Explain it back

If you can explain it simply, you probably understand it. If you can't, you've just found exactly what to study. A two-minute self-check based on the Feynman technique. Works for any subject, any AI, or no AI at all.

Ask Poppy, the AI tutor that asks instead of tells. Free, 30 messages a day · iPhone, iPad, Mac

What are you explaining? Key ideas it should include (optional, comma-separated) Your explanation, from memory, as if to a curious 12-year-old

Prefer to say it out loud? Talk for two minutes, then tick the self-check questions below. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Self-check questions

I used my own words, not phrases I memorised from the book. I said why or how, not just what. I gave an example that wasn't the one in my notes. Every technical word I used, I could define if asked. I connected it to something else I know. I could answer a "what if…?" question about it (e.g. what if the Earth had no tilt?). I can name the one part I'm least sure about.

How to use it well

Close your notes. Explaining from memory is the point; it's retrieval practice.
Write or say it once, badly. Don't polish. The stumbles are the useful part.
Go back only to the gaps the check shows. Re-reading everything feels productive but mostly isn't.
Tomorrow, explain it again before looking anything up. Use the reminder button to put it in your calendar.

Want an AI to question you instead of explaining?

After the check, copy the "find my holes" prompt it gives you into any AI. It asks the AI to question your explanation without rewriting it. Our prompt checker shows why that matters.

Want someone to ask you these questions out loud? Ask Poppy is an AI tutor you talk or type to. It asks questions and gives one hint at a time instead of handing you the answer, and it remembers where you left off so you can pick it up again tomorrow.

Free, 30 messages a day on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Optional subscription. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)

About Ask Poppy

Questions

What is the Feynman technique?

A way of checking understanding: explain an idea in plain words as if to someone new to it, notice where you get stuck or reach for jargon, go back to the source to fill those gaps, and explain it again more simply.

Does this tool check whether my explanation is correct?

No. It can't know whether what you wrote is true. It looks for signs of a strong explanation (your own words, reasons, an example, the key ideas you listed) and gives you questions to check yourself. Compare against your notes or a teacher.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

No. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored, and the page has no cookies or ad trackers. Close the tab and it's gone.

More: the 7-day learn-out-loud challenge · compare AI tutors

By Simon Dreyer, founder of Ask Poppy · Last updated 18 October 2026 · How we write these pages