7 English vocabulary apps compared: purpose, free limits and speaking

For free custom vocabulary review on Android, start with AnkiDroid. For a class or shared word list, consider Quizlet. If you can already read English explanations, WordUp is a candidate for finding useful words in context. For learners comfortable with Japanese, our editorial picks are mikan for a named exam wordbook and iKnow! for prepared vocabulary courses with spoken examples. TANZAM offers a picture-led approach. SpeakGain suits a different job: keeping your own sentence for listening and speaking practice.

SpeakGain is our own product. We do not recommend it first for a ready-made exam wordbook, a large prescribed syllabus or permanently free study. We assess it using the same criteria as the other apps. Recognizing a word’s meaning and saying it in a sentence need separate checks.

For TOEIC preparation specifically, our app comparison by purpose, score range and free access also explains how to combine apps with official practice books.

To combine tools without paying, see our guide to free English learning apps and websites for skill-based choices, ads, limits, trials and a free-only week.

For a purpose-based choice of resources and a routine that turns words into your own sentences, see our Eiken Pre-2 vocabulary guide.

Compare purpose and free access first

Facts checked 10 October 2026 against official pages and the screens we could reach on a dedicated Android device. We did not register or pay in third-party apps. This is an editorial comparison, not a controlled trial or a ranking of measured learning gains. Some candidates and verified prices concern Japanese learners; Japanese support and yen prices are not evidence of availability or the same price in your country.

App	Type / audience	Vocabulary / materials	Audio, examples / speaking	Review	Your words or sentences	Free access	Checked price	OS / checked
mikan	Prepared exam wordbooks; Japanese users	Play: 200+ vocabulary materials; access varies by plan	Word audio, dictionary examples; direction/listening varies by plan	Mastery and difficult-word repetition	my wordbook	Free materials, English→Japanese; 20 custom words and 20 dictionary uses/month	Japan: Lite ¥1,000/month or ¥7,200/year; Premium ¥1,800/month or ¥12,000/year, tax included	Android/iOS; 10 Oct
TANZAM	Pictures and examples; exams/context	TOEIC, Eiken, TOEFL, IELTS; total not established	Illustrations, examples and audio; not spontaneous conversation scoring	Automatic review, per official description	Unverified	Older official plan: 10 new words/day, unlimited review, ads	2023 announcement: Pro ¥1,200/month; 3-month equivalent ¥1,000/month; annual equivalent ¥720/month. Current checkout unverified	Android/iOS; 10 Oct
iKnow!	Prepared daily/work vocabulary courses	200+ courses on Japanese pricing page	Words, spoken examples, Sentence Trainer, Listening	Spaced practice based on history	Custom courses	5 sessions after registration; not a permanently free full library	Japanese web: ¥1,510/month; ¥9,530 total/12 months, tax included	Android/iOS/web; 10 Oct
AnkiDroid / Anki	Custom or shared decks	No fixed exam vocabulary count	Examples, audio and images you supply; recording/playback	Self-rated recall schedules the next review	Yes	AnkiDroid free; local study needs no account	Android ¥0; official iOS AnkiMobile is a separate paid app; check local store	Android; separate iOS product; 10 Oct
Quizlet	Shared/custom sets	Yours or other learners’; accuracy must be checked	Flashcards, read-aloud, Learn; plan-dependent	Card selection and adaptive Learn practice	Yes	Basic account-based cards; premium practice limits	Plus / Plus Unlimited; current local checkout price not established	Android/iOS/web; 10 Oct
WordUp / Zann	Context and useful vocabulary	Play says 25,000; current web says 30,000+; discrepancy unresolved	Definitions, audio, pictures and examples; check extra features	Knowledge Map and spaced review advertised	Official FAQ says yes; free conditions unverified	Free version; ongoing limits not established in our capture	Official web Annual Pro £49.99/year; inconsistent units elsewhere, so no monthly/lifetime claim	Android/iOS; 10 Oct
SpeakGain (ours)	Your own usable sentence	English you enter, not a prepared exam wordbook	Generated explanation/audio; listen→guess→answer→record entry	Choose review interval for each card	Yes	Japanese public terms: initial 2-week trial; not permanently free	Japanese public terms: ¥980/month or ¥9,800/year, tax included; check local offer	Android/iOS; captured Android Dev; 10 Oct

Sources: mikan, mikan, TANZAM, iKnow!, iKnow!, Anki / AnkiDroid, Anki / AnkiDroid, Quizlet, WordUp / Zann, WordUp / Zann, SpeakGain. Check your store’s total, renewal and supported course language before subscribing. An annual total divided by twelve is not the price of a monthly contract.

Step 1: separate recognition from saying your own sentence

You may recognize available as “free to meet”. Can you ask a colleague Are you available tomorrow? without reading? Meaning, the sound of a sentence and producing that sentence are different tasks. Choose the task where you actually get stuck.

Three checks: recognize available, listen to the question, then ask it without reading — An editorial concept diagram, not app UI. Check meaning, listening and speaking separately.

For an exam, check that the required syllabus is included in the free or paid plan. For conversation, take one useful word and put it in a question, request or explanation you will use. Our how to learn vocabulary guide covers study habits after selection; custom flashcard app comparison compares custom flashcard tools in more detail.

mikan: first check for Japanese exam wordbooks

Verdict: mikan is our first check when a Japanese-speaking learner wants a named TOEIC, Eiken or entrance-exam wordbook. Choose the material and exercise type before choosing a subscription.

Best for: learners following a particular book and doing short meaning checks. Not our pick for: free conversation with replies, every commercial book for free or unlimited free custom input.

Checked 10 October 2026: mikan lists 200+ materials, audio, four-choice questions and dictionary examples. mikan limits free my-wordbook input to 20 words/month and dictionary use to 20/month. Japanese→English and listening are Lite+, typing Premium. Japanese tax-inclusive prices are in the table.

Official mikan multiple-choice practice with the word extremely — Official store example. Our dedicated Android device was marked incompatible, so we could not install it; this is not our own completed practice. Google Play

Correct multiple-choice answers do not establish speaking ability. Try recalling one word from its meaning or situation before claiming you can use it.

iKnow!: prepared vocabulary with spoken examples

Verdict: a good candidate if its course language suits you and you want prepared daily/work vocabulary plus sentence audio. We would not choose it for zero-cost ongoing study.

Best for: following a course and moving from word meaning to hearing a complete example. Not for: account-free ongoing access, permanently free full courses or an AI conversation partner.

Checked 10 October 2026: iKnow! lists 200+ courses, ¥1,510/month or ¥9,530 for twelve months on the Japanese web offer. iKnow! describes five learning sessions after registration. Word audio, spoken examples, Sentence Trainer and Listening are advertised; custom courses and history-based spaced learning are supported.

Official iKnow! word and spoken-example screen — Official Japanese store example. Our English onboarding showed Japanese/Chinese courses; we did not register to enter the Japanese-speaker English course. Confirm your course language first. Google Play

Listening to the example is useful, but separately try saying it with the English hidden. A trial session allowance is not permanent free access.

TANZAM: pictures as a clue to meaning

Verdict: consider it when illustrations help you stay with examples and its materials/language suit your exam. The current payment amount and free boundary were not verified at checkout.

Best for: learners who prefer illustrated meaning and examples to a translation-only list. Not for: a required unlimited free plan, guaranteed unrestricted custom input or spontaneous conversation scoring.

Checked 10 October 2026: TANZAM advertises examples, illustrations, audio and automatic review. TANZAM is a 2023 announcement: ten new words/day, unlimited review and ads in the free plan; Pro prices are historical, not confirmed current checkout prices. The selected TOEIC Level 1 download displayed 1,565 words / 114 MB; that is not the whole app’s vocabulary count.

Official TANZAM illustrated example exercise — Official Play image. We skipped registration, but the selected material download did not yield a practice screen. We do not claim to have tested the free daily allowance. Google Play

After picking the right picture, hide the answer and recall a short sentence. Understanding the image and speaking are separate checks.

AnkiDroid: free custom review on Android

Verdict: our first choice for Android learners who want to supply their own material and review without a subscription. Choose a prepared course instead if making and checking cards is a burden.

Best for: words from reading/work, your own examples and control over decks. Not for: a ready-made exam syllabus on installation, automatic explanations or automatic pronunciation scoring.

Checked 10 October 2026: Anki / AnkiDroid distinguishes free AnkiDroid from paid iOS AnkiMobile. Anki / AnkiDroid documents custom cards, audio/images, recall self-ratings and recording/playback. We used normal Add without an account and reached the front and answer screens. Recording playback is not an automatic pronunciation score.

Our AnkiDroid card front showing available and Show answer — Actual Android capture before revealing the answer. The word and sentence were manually entered; this is not generated example content.

You can put “ask about tomorrow’s availability” on the front and the sentence on the back. Check shared decks’ source and meanings rather than trusting a title alone.

Quizlet: a class list or shared set

Verdict: consider it when the list has already been shared with you. For independent free custom review on Android, we would start with AnkiDroid.

Best for: a teacher’s set, group sharing and trying different exercise types. Not for: no-account use, unlimited free premium exercises or unquestioned trust in public sets.

Checked 10 October 2026: Quizlet describes free basic custom/shared flashcards; Quizlet describes adaptive multiple-choice/written practice. Quizlet distinguishes monthly premium-use limits on Plus and a separate Plus Unlimited offer. We could not establish the current local checkout amount and reached a registration gate in capture.

Official Quizlet flashcard example with a diagram and answer — Official Play example uses mathematics. It demonstrates a card mode, not the English vocabulary inventory. Our device required registration; we did not create an account. Google Play

A shared word/translation list may still need checked examples and time to practise using them. Sharing a list does not complete speaking practice.

WordUp: useful words in English context

Verdict: a candidate for learners comfortable reading English definitions and examples. We would not make it the first “free” recommendation because ongoing free limits remain unresolved.

Best for: organizing known/unknown words and choosing the next useful word. Not for: following a Japanese exam book, a guaranteed fixed free allowance or beginners overwhelmed by English explanations.

Checked 10 October 2026: WordUp / Zann lists 25,000 words, while WordUp / Zann says 30,000+. We do not resolve the discrepancy by inventing a count. WordUp / Zann mentions adding words; WordUp / Zann shows Annual Pro £49.99/year, but other duration labels are inconsistent. Extra-feature access and free limits were not established.

Official WordUp Knowledge Map example showing joyful — Official Play image. Startup remained under loading on our dedicated device, so this is not a hands-on practice result. Google Play

Choose one understandable example rather than browsing an intimidating map. An impressive word count is not evidence that today’s study is manageable.

Step 2: distinguish three meanings of “free”

Free Android custom study: AnkiDroid. Prepared materials: check mikan/TANZAM’s actual free conditions if their language suits you. iKnow! and SpeakGain trials are not permanent free plans. Separate a free download, an ongoing allowance and a time-limited premium trial.

Free download, ongoing free learning and a limited trial are compared — Editorial diagram. Check the material, exercise direction, audio, new-word limit, review and renewal terms.

Before paying, see whether tomorrow’s review remains accessible. Check the total charge and automatic renewal. A few custom additions may have a monthly cap; a free meaning quiz may not include reverse recall or audio. Ads and connectivity can also matter during a short study break.

SpeakGain (our product): a word in your own sentence

Verdict: useful when you already know a sentence you want to say, hear and revisit. We do not recommend it first for covering an exam vocabulary syllabus.

Best for: familiar words that will not come out, real requests/questions and saving your own English. Not for: a prepared wordbook, permanently free study, bulk exam coverage or a conversational reply from an AI partner.

Checked 10 October 2026: normal Create produced Are you available tomorrow? with meaning/structure explanation and Viking audio. We reached listen→guess→answer; the answer offers a recording/check entry and review intervals. We did not assess score accuracy. what SpeakGain does explains the wider app. SpeakGain lists the Japanese offer: two-week initial trial, ¥980/month or ¥9,800/year, tax included; confirm local store terms. Capture entitlement is not proof of unlimited free creation.

SpeakGain explanation of Are you available tomorrow? — Actual English explanation of an existing card opened from the normal duplicate notice. AI explanation is a study aid, not a dictionary or primary grammar authority. No new card or audio was generated.

Here available means free to meet. Choose the situation “ask about tomorrow’s availability”, not only a dictionary translation. One sentence is enough to test whether you can hear and recall it.

SpeakGain answer with the English sentence, playback, review intervals and recording entry — Actual answer after listening and guessing. This practises a saved sentence; it is not a reply in free conversation. The interface is English. The stored meaning includes English and Japanese; here the question means “Are you free to meet tomorrow?”. We reopened an existing card through the normal duplicate notice, without generating another card or audio clip.

The English clip was generated once and reused across languages. Listen, then hide the English and say the question. Is the difficulty the sound of available or recalling the question pattern? That tells you what to practise next.

Step 3: keep one sentence from today’s words

Do not turn every word into a long example. For exams, prioritize the required word list; for conversation, select one useful word and check a short sentence’s meaning, sound and production.

Make available part of a question, listen, hide the sentence and review tomorrow — Today's shared sentence is Are you available tomorrow? This is a concept diagram, not app UI.

If yesterday’s reviews take the whole study slot, reduce new words. This is an editorial way to leave room for review and speaking, not a guaranteed word-per-day formula. For responding to another person, see conversation app comparison; for feedback-focused selection, see pronunciation app comparison. Our English study guide covers the overall study routine.

Other apps and methods considered

Duolingo: Duolingo suits a broader beginner language course. We excluded it from the seven because this comparison focuses on choosing word material or custom vocabulary, not ranking complete courses by vocabulary count.

Drops: Drops is a candidate for a short vocabulary habit. We did not complete dedicated-device practice and verify current free boundaries, so we do not promote a confirmed free allowance here.

A dictionary or paper wordbook: if you only need a meaning, your existing dictionary may be enough. A book with its official audio can also cover an exam syllabus. These seven are a purposeful shortlist, not every app available.

FAQ

Which vocabulary app is completely free?

AnkiDroid on Android supports free local custom study without an account. Other free tiers restrict material, formats, new words or ads. Five iKnow! sessions and SpeakGain’s Japanese two-week trial do not mean permanent free access.

Which app should I choose for TOEIC or Eiken?

For a Japanese-speaking learner, our first check is mikan, provided the required book/level is included. TANZAM offers illustrated study and iKnow! offers examples/audio. Check course language; these are not universal local-exam recommendations.

How many words should I learn each day?

Start with an amount that leaves time for tomorrow’s review and one usable sentence. Five to ten new words can be a provisional editorial starting point, not an optimum or a learning guarantee. Reduce it if review cannot be completed.

Paper wordbook or app?

Consider paper for seeing the syllabus and an app for audio and short reviews. Keep a book that already works rather than buying again automatically. Choose according to the daily work it makes easier.

Will vocabulary quizzes make me able to speak?

Correct recognition alone does not establish speaking ability. Hear Are you available tomorrow?, hide it, then ask about tomorrow’s availability. Replies and turn-taking require separate conversation practice.

Is Anki free on iPhone too?

Official AnkiMobile for iOS is a separate paid product; AnkiDroid is free on Android. Follow Anki / AnkiDroid and check the developer rather than choosing a similarly named app.

Should a beginner install several apps at once?

Choose one purpose and one app first. Check that you can review yesterday’s words and say the sentence you need before adding another tool.

For Japan’s Eiken Pre-1 vocabulary, see our guide to choosing a wordbook or app and using words in your own sentences.

If vocabulary is your main obstacle in Japan’s Eiken Grade 1, see how to choose vocabulary resources and practise your own sentence for a comparison based on official provider information.

Final editorial verdict

AnkiDroid for free Android custom review; Quizlet for an assigned/shared set; WordUp as a context-led candidate if English explanations are comfortable. For Japanese-supported study, mikan for exam wordbooks and iKnow! for prepared examples/audio. SpeakGain for your own sentence, TANZAM for picture-led learning. Check language and regional terms rather than assuming the Japanese offer applies everywhere.

Choose one app against the actual job: suitable material, useful sound, repeatable review and a sentence you can say without reading. “Free”, “many words” or “AI” alone is not our criterion. Our own product earns a recommendation only for the job it fits.

To connect Eiken vocabulary with listening, writing and interview work, compare eight Eiken apps and their free limits.

For Japan’s Eiken Grade 2, our vocabulary resource and practice guide explains how to choose a book or app and use words in your own sentences.

For focused practice at Japan’s Grade 3, our Eiken Grade 3 vocabulary guide compares official resource features and explains personal sentences and support at home.