Vocabulary apps for adults: choose by your goal
The best vocabulary app for you depends on what you want to practise. Anki and Quizlet work with your own study sets, Merriam-Webster combines a dictionary with quizzes, Vocabulary.com asks questions in a browser, and arcoco puts vocabulary practice into phone games.
We make arcoco, one of the options here. The comparison uses each product’s published features, checked on 19 October 2026. We have not run a head-to-head learning trial or scored how much each app improves your English.
Swipe the table sideways to see all three columns or, with a keyboard, focus it and use the arrow keys.
| Your priority | Consider | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Review a personal word collection | Anki | You create or choose the cards. The official iOS app is paid. |
| Use or share study sets | Quizlet | Some study modes have limits without a subscription. |
| Look up words and take quizzes | Merriam-Webster | Decide whether a dictionary is enough for your practice. |
| Answer vocabulary questions in a browser | Vocabulary.com | Review its learner subscription options. |
| Play with meanings and sentence contexts | arcoco | It uses its own vocabulary. Free access and paid options differ by platform. |
Anki: when you have words of your own
If you keep meeting unfamiliar terms in books or at work, Anki gives you control over the cards you study. You add your own prompts and examples, including images or audio, and rate your recall after seeing the answer; Anki uses that rating to schedule later reviews.
The main work is writing the cards. A copied definition may not test the sense you want to remember, so try a sentence with the word missing or a situation that asks you to retrieve it.
Anki’s desktop apps and AnkiWeb sync are free. The official iOS app, AnkiMobile, is a purchase; AnkiDroid is the free Android option linked from the project’s site. Other apps have similar names, so use the official links.
Quizlet: when you want study sets you can share
Quizlet supports flashcard sets that you create yourself or find from other people, so you and a friend can work from the same collection on its website or its iOS and Android apps. Check a shared set against a dictionary first: a card may use a different sense of a word from the one you need.
Its help page says non-subscribers get limited Learn rounds and one practice test per set. If Learn is why you want Quizlet, try those rounds and check the current subscription terms before building a routine around it.
Merriam-Webster: when looking things up is the priority
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus apps include vocabulary quizzes, favourites and voice search. They are available for iOS and Android, the dictionary and thesaurus work offline, and premium options include an ad-free version.
To try them, look up a word you recently misunderstood, read the relevant sense and examples, then try a quiz to see whether you enjoy that kind of practice too. A personal list may still need a separate review routine.
Vocabulary.com: when you prefer questions in a browser
Vocabulary.com’s VocabTrainer selects questions using your previous answers and returns to words for review. The service also has a dictionary and vocabulary lists. Before committing, look through its lists and example questions, check that you can practise the words a reading project needs, and see its website for current learner subscriptions.
arcoco: when you want vocabulary practice through games
arcoco is for people who already understand English and want to practise more word meanings and uses. Activities include sentence gaps and word matches, with Pressure Test and River Runner unlocking as you progress; the Journal lets you revisit words.
It is on iPhone and Android and needs no sign-in to play. It uses its own vocabulary, so you cannot build a custom deck; Anki or Quizlet gives you more control over a fixed list for work or an exam.
Before downloading, see arcoco’s current free access, paid options and offline details; the iPhone and Android offers differ. arcoco does not coach pronunciation, and we have not established through a controlled study that playing improves spontaneous speech.
Try one task before choosing
Pick a few words you have recently wanted to understand or use. Enter those exact words if you need your own list, or try the suggested vocabulary to see whether the difficulty fits. Later, try to recall them before opening the answers, then check whatever could rule an app out: the cost of the feature you need, device support, or what works without a connection.
To try an exercise first, our five free vocabulary games work in your browser without an account. For a personal list, start with the word-note and review routine.
Play: try a game round
Here is what game-style practice feels like: five sentences, three words each.
Word fit
1 / 5The manager’s ____ reply, just ‘Fine.’, left everyone guessing.
Check the answer
Curt. It means rudely brief. Effusive means gushing with feeling, and candid means honest.
The instructions were ____, so the flat-pack wardrobe took five minutes to build.
Check the answer
Lucid. It means clear and easy to follow. Garbled means mixed up and confusing, and illegible means impossible to read.
He’s so ____ that his weekend plans change every hour.
Check the answer
Fickle. It means changing your mind often. Resolute means determined, and secretive means hiding things.
The film’s ____ pace meant half the audience fell asleep.
Check the answer
Sluggish. It means slow and lacking energy. Brisk means quick and energetic, and frantic means wild and hurried.
Her notes were so ____ that nobody needed to ask a follow-up question.
Check the answer
Thorough. It means careful and complete. Haphazard means disorganised, and cursory means quick and not careful.
Your score
