an 11+ exam. That’s not the aim.
The aim is to help children build a broad, useful vocabulary over time.
What children practise
- Around 2,000 vocabulary words
- Word meanings and synonyms
- Choosing the right word to complete a sentence
- Recognising when a word is used correctly
- Hearing words spoken aloud
- Regular review of previously learnt words
Part of 11+ preparation, not all of it
Lex11Plus doesn’t teach maths, non-verbal reasoning, spatial reasoning, full reading comprehension, creative writing or complete timed practice papers.
It is designed to sit alongside the rest of a child’s 11+ preparation, not replace it.
Reading widely still matters. Practice papers still matter. Talking about unfamiliar words still matters.
Lex11Plus simply gives vocabulary practice a regular place in that preparation.
Every 11+ is different
11+ tests vary between areas, schools and test providers. The vocabulary and question styles children encounter can vary too.
Lex11Plus isn’t tied to one exam board or school. It is designed to help children build the broader vocabulary that supports 11+ English and verbal reasoning.
Parents should always check the admissions information for their chosen schools to understand exactly what their tests include.
Give it a try
The first 120 words are free. No payment and no sign-up needed to start.