The best ways and apps to practice vocabulary
No single method suits everyone. What matters is that you quiz yourself and practice several times, not which tool you use. Here are common ways to practice vocabulary, what they are and who they suit. The order is not a ranking. Learn It is our own app, so it gets as short a description as the others.
What to look for
- It quizzes you, so you have to remember the answer yourself instead of just reading.
- You can write the answer, not just pick it.
- You can easily practice what you missed again.
- You can add your own words from your homework.
- It’s easy to get started, so you actually practice several days in a row.
Paper and the folded sheet
Write the words in two columns and fold the sheet so one column is hidden. Write your answers on another piece of paper, check them and mark the words you missed. It’s free, there is nothing to download and you practice spelling by hand. It suits everyone, especially anyone who wants a break from screens. What takes time is writing the list and keeping track of the hard words.
A parent or friend quizzes you
Someone reads the word and you answer out loud or in writing. It’s simple, you say the words out loud and you get the right answer immediately. It suits younger students and anyone who studies better with someone else. Of course, it needs someone with time.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a large international flashcard service, on the web and as an app. You make your own sets of cards or find sets other students and teachers have made, and study with flashcards, a learn mode and practice tests, among other modes. Sets can be shared with classmates. The free version shows ads. Quizlet Plus is a paid monthly or yearly subscription that, among other things, removes the ads and adds offline access. It suits students who want ready-made cards in many subjects.
Anki
Anki is an open-source flashcard program. After you answer a card, Anki works out when you should review it, around when you would otherwise start to forget it. The computer version for Windows, Mac and Linux and the Android app AnkiDroid are free. The iPhone app AnkiMobile is a one-time purchase on the App Store, and its sales fund Anki’s development. AnkiDroid is funded by donations. It suits students who study a lot over a long time, such as a new language, and who like to set things up themselves.
Learn It
Learn It is our own app. It’s free, with no ads or in-app purchases, and there is no paid version. It’s for iPhone and iPad. You type in the words from your homework or pick from 100+ ready-made quizzes, and practice with Spelling (you write the answer), Multiple choice or Flashcards. After each round you can practice just what you missed, and you can share a quiz with your class using a code. It’s used by students from elementary and middle school through high school, for vocabulary but also for math, history and other subjects.
Some ready-made quizzes: Family in Spanish, Seven times table and EU capitals.
How to choose
Paper and quizzing at home cost nothing. Here is how it looks for the digital options, according to their own pages in October 2026:
| Free version | Paid option | |
|---|---|---|
| Quizlet | Free, with ads | Quizlet Plus, a monthly or yearly subscription |
| Anki | Free on computers and Android | AnkiMobile for iPhone, a one-time purchase |
| Learn It | Free, with no ads or in-app purchases | No paid version |
Try one or two and see what you actually use. The best tool is the one you open several days in a row. Many people also combine them, such as a folded sheet for spelling at home and an app on the bus. How you practice matters more than where: quiz yourself, write the answer and practice what you missed again. Read more in How to study vocabulary.
Sources
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J. & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1).
- Roediger, H. L. & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3).
- Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T. & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3).
- Kang, S. H. K., McDermott, K. B. & Roediger, H. L. (2007). Test format and corrective feedback modify the effect of testing on long-term retention. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 19(4–5).