Every language learner hits the same wall: you know the grammar, and you do not have the words. Vocabulary apps promise to fix that, and they go about it in very different ways, from a blank deck you fill yourself to a course that decides for you.
TL;DRFor full control and the best review system, pick Anki. For the most common words in real sentences, pick Lingvist. For intermediate learners who want words in context, pick Clozemaster. For words that come from your own goal or interest, all in one list, pick Slova. For words from real native speakers, pick Memrise. For a quick visual game, pick Drops.
We used every app on this list daily for at least three weeks in 2026, on paid plans where they had one, in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese and Korean. We learned new words in each, then tested ourselves a week and a month later on the same words, and noted how many we could use in a sentence, not just recognise.
Please do not read this as a ranking. A tool that is perfect for a medical student building Japanese flashcards is a bad fit for a traveller who wants five minutes a day. Look for the line that sounds like you.
Comparison table
✓Yes◐Partly✕No
| App | Best for | Words in real sentences | Smart review | Add your own words | Audio |
|---|
| Anki | Full control | ◐if you add them | ✓FSRS | ✓ | ◐if you add it |
|---|
| Lingvist | Most common words first | ✓ | ✓ | ✓custom decks | ✓ |
|---|
| Clozemaster | Words in context, intermediate | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
|---|
| Slova | Words from your own goal or interest | ✓ | ✓one list | ✓from anything you read | ✓ |
|---|
| Memrise | Native speaker clips | ◐ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
|---|
| Drops | Quick visual games | ✕ | ◐ | ✕ | ✓ |
|---|
| Quizlet | Sets for a class or exam | ◐ | ◐Learn mode | ✓ | ◐ |
|---|
| LingQ | Words from what you read | ✓ | ◐ | ✓via import | ✓ |
|---|
How we chose
- Which words. Whether the app teaches words you will meet soon, or a fixed list that may never come up in your life.
- Context. Whether you see each word in a sentence and hear it, or just as a pair of translations.
- Review that works. Whether words come back at the right time, and whether you can still use them a month later.
- From knowing to using. Whether the app helps you produce a word, by typing, saying or writing it, not only recognising it.
- Daily cost in time. How long a session takes, and whether the review pile grows until you give up.
The best vocabulary apps for language learning
1
Anki
Best for full control and the best review system
Anki is a free flashcard program with the most respected review system there is. You make your own cards or download shared decks, and it shows each card again just before you would forget it, now with the modern FSRS scheduler. It is loved by medical students and serious language learners, and it is exactly as good as the cards you put in.
On day one we spent an hour setting up a Japanese deck and learning the buttons, which felt like homework before the homework. By day three it was smooth: 約束 (yakusoku, promise) came back just as we were about to forget it, and that timing is the magic of Anki. By week three our daily reviews had grown past 150 cards, and we had to slow down adding new ones. It is a tool, not a course: it will never tell you which words to learn.
GoodThe best review system, free on desktop, Android and the web, and you control every card.
Watch outA steep start, a plain look, and the iPhone app is a one-time purchase.
- Free, iPhone app about 25 dollars once
- Any language
- Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, web
2
Lingvist
Best for the most common words in real sentences
Lingvist teaches the most frequent words of a language first, each inside a real sentence with the word missing. You type it, hear the sentence and move on, and the app decides when you see it again. It is one of the most efficient ways to build the core words of a language.
On day four of French the card showed Je n'ai pas le ___ de t'appeler with an English hint, and we typed temps. Typing, not tapping, made us actually produce the word, which is why it stayed. The app told us we had learned 180 words in two weeks, and at the month test we still had most of them. We missed speaking, as Lingvist is almost all reading and typing.
GoodFast, efficient and you produce every word yourself.
Watch outOnly vocabulary, no speaking, and fewer languages than the biggest apps.
- About 10 dollars a month, less yearly
- Main European languages and more
- iPhone, Android, web
3
Clozemaster
Best for words in context at an intermediate level
Clozemaster gives you thousands of real sentences with one word blanked out, and you fill it in, by multiple choice or by typing. Sentences are sorted by how common the missing word is, so you move from frequent words to rarer ones. It is built for learners who know the basics and want a lot of reading practice.
On day ten of Italian, a sentence read Non vedo l'ora di ___ and we typed partire. After fifty sentences like that in one sitting, patterns we had never studied started to feel natural. Now and then a sentence was odd or out of date, which is the price of using a huge shared collection. It is not a starting point for beginners.
GoodA huge amount of real sentences, in many languages, at a low price.
Watch outA plain design, some strange sentences, and too hard for beginners.
- About 8 to 13 dollars a month
- 60+ languages
- iPhone, Android, web
4
Slova
Best for words that come from your own goal or interest
Slova starts with one sentence about why you are learning, and both kinds of reasons work: a career step like a promotion, a life goal like moving to Rome, or a passion like football or astronomy. From that sentence it builds a path. Underneath is a full A0 to C2 curriculum, made by language learners and computer scientists, and every lesson can be done visually at your own pace or out loud with our AI tutors.
For vocabulary, this changes which words you learn. Other apps give you a list chosen for everyone. Slova gives you the words your reason needs, from lesson one, so you learn inside the thing you care about and not after weeks of textbook words. You can describe a place and Slova draws it and labels every object in your language, or ask for a short podcast or story on your topic at your level, full of the words you are learning. It is the only app on this list where you make your own practice material with AI.
The results show up fast because the words you learn today are the ones you need tomorrow, so you use them straight away and that is what makes them stick. Every word from lessons, tutor talks, pictures and texts you read lands in one list, the Lexicon, and comes back for review, so you are not keeping four decks in four apps. And because the words are about your own life, it is much easier to keep reviewing in week six than with a list written for everyone.
We tried it with "I want to follow La Liga commentary in Spanish". The path opened with the pitch, the players and match reports, and in the first tutor lesson we said El partido fue muy emocionado, which the tutor changed to emocionante, explaining the difference between how a match is and how you feel. We described a stadium and got a labelled picture with portería, grada and banquillo, then asked for a short podcast recap of a match at our level. On day nine we heard fuera de juego and saque de esquina in real commentary, and both were already waiting in our Lexicon.
GoodThe words you learn are the ones your goal or passion needs, and every one of them is kept in one list.
Watch outNewer than the big names, with 10 languages today rather than 40.
- 10 languages and growing
- A0 to C2 curriculum
- AI tutors in every lesson
5
Memrise
Best for learning words from native speakers
Memrise mixes spaced review with thousands of short videos of real people saying the words and phrases you learn. Its memory aids, called Mems, came back in 2026, and AI chat partners are in the paid plan. It is a good fit for learners who remember a word better when they have seen a face say it.
On day three of German a clip showed a woman in Berlin saying Na, alles klar? with a grin, and the next card asked us what it meant. We remembered her voice more than the translation, which is the point. Review brought it back two days later with a different speaker. The monthly price is steep unless you pay for a year.
GoodReal voices and faces, with review that works.
Watch outThe official list of courses is smaller than before, and the monthly plan is expensive.
- About 5 to 25 dollars a month
- 20+ languages
- iPhone, Android, web
6
Drops
Best for a quick, visual word game
Drops teaches words with bright pictures and swipe games in short sessions. There is almost no text on screen, so it feels more like a game than a study session. It covers more than 50 languages and is at its best for the first few hundred words.
On day two of Korean we swiped 사과 onto the apple and 우유 onto the milk carton, and the five minutes were over before we noticed. The pictures made the words easy to recall at the supermarket that evening. After two weeks, though, we wanted sentences and grammar, which Drops does not teach, and the free version limits how long you can play each day.
GoodFun, fast and very visual, in a long list of languages.
Watch outSingle words with no sentences, and daily time is limited unless you pay.
- About 6 to 9 dollars a month
- 50+ languages
- iPhone, Android
7
Quizlet
Best for word sets for a class or exam
Quizlet is a general flashcard app used by millions of students, with a huge library of shared sets and a Learn mode that adapts to your answers. It is not made only for languages, but it is very handy when a teacher gives you a word list. You can make a set in minutes.
On day five we made a set of 40 Spanish verbs from a class handout and ran Learn mode on the bus. Aprovechar kept coming back until we typed it right three times in a row. It was quick and practical. The free plan limits Learn mode, and nothing tells you which words are worth learning in the first place.
GoodFast to make sets, great for class and exam lists.
Watch outNot a language course, and Learn mode is limited without a paid plan.
- Free, or about 3 to 8 dollars a month
- Any language
- iPhone, Android, web
8
LingQ
Best for picking up words from what you read
LingQ builds your vocabulary through reading and listening. Every word you do not know is highlighted, you tap it and save it, and the app tracks how many words you know. It suits learners who want vocabulary to come from real articles, books and podcasts.
On day twelve of Russian we read a short story with audio and saved всё равно the second time it appeared. Seeing it highlighted in three more stories that week did more than any flashcard. The known-word counter is motivating, but the screens are busy and a beginner may find the first stories hard.
GoodWords come from real content you choose, and the progress counter is motivating.
Watch outHard at the start, and the app looks cluttered.
- Free plan, or about 10 to 15 dollars a month
- 50+ languages
- iPhone, Android, web
Best app by goal
| Your goal | Our pick | Also good |
|---|
| Build your own cards, your way | Anki | Quizlet |
|---|
| Learn the most common words first | Lingvist | Clozemaster |
|---|
| Learn the words for a job, a move or a passion | Slova | Anki |
|---|
| Keep all your new words in one place | Slova | LingQ |
|---|
| Grow vocabulary at an intermediate level | Clozemaster | LingQ |
|---|
| Hear how real people say words | Memrise | Lingvist |
|---|
| Five minutes a day, on the go | Drops | Memrise |
|---|
| A word list for a class or exam | Quizlet | Anki |
|---|
| Spend nothing | Anki | Clozemaster |
|---|
How many words do you need?
A small number of words does most of the work in any language. The most common thousand words make up a large share of everyday speech, which is why frequency-based apps like Lingvist and Clozemaster start there. After that, the list you need depends much more on your life: a nurse, a gamer and a football fan need very different words at 2,000.
A practical way to think about it:
The first 500 to 1,000 words: everyday basics, numbers, food, time, family. Any app on this list works here.
Up to about 3,000: you can follow simple conversations and easy content on familiar topics. Now it pays to learn words from your own interests and goals.
Beyond that: you need words for real films, books and work, and these come faster from reading and listening than from lists.
Knowing a word also means more than recognising it. If you can hear it, say it and use it in a sentence, you know it. Pick an app that makes you do at least two of those.
Flashcards or context: which works better?
Both, in the right order. Flashcards with spaced review are unbeatable for keeping words you have already met. Context, from sentences, stories and conversations, is what teaches you how a word is really used, and it makes the flashcards easier.
The mistake most learners make is using only one. A deck of isolated words gets boring and does not transfer to speaking. Reading alone lets useful words slip past without review. The best routine meets a word in context first, then reviews it on a schedule, then uses it in your own sentence.
Which one should you pick
If you like control and do not mind a setup evening, Anki is the most powerful tool here, and mostly free. If you want the app to choose the words, Lingvist teaches the most useful ones first, and Clozemaster keeps you going once you are past the basics.
If you remember faces and voices, Memrise is the warmest. If you only have five minutes, Drops makes them count. For a class list, Quizlet is quickest, and for words from real reading, LingQ.
If you want the words you learn to come from your own goal or passion, and to live in one list that brings them back, Slova is the one we would start with. Whether that is a job interview, a move abroad or following football in Spanish, the vocabulary is built around it.
Conclusion
Vocabulary is where most learners stall, and the right app makes a real difference. Anki is the most powerful, Lingvist the most efficient and Clozemaster the best for intermediate learners. Memrise and Drops make words friendly. If you want the words you learn to be the ones your own life needs, all kept in one place, give Slova a try.
Related reads: the best apps to learn with TV shows and the best immersive language apps. Coming from Duolingo or Babbel? See Duolingo alternatives. Or browse the best AI language learning apps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free vocabulary app for language learning?
Anki is free on desktop, Android and the web, and has the best review system. Clozemaster and LingQ also have useful free plans. Anki's iPhone app is a one-time purchase.
Is Anki better than Memrise?
Anki is better if you want full control and are willing to make or find your own cards. Memrise is better if you want ready courses with native speaker videos and no setup.
How many new words should I learn a day?
For most people, 10 to 20 new words a day is plenty. More than that and the review pile grows faster than you can keep up, which is the most common reason people quit flashcards.
Which vocabulary app is best for learning words for a specific goal?
Anki and Quizlet let you build your own lists for any goal. If you want an app that builds the list for you around your job, a move or a hobby, and keeps every word in one place, Slova does that.
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