The Vocabulary app from Monkey Taps has a clean idea: swipe through a new word each day, read the definition, see it in a sentence, move on. With over 6 million downloads it clearly resonates. The friction shows up quickly though. On the free tier, ads land between nearly every card. The word selection tilts toward GRE and SAT test prep terms you would rarely use in ordinary conversation, and the app has no spaced repetition, so words you half-learned last week vanish from your queue. When you look at the paid tier, it nags you persistently before you are even sure the extra categories are worth it. If any of that sounds familiar, these seven Vocabulary alternatives are worth knowing.
Why people leave the Vocabulary app
- Ads on the free tier break concentration. Interstitials appear between words frequently enough to turn a two-minute session into a stop-start experience.
- No spaced repetition. Words are served without considering what you already know well. There is no algorithm tracking your weak spots and scheduling them for review at the right moment.
- GRE-skewed word list. The default corpus leans heavily on obscure test-prep vocabulary. If you want to sound more fluent in everyday speech, many of the words are not the ones you actually need.
- Thin context per word. A single example sentence is rarely enough to make a word stick. Richer alternatives give you multiple sentences, audio, mnemonics, or real-world usage clips.
- The paid upgrade is persistently promoted. Upsell prompts appear before you have had enough time on the free tier to decide whether the extra categories justify the cost.
Which vocabulary app should you pick?
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AnkiDroid if you want zero-cost spaced repetition you fully control. Nothing beats it for retention if you are willing to invest time setting up decks.
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Memrise if you want to hear native speakers use vocabulary in real conversation. The video clips and AI conversation partner make words memorable in a way flashcards alone cannot.
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Quizlet if you are a student who already has a course or textbook to follow. Quizlet is at its best when someone has already built a deck around your exact syllabus.
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Drops if you have five minutes and want a visual, low-friction daily habit. Sessions are time-capped and the interface removes almost all friction.
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Magoosh Vocabulary Builder if you are preparing for the GRE, TOEFL, or a standardised test. The word list is explicitly test-focused and the difficulty tiers are tuned for test-takers.
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Merriam-Webster Dictionary if you want authoritative definitions with depth rather than drill-style repetition. Word of the Day, etymology, and full entries make this the reference choice.
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WordUp Vocabulary if you want words taught through real TV clips and movies. Seeing vocabulary in the moment a native speaker actually uses it is a method few other apps attempt.
1. AnkiDroid, best for zero-cost spaced repetition
AnkiDroid is the Android port of Anki, the spaced repetition system that language learners, medical students, and bar exam candidates have relied on for years. The algorithm schedules each card for review at the exact moment you are about to forget it, which consistently outperforms fixed daily habits on long-term retention.
The app is free and open-source. You can download pre-built shared decks covering SAT vocabulary, GRE word lists, academic English, or domain-specific terminology covering hundreds of thousands of cards that the community has built and continues to maintain. If you prefer to build your own, the card editor supports text, audio, images, and formatted HTML, so a card can carry as much context as you want to give it.
The trade-off is setup cost. AnkiDroid rewards learners who invest time customising their decks and learning how the scheduling works. Out of the box it looks sparse compared to an app like Drops or Memrise, and the desktop companion (Anki for Windows, Mac, Linux) is where power users do most of their deck authoring before syncing to the phone.
Pricing: Free, open-source. Anki for desktop is also free. The iOS companion (AnkiMobile) is a separate paid app, but AnkiDroid on Android has no cost.
Best for: Anyone who wants maximum retention control without paying a subscription, and learners who already have specific vocabulary lists tied to a course or exam.
Advantages:
- Completely free with no ads and no subscription
- Proven spaced repetition algorithm with decades of research behind it
- Massive shared deck library covering virtually any vocabulary domain
- Fully customisable cards with audio, images, and rich formatting
Disadvantages:
- Steep learning curve for new users unfamiliar with SRS concepts
- Default interface is functional but uninspiring compared to newer apps
- Deck setup takes significant time before the app is useful
- Sync between phone and desktop requires an AnkiWeb account
Bottom line: The most powerful free vocabulary tool available on Android. The setup investment pays off quickly if you take retention seriously.
2. Memrise, best for hearing vocabulary in real context
Memrise built its vocabulary approach around short video clips of native speakers filmed in everyday settings, not a recording studio. Every word you learn comes with at least one real person saying it, which gives you the rhythm, stress pattern, and regional variation that a dictionary audio clip cannot. This matters more for vocabulary retention than most learners expect.
The app’s AI feature, MemBot, lets you have open-ended spoken or text conversations at any point, using vocabulary you have already been taught. This is useful for vocabulary specifically because it pushes you to retrieve words under mild conversational pressure rather than just recognising them on a card. Memrise has kept MemBot accessible across subscription tiers rather than locking it to the most expensive plan.
The spaced repetition engine schedules reviews automatically. You do not need to configure anything. Sessions feel closer to Duolingo than to Anki, which makes it easier to maintain a daily habit.
Pricing: Free tier available with limited content. Pro subscription at a modest monthly or annual rate unlocks full course access and offline mode.
Best for: Learners who want memorable vocabulary practice without heavy configuration, and anyone who finds traditional flashcard tools dry.
Advantages:
- Native-speaker video clips for every word teach natural pronunciation
- MemBot AI conversation partner for retrieval practice in real dialogue
- Automatic spaced repetition requires no setup
- Covers over 20 languages with strong English vocabulary courses
Disadvantages:
- The legacy user-built course library has been deprecated
- Grammar and etymology context is limited
- Some content varies noticeably between languages in depth
- Full offline access requires a paid subscription
Bottom line: The best vocabulary app on this list for learners who want their words to sound natural, not just defined correctly.
3. Quizlet, best for studying a specific course or textbook
Quizlet’s core loop is simple: create a set of term-definition pairs, then study them through flashcards, matching games, fill-in tests, or the adaptive “Learn” mode. Where it pulls ahead of most rivals is the size of its shared content library. Tens of millions of study sets exist, many created by students studying the exact same textbook or course you are in. If you are taking a Spanish class and your teacher uses a specific textbook chapter, there is a strong chance someone has already built the deck.
The Learn mode uses an adaptive algorithm that tracks which terms you are missing and repeats them until you hit a score threshold. It is not quite the same as Anki’s interval-based scheduling, but it handles short-term exam prep effectively without requiring you to understand how SRS works.
Quizlet is less compelling for building general vocabulary from scratch. There is no curated progression telling you which words to learn in which order. It works best when you already have a defined list and want an efficient way to drill it.
Pricing: Free tier includes flashcards and basic study modes. Quizlet Plus unlocks the full adaptive Learn mode, offline access, and no ads, at a modest annual subscription.
Best for: Students tied to a specific curriculum, textbook, or vocabulary list who want to drill efficiently rather than explore a curated word programme.
Advantages:
- Enormous shared library covers most textbooks and courses
- Multiple study modes beyond basic flashcards (matching, tests, Learn)
- Collaborative: teachers can assign sets, students can share
- Works well for any subject, not just language vocabulary
Disadvantages:
- No curated progression for general vocabulary growth
- Free tier now heavily restricted with ads on mobile
- Quality of shared sets varies considerably
- Not designed around long-term retention scheduling
Bottom line: The right pick if you are working from a specific word list and want to drill it fast. Less useful for building vocabulary from scratch without an external curriculum.
4. Drops, best for visual vocabulary habits in five minutes
Drops built its whole experience around one constraint: free sessions are capped at five minutes. That sounds limiting until you realise it solves the biggest problem with vocabulary apps, which is that learners open them, scroll aimlessly, and close them without making anything stick. A five-minute session forces the app to get to the point.
The method is visual and gesture-driven. Words appear alongside illustrated images and you swipe to match, tap to confirm, or drop to discard. There is no writing, no grammar, no translation boxes. The focus is on building a visual-semantic link: the word and the concept together, without routing through your native language as an intermediary.
Drops covers over 45 languages and also offers specialised courses in topics like travel phrases, food vocabulary, business English, and emoji. The content depth varies by language, with the major ones (Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, German, Mandarin) getting the most coverage.
Pricing: Free tier covers five minutes per day with the full word library accessible in those sessions. A premium subscription removes the time cap and unlocks offline access.
Best for: Visual learners who want a frictionless daily habit and are not in a hurry. Best used alongside a structured app rather than as a standalone course.
Advantages:
- The five-minute cap makes daily use genuinely sustainable
- No translation dependency: visual association is language-neutral
- Clean, gesture-driven interface with almost no friction
- Covers over 45 languages including several uncommon ones
Disadvantages:
- Five-minute cap on the free tier restricts daily learning volume
- No grammar, no sentences, no context around words
- Shallow coverage compared to structured courses for the same language
- Progress does not transfer well to a companion app or course
Bottom line: A strong daily habit-builder, but you will need a second app if your goal goes beyond basic vocabulary recognition.
5. Magoosh Vocabulary Builder, best for standardised test prep
Magoosh Vocabulary Builder is the most explicitly test-focused app on this list. The word list is curated around GRE, TOEFL, SAT, and general academic vocabulary, with difficulty tiers letting you start at Basic, move through Intermediate, and work up to Advanced. Words are grouped by difficulty and tagged by the tests they most often appear in.
Each card gives you the definition, a pronunciation audio clip, example sentences, and a short mnemonic hint to help the word stick. The recall questions that follow are multiple-choice, which matches the format of the tests the app targets. That consistency matters for test-takers: recognising a word among distractors is a different skill from recalling it freely.
The app is a specific tool for a specific job. It does not pretend to teach conversational vocabulary or cover everyday language. If you are studying for the GRE and you want your vocabulary practice and your test format to match, Magoosh is a more focused option than a general-purpose app.
Pricing: Free with no subscription required. All words and features are available without payment.
Best for: GRE, TOEFL, and SAT test-takers who need to build a strong academic vocabulary base before their exam.
Advantages:
- Completely free, no subscription, no paywalled words
- Word list is explicitly matched to GRE, TOEFL, and SAT
- Tiered difficulty helps test-takers build from the ground up
- Mnemonic hints and audio included for every entry
Disadvantages:
- Narrowly useful outside test preparation contexts
- Multiple-choice format does not build active recall
- No spaced repetition scheduling between sessions
- Interface is minimal and has not changed much in recent years
Bottom line: The sharpest free tool for standardised test vocabulary. If you are not preparing for a test, the word selection will feel disconnected from everyday use.
6. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, best for depth over drills
The Merriam-Webster app is a dictionary app first, and a vocabulary builder second. It covers both jobs well. The full dictionary entries include etymology, multiple definitions organised by part of speech, usage notes, and pronunciation audio. The vocabulary-building layer adds a daily Word of the Day, word quizzes, and the Learner’s Dictionary mode aimed at non-native English speakers studying the language.
What sets it apart from the other apps on this list is authority and depth. If you encounter a word in the wild and want to understand it fully, rather than just recognise it on a flashcard, Merriam-Webster gives you the complete picture. Etymology is particularly well covered, which helps words stick because you start to see families of related words rather than isolated terms.
The quiz feature is basic compared to dedicated vocabulary apps: multiple choice, no spaced repetition, no adaptive difficulty. It works well as a casual supplement but is not the foundation of a learning programme on its own. Think of Merriam-Webster as the reference layer you reach for when another app gives you a word you want to understand at a deeper level.
Pricing: Free with ads. A premium subscription removes ads and unlocks full offline access.
Best for: Strong reference source for any English learner who wants full definitions, usage notes, and etymology rather than just drill-format memorisation.
Advantages:
- Authoritative definitions with full usage notes and etymology
- Word of the Day and vocabulary quizzes built in
- Learner’s Dictionary mode for non-native English speakers
- Free tier is genuinely useful, not a stripped demo
Disadvantages:
- Quiz format is basic with no adaptive scheduling or spaced repetition
- Passive reference use does not build active recall
- Vocabulary-building features are secondary to the dictionary function
- Ads on the free tier, though less intrusive than in the Vocabulary app
Bottom line: The best reference app for English vocabulary on Android. Use it alongside a drill-based app rather than as your primary learning tool.
7. WordUp Vocabulary, best for learning from real TV and film
WordUp Vocabulary takes a different angle from every other app on this list. Instead of teaching words through definitions and flashcards, it finds the exact moment in a real TV show, film, or YouTube clip where a word is used naturally, then plays you that clip. You see the word in context before you ever read the definition.
The approach draws on research suggesting that encountering vocabulary in authentic, emotionally memorable contexts improves retention compared to isolated drilling. The clips are short, typically five to twenty seconds, and subtitles appear so you can read along while listening. After watching the clip you get the full definition, synonyms, and a pronunciation guide.
WordUp builds a personal vocabulary list as you learn and schedules spaced reviews based on what you have studied. The word selection leans toward everyday conversational English rather than academic vocabulary, which makes it a natural complement to test-prep tools like Magoosh.
Pricing: Free with a limited daily word allowance. A premium subscription unlocks unlimited words, full clip access, and offline mode.
Best for: English learners who find traditional flashcards dry and want to connect vocabulary to real speech they have actually heard in a show or film.
Advantages:
- Real TV and film clips show words in emotionally memorable contexts
- Spaced repetition scheduling keeps reviews on track automatically
- Conversational word list reflects how people actually speak
- Subtitle display helps connect spoken and written forms simultaneously
Disadvantages:
- No Aptoide listing available at time of writing
- Free tier caps daily words, which limits momentum early on
- Content is English-only: no use for foreign language vocabulary
- Clip availability depends on licensing, which can vary by region
Bottom line: A genuinely fresh approach to vocabulary retention. Worth adding to your stack if you watch English-language content anyway and want to convert passive exposure into active learning.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Paid tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnkiDroid | Full spaced repetition control | Yes, fully functional | None (always free) |
| Memrise | Native-speaker video context | Yes, limited content | Modest monthly/annual subscription |
| Quizlet | Studying a specific course or list | Yes, with ads | Annual subscription |
| Drops | Visual five-minute daily habit | Yes, 5 min/day | Subscription removes time cap |
| Magoosh Vocabulary Builder | GRE, TOEFL, SAT test prep | Yes, fully free | None |
| Merriam-Webster | Reference depth and etymology | Yes, with ads | Subscription removes ads |
| WordUp Vocabulary | Learning from real TV clips | Yes, limited words/day | Subscription for unlimited access |
FAQ
Is Anki better than the Vocabulary app?
For long-term retention, yes. AnkiDroid uses a proven spaced repetition algorithm that shows you words at exactly the right intervals to prevent forgetting, which the Vocabulary app does not do at all. The Vocabulary app is easier to pick up immediately, but AnkiDroid will leave you with more words that actually stay in your memory after a few months of use.
What is the best free vocabulary app?
It depends on your goal. For general long-term retention, AnkiDroid is the strongest free option. For test prep, Magoosh Vocabulary Builder is completely free and specifically tuned for GRE and TOEFL word lists. Merriam-Webster is the best free choice if you want a reference app alongside your main study tool. All three are free with no subscription required.
Does Memrise teach vocabulary like Vocabulary.com?
Memrise and Vocabulary.com take different approaches. Vocabulary.com (the website, not the Monkey Taps app reviewed here) adapts its word list based on questions you answer across reading passages. Memrise focuses on native-speaker video clips and an AI conversation partner to build words through exposure and speaking practice. Both use adaptive systems, but Memrise is better suited to language learners studying a new tongue, while Vocabulary.com leans toward native English speakers expanding their range.
Is the Vocabulary app worth paying for?
The paid tier removes ads and unlocks additional word categories. If the ad interruptions are the main friction point for you, the paid upgrade solves that specific problem. If you are also frustrated by the lack of spaced repetition or the GRE-heavy word selection, the paid tier does not address either of those issues. In that case, one of the alternatives above will give you more for a similar or lower cost.
Which vocabulary app works best for non-native English speakers?
Memrise and WordUp are strong picks for non-native English speakers because both prioritise hearing and seeing English used naturally by real people. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary mode is also worth using as a reference layer. For structured academic English, Magoosh covers the test-prep end well. Combining two of these (one for daily drilling, one for reference) tends to give better results than relying on a single app.
Can I use these apps without an internet connection?
AnkiDroid syncs over the internet but works fully offline once your decks are downloaded. Drops, Memrise, and Quizlet require a paid subscription for offline access. Magoosh Vocabulary Builder and Merriam-Webster’s free tier both work partially offline, though some features depend on connectivity. WordUp’s offline mode also sits behind its paid plan.
