An illustrative kitchen counter with a kettle, cutting board, lemon, bottle, bowl of apples and plants.
A public WordPin illustration, used here as a scene example.

A photo vocabulary app works best when the objects you care about are easy to see. A beautiful wide shot can be a harder naming exercise than a plain picture of your desk.

Start with a small scene

Choose a desk, a shelf or part of a kitchen counter. Keep your target objects large enough to distinguish. Five clear objects are a useful starting point; a crowded room may hide handles, edges and other clues that distinguish similar things.

Light the object, not just the room

Use even light and avoid shooting directly into a bright window. Move the camera if a reflection hides the shape. Check the photo before uploading: can you see whether the cup has a handle, and where one object ends?

Check the meaning in context

“Glass” might name a material or a drinking vessel. A model might name what a container holds rather than the container itself. Compare each label with the physical object. If you wanted the cup but received “coffee,” choose the term that matches what you want to learn.

Keep private details out

Use an ordinary object scene rather than a document, ID, medical label or a screen showing private messages. Crop out faces, addresses and account information. You can also use the supplied sample without uploading anything.

Correct before you repeat

If a label looks wrong, do not save it simply because the app produced it. Check a reliable dictionary or ask a fluent speaker; use the report action in the iPhone word card. AI can make mistakes in labels, translations and sentences.

See the breakfast vocabulary example for four clearly identified objects, or compare photo translation and vocabulary learning.

Not sure which container name to use? Compare cup, mug and glass with four picture questions.

Practise with eight kitchen words and three picture questions.