How answers are checked
In the quiz, children type their answers themselves. Short answers – vocabulary, verb forms, numbers, terms – are checked by Lernbuddy with fixed rules instead of the AI. That's fast, works without the model and always grades the same answer the same way.
The three results
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Correct! | The answer matches the card (or a confirmed variant). |
| Almost. | A small typo – or, on cards with several forms, one form is missing. |
| Not quite. | The answer is wrong, or it is a different, real word. |
"Almost" counts for less than "Correct" in the review schedule: the gaps before the next review grow more slowly, so the right spelling sticks. "Not quite" brings the card back the very next day.
What counts as the same
Before comparing, differences that have nothing to do with knowledge are ignored: capital and small letters, double spaces, and punctuation at the start or end.
Typo or wrong word?
How many letters may differ depends on the length of the word:
| Word length | allowed difference |
|---|---|
| up to 3 letters | none |
| 4 to 7 letters | 1 letter |
| 8 letters or more | 2 letters |
A missing, extra, wrong or swapped letter each counts as one difference. Short words get no tolerance, because one letter often makes a different word ("cat" and "car").
On top of that, Lernbuddy looks every word up in a dictionary (English and German). If the input is itself a real word, it wasn't a typo but a mix-up:
- "foudn" instead of "found" → Almost, a typo
- "fond" instead of "found" → Not quite, because "fond" is an English word of its own
For typos, Lernbuddy shows the correct spelling and marks the letters concerned. Numbers always have to match exactly.
Cards with several forms
On cards like "to go → went, gone", all forms have to be given. Writing only "went" gives "Almost" with a note that a form is missing. The forms can be separated by commas, semicolons or spaces.
Where the AI comes in
The quiz needs the AI in only two places:
- Once per card, in the background: After a card is saved, the AI works out what kind of card it is (vocabulary, verb, number, fact, free answer), which other answers would also be right, which mistakes are typical, and writes a short explanation. This happens once and is stored.
- Free answers: Cards with longer answers in full sentences ("Why …?") can't be checked by rules. The AI still grades those.
Confirming suggested variants
If the AI finds other correct answers – say "dreamt" alongside "dreamed" – they do not count automatically. They appear in the card list (Flashcards tab, open a topic) as the suggestion "Also count as correct: …?" with Accept and Reject. Only after accepting do they count as correct in the quiz. That way no wrong variant can slip in unnoticed.
If a card's answer is changed later, Lernbuddy discards the old variants and has the card classified again.