16 Best Spanish Flashcard Apps in 2024

Doing raw memorization for my Spanish vocabulary was pretty dull (and ineffective!) for me, so I started using flashcard apps instead. I still remember the first time I created my own deck with words in both Spanish and English. I would do reviews over the next several weeks, and somehow, the vocabulary stuck. After that, I never found Spanish vocabulary intimidating because I knew I could get through it as long as I stayed diligent with my flashcards. 

If you choose wisely, you’ll find that the right Spanish flashcard apps will make learning simple, easy and entertaining.

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1. Best for Organized Flashcard Decks: ReWord

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: ReWord has an organized flashcard library with 5,000+ Spanish words, plus it offers automatic translations when you create your own flashcards.   

Are you traveling to, say, Argentina in a few weeks and need to learn the most important words and expressions in Spanish?

This is the Spanish flashcard app for you!

Learn Spanish with Flashcards is the perfect place to start your Spanish learning path, whether you want to continue studying Spanish afterward or you just need a quick fix before going on vacation.

With this app, you will be able to learn tons of basic words and expressions that native speakers really use, and they already come in flashcards that are sorted by theme. The number of different topics you can choose from is basically amazing.

There’s a wide range of topics that you can choose from. The fact that it includes not only words but also expressions and audio pronunciation for them is even more useful. And you can save your favorite flashcards for later studying!

This app looks cute, is easy to use and is just the perfect flashcard tool for those in a hurry.

2. Best for Learning Through Media: FluentU

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: With FluentU, you can learn Spanish by watching authentic media clips and then reviewing new words with flashcards.  

FluentU pairs Spanish videos with handy tools for contextual learning and language practice, including spaced-repetition flashcards.

The basis of the learning program is Spanish media clips—movie trailers, music videos, comedy skits and other engaging videos made by and for native speakers. This is the type of authentic content that learners need to model pronunciation and conversational skills after native speakers.

These quick clips come with interactive subtitles vetted by experts, addressing the difficulties learners normally experience when trying to follow along and translate everything into English. The subtitles are also annotated with definitions, usage, native audio, images and video references to help you learn any new words in context.

You can also add any word from the subtitles into a personalized flashcard set, though themed decks are also available if you want to cover a specific topic.

Like the interactive subtitles, FluentU flashcards are equipped with the same learning aids for complete comprehension. After enough practice on your multimedia flashcards, you can challenge yourself with quizzes where you speak and type your answers.

3. Best Science-Backed: Brainscape

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: Brainscape is a science-backed flashcard app with an organized curriculum that covers both Spanish grammar and vocabulary.  

This hugely popular learning app isn’t specifically a Spanish learning app, but includes a massive library of Spanish learning flashcards to help you hit that vocab out of the park. 

They claim that you’ll “learn four years’ worth of Spanish” with their flashcard system and while this may be a big claim, it might not be that far off. 

The focus of the flashcards tends to be more on learning valuable phrases rather than specific vocabulary. However, you can also make your own flashcard decks to study whatever fits your learning goals, making this a pretty versatile app.

The app also uses a spaced repetition method to give language retention the love and care it needs to blossom into fluency. 

You can track your progress and set your own goal. The data and flashcards are all presented with color-coding and an easy-to-use interface—it’s definitely pleasing to the eyes!

4. Best for All-Around Reviews: MosaLingua Learn Spanish

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: MosaLingua lets you practice your vocabulary, writing, and speaking through pre-loaded flashcards. 

Aside from being a flashcard app, MosaLingua also has audio and dialogues that you can learn at your own pace. 

With the web version, you’re given access to an online library of selected content such as e-books, videos and more. You can browse this content with a special translation tool that will instantly give you definitions for words and phrases you come across.

You can then complete the learning cycle by painlessly adding vocabulary from the content to your flashcards for later review, ensuring it sticks in your memory.

Additionally, the MosaDiscovery feature allows you to add to your flashcard deck any word you come across while surfing the web.

MosaLingua comes free with the option to upgrade, and a paid web version that can be used to enhance the mobile versions.

5. Best for Making Your Own Flashcards: Anki

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: Anki is the most well-known flashcard app, with plenty of options for customization and some of the best user-made flashcard decks in Spanish. 

When you talk about flashcard apps, one name inevitably pops up as a powerful resource for learning languages (and Spanish in particular): Anki! 

Not only is it fun to say, but it’s also an absolutely awesome, collaborative and ingenious way to incorporate flashcards into your learning system. 

When you first open the app, you may be confused as to what’s actually going on. You might think to yourself, “wait a second, where are all the flashcards?” This is when the genius of Anki comes in. All of the flashcards are open-sourced, meaning that you need to choose and then download them from the database. 

After you jump to the “download” section, you can read reviews, study notes and consult manuals about the different flashcard decks and their creators to help you choose the right set. There’s also something great about using materials that real language learners have designed. 

It kind of reminds me of the old days when I was scrambling for last-minute study notes before an exam from friends (and strangers). Only this time, I’m free to pick and choose from heaps of awesome custom decks without begging! 

One of the key strengths of this Spanish flashcard app is its incredible versatility. For example, you could download 50 essential Spanish verbs or something specific like 200 English phrasal verbs translated to Spanish (awesome!).  

Here’s a guide on how to make the most out of Anki. 

6. Best for Conversational Spanish: Learn Spanish by Bravolol

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: Learn Spanish by Bravolol focuses on conversational phrases, with flashcards emphasizing sentence patterns more than individual words.  

This nicely designed tool for Spanish language learners is all about conversational Spanish. Not only will this help you practice common words and simple phrases until you nail the basics, but it’ll also help you drill Spanish sentence structure formation into your mind. For every flashcard which contains a single word, you’ll find two that have more lengthy, complex sentences.

It sounds like it might be a little much, but it’s a great way for beginner- and intermediate-level learners to start familiarizing themselves with full-on Spanish sentences. Not to mention, the sentences aren’t just pulled out of a hat—they’re specially selected to help you navigate all sorts of common, everyday situations that you’ll encounter in the Spanish-speaking world.

The key is to remember that Spanish is a pretty flexible language, and the sentences presented aren’t the be-all and end-all. You could easily rephrase most of these sentences in 12 different ways, using different vocabulary and grammar patterns. But it’s an awesome jumping-off point to get your brain accustomed to hearing more Spanish.

The app allows you to click little star icons and assemble a “favorites” flashcard list. You can play audio versions of each flashcard, slow down the audio for easier comprehension and even record your own voice and play it back for comparison.

I double-dog dare you to try and sound as chipper as their Spanish audio voice. She sounds very enthusiastic about even the most common Spanish words like salchicha (sausage) and cangrejo (crab). That’s bound to keep you in high spirits while learning.

And the best of all? You can use this app offline!

7. Best for Practical Phrases: SpeakEasy Spanish

Available on: iOS

Summary: SpeakEasy offers flashcard decks based on practical phrases for traveling, as well as separate options for European and Latin American Spanish.  

Going off the grid but want to continue your Spanish studies without a glitch? This offline phrasebook and flashcard app will come with you wherever you go, regardless of your reception or Wi-Fi availability. It’s not free, but I’d be remiss not to include it. This one will last you months—possibly years—of Spanish study, and you’ll keep discovering new things to love about it as you go.

For one, it boasts that it has “no robot voices,” pushing you to learn outstanding pronunciation from native speakers. Another feature is that it provides native audio to teach you pronunciation in both European Spanish and Latin American Spanish. You can slow the audio down to turtle speed in order to better hear the nuances of pronunciation, and can even toggle on phonetic spellings to help you sound out new vocabulary on your own.

The flashcard portion of the app is extensive and well-organized, allowing you to dive in without complication. You’ll find everything from basic survival phrases to more advanced vocabulary, and you can even review common expressions and key phrases on flashcards as well.

The app also lets you personalize your learning by adding the flashcards you want to your “Favorite” list.

8. Best for Beginner Vocabulary: Learn Spanish Vocabulary Words

Available on: Android

Summary: Learn Spanish Vocabulary Words teaches you the top 3,500 words in Spanish using flashcards and games. 

Ok, with a name like “Learn Spanish Vocabulary Words,” you’d want to be sure that they deliver on what they promise!

That’s why this flashcard app is excellent for a beginner looking to build a solid base in Spanish vocabulary—because it delivers.

This is a no-frills, run-of-the-mill flashcard app with a couple of cool extra features like vocab games and progress tracking. It encourages you to develop a habit of learning five words a day.

The flashcards tend to be focused on high-use Spanish vocab, making this a great option for a learner looking to nail some of the basics. 

The user interface is super clean and the flashcards have a little image to help you get familiar with some of the trickier vocabulary. Once you “flip” the flashcard to reveal the definition, you’ll also see the focus word in a simple sentence and audio to practice your pronunciation. 

It’s not the most advanced flashcard app, but it’ll undoubtedly get the job done and is a handy one to have in your back pocket. 

9. Best User-Friendly: Quizlet

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: Quizlet specializes in studying with flashcards, with extra features such as tests, games, and writing and listening exercises. 

Quizlet is another massive flashcard platform you can use to learn Spanish on any topic you want.

With Quizlet, you can either search for what you need or browse the dozens of categories available, which include hundreds upon hundreds of subcategories and flashcard decks on every topic imaginable.

Once you’ve found what you were looking for, there are several things you can do to learn with Quizlet.

The obvious first step you want to take is to actually learn the words. This step is what you’d traditionally do with flashcards, i.e. read the word in Spanish on one side and in English on the other one.

But then the fun starts.

Quizlet allows you to practice your new words with writing and listening exercises. There’s also a “Learn” mode where you have to choose a correct answer among a series of options, and also a “Test” section, where you can check what you’ve learned and what you have to review.

My favorite feature has to be the games. “Match” gives you a lot of scrambled words on-screen and you have to join the Spanish ones with their English translation. “Gravity” throws language asteroids at you, and you have to type the correct translation before they hit the ground.

Note that Quizlet features user-created content so errors are possible. You can also easily create your own flashcard sets using the very user-friendly interface.

10. Best Minimalist: Vocabulary Miner

Available for: Android | iOS

Summary: Vocabulary Miner allows you to make your own flashcards or study with pre-made flashcard decks that cover all levels of Spanish, from A1 to C2.   

Vocabulary Miner is both a nice flashcard app to learn Spanish and a powerful flashcard creator in one.

Depending on whether you go premium or not, you can use it as an all-around flashcard system to learn Spanish vocabulary at any level (from A1 to C2) if you decide to pay, or a flashcard program where you can enjoy creating your own decks for free.

The app includes some features that make it worth going premium, among which I’d mention that the ready-to-learn decks have been created by professional translators or that the Spaced Repetition system is used to help learners remember words better.

Vocabulary Miner lets you give the ready-to-learn decks a try by giving you three for free (you can choose which ones you want). After that, you either buy a premium access or use the app to create your own decks and share them with other users.

You can use Vocabulary Miner offline, which is a plus if you’re on the go or don’t have a stable connection to the internet, and there’s even the possibility of importing and exporting flashcard decks from and to the web app, which also allows for real-time synchronization with the phone app.

11. Best for Group Studying: Flashcard Machine

Available on: iOS 

Summary: Flashcard Machine has a massive library of Spanish flashcards, and you can share your flashcards with other people and even do collaborative editing. 

Flashcard Machine is a monster with over 122 million flashcards!

Of all of them, literally thousands have been created by other users who were or are learning Spanish.

You will need months if you want to finish all the Spanish topics available!

Flashcard Machine allows you to create your own flashcards and study sessions. It uses a system that imitates human behavior, dividing the flashcards into three categories: correct, wrong and flagged. The app will remember your previous performance when creating a new study session, and you can also create your own sessions if you wish to.

This flashcard app is totally customizable (even the font can be customized!) and can cache images so that you can study offline.

With Flashcard Machine, you can even tag and share your flashcards, so it is a great tool if you are in a study group or attend group Spanish lessons.

12. Best for Short-Term Studying: Flashcards Deluxe

Available on: Android | iOS 

Summary: Flashcards Deluxe gives you two options for studying—a short-term mode for cramming, or a long-term mode based on spaced repetition. 

Do not let the “naked” and simplistic appearance of Flashcard Deluxe deceive you. This app is awesome!

What I like the most about Flashcards Deluxe is that it takes creating personalized flashcards to a whole new level. It allows you to choose from a wide variety of themes and styles. You can create interactive flashcards with photos, include a multiple-choice option and you even have the possibility of drawing and writing!

Additionally, the app divides flashcards into categories and includes a slideshow mode.

Flashcards Deluxe allows you to choose between two learning systems, the Leitner system and the spaced repetition system. It also supports text-to-speech in 20 languages.

13. Best for Classroom Lessons: StudyStack

Available on: iOS

Summary: StudyStack is a flashcard app that’s made specifically for students and teachers, with automatically generated games like crossword and hangman. 

StudyStack was created with one main goal in mind: allow teachers and students to share their knowledge in the form of flashcards.

As with many other Spanish flashcards apps, StudyStack lets you use flashcards created by the website team or by other users (who are normally teachers and students), or you can create your own cards.

I myself use StudyStack with my youngest students because it includes several games with which you can practice the words you are learning.

Just choose a topic and start learning! Here are all the Spanish learning stacks available at the moment. Do you think you have enough?

You can also color-code your flashcards, so you can classify them before or during the learning session according to their topic, difficulty, part of speech… You choose!

14. Best for Structured Lessons: Busuu

Available on: Android | iOS

Summary: Busuu features short interactive lessons for all levels of Spanish, including quick exercises, quizzes, and flashcard reviews. 

from beginner to advanced Spanish, with quick exercises, quizzes, and flashcard reviews. 

I have included Busuu in this list because of some of its great features. I am aware of the fact that Busuu is not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “flashcard,” but it does have a flashcard system to teach you vocabulary.

Busuu allows you to learn Spanish vocabulary by level and by topic. You do not have to follow any course if the only thing you want is to learn vocabulary about a specific topic.

The flashcard system works by following the spaced repetition approach, so the words and sample sentences you will be getting will appear from time to time to make sure you memorize them correctly.

After you are done with the flashcards, you can continue your language adventure by listening to and reading dialogues, doing exercises and quizzes related to the vocabulary learned and writing a final task for each unit.

The social feature contained in this app, where you can get your pronunciation and writing corrected by a native Spanish speaker, is awesome. After you have learned those words in the flashcards, try to get social and put your new knowledge out there to make sure you got it right!

15. Best for Different Study Modes: Cram

Available on: Android

Summary: Cram is a sleek flashcard app with different study modes, including reviewing an entire deck or focusing on the most difficult flashcards.  

If you search for the word “Spanish” on Cram, you get over 199 thousand results. 199 thousand!

If that is not enough reason to download it right away, let me give you another great reason: It only takes up 14 MB of phone memory! If you have an older phone like my LG 4K, you will really appreciate this.

The weight of this app should not lead you to think it is not a great one. Cram is not only easy to use and very easy on the eye, but it is also fast, reliable and super intuitive!

It includes two study modes: the Card mode, which allows you to choose a set of flashcards and repeat them as often as you please and the Memorize mode, which allows you to focus on the flashcards you are having problems with.

You can use a third, even more awesome study mode, the Cram mode, based on the Leitner system mentioned above. This mode automatically promotes and demotes flashcards within a given set until all of them have reached the highest level of mastery.

16. Best for Kids: Flashcards Spanish Lesson

Available on: iOS

Summary: Flashcards Spanish Lessons has a fun, highly visual interface, and it’s geared towards beginners, especially kids. 

This cute set of flashcards is indeed a Spanish lesson for every beginner learner, from kids to adults, who like learning interactively.

The app includes flashcards on categories such as the alphabet, the colors, the parts of the body and the animals, among others.

There’s a spinning wheel to choose a topic randomly for those who don’t want to choose a specific category or want to introduce a bit of fun to their learning.

The images are big and high-quality, and the audio has been professionally recorded in a studio.

Even though it looks like this app was created for kids (the description says it can even be used by four-year-olds), any person wanting to learn their first Spanish words can enjoy the user-friendly interface and the exercises and games employed to help memorize the vocabulary.

There’s a learning game called “Find me” in which the learner has to choose the correct answer out of four pictures. This game is great for younger kids and complete beginners to the language.

There’s another learning game called “Match me.” The user gets some pictures and some words and has to draw a line to join each Spanish word to its picture. 

This app is simple and entertaining at the same time. It’s perhaps because of this that its creators state it’s great for kid-parent learning and play.

How to Study with Spanish Flashcards

Spanish flashcards are very effective, but you need to know how to use them properly.

The following tricks are the best you can use to make this awesome learning method work for you:

1. Go beyond individual words.

Try writing phrases, phrasal verbs, whole sentences and even grammar rules with examples!

For instance, if you want to learn the Spanish imperfect tense, write the endings on one side of the flashcard and a fully conjugated verb on the other side; if you’re learning irregular verbs, group them and put each group on a flashcard; if you’re trying to learn Spanish word order, write a few correct sample sentences. Your imagination is the limit.

2. Use spaced repetition.

Spaced repetition is a learning method that makes sure you don’t forget what you’re learning by bringing it back to you at specific time intervals. With spaced repetition, you review a flashcard less and less over time. At first, you might review a word the next day or every few days, and then every few weeks and finally only after several months. 

It’s one of the most efficient ways to remember vocabulary words. Nowadays, most flashcard apps include some kind of spaced repetition algorithm or a review feature that tries to imitate this method. 

3. Try to only use Spanish on your flashcards.

As much as possible, don’t use your native language on the flashcards! You can write a word or phrase in Spanish and draw something or add an image to help you remember the meaning. You can also, of course, write the Spanish definition of the word. This will make you think in Spanish, which will help you remember more and better.

4. Review, review, review.

Review your flashcards every day or at least every other day. You do not need to invest more than 15 minutes in order to revisit the words you have already studied. At the end of the week, try to review all the words you have learned that week. 

5. Read out loud.

When you’re studying a flashcard, read it out loud. This will help you improve your pronunciation and remember words and concepts better.

6. Be specific.

Don’t add too much information to your cards. If you’re creating a Spanish vocabulary deck, one word and a sample sentence on each side are all you need. If you’re creating a Spanish conjugation deck, don’t include more than one conjugated verb on each card.

The word “flashcard,” at least for me, means you have a card you can learn in a flash, so each card should include information you can quickly see, not a whole paragraph that’d take you 30 seconds to read.

If you need to create a flashcard on something complex like a grammar rule, divide the topic into smaller parts and number the cards accordingly.

7. Keep it varied.

Not all flashcards are the same and not all are perfect for everybody. Make sure you have different types of flashcards to choose from and mix them up to keep boredom at bay.

Some flashcards can have a single word and its translation, others can have a word and its definition in Spanish and some can even have sample sentences or fill-in-the-gap mini exercises!

8. Add visuals or hints whenever possible.

Not all of us have a super memory capable of memorizing thousands of the digits of pi in order. Some of us need a little bit of a push when we get stuck.

By adding images, references, little hints and small drawings to your flashcards, you will help yourself remember even more words

Be creative, play games, include your flashcards in your daily life, practice word association… In a word: Have fun with your flashcards!

 

And there you have it, 16 Spanish flashcard apps for easy-access vocab practice plus a lot of tips on how to make the best out of this superb learning method.

Choose one (or more!) and get started today!

Stay curious, my friends, and as always, happy learning!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)