Dutch vocabulary app

Learn Dutch vocabulary
that sticks.

OpenWords is a comprehensive Dutch dictionary app with one-tap flashcards and spaced repetition. Save the words you look up while reading, working, or studying — and review them just before you forget them.

Download on the App Store

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Free · No account required · Works offline

The word you looked up yesterday
is already fading.

It's not a memory flaw — it's just how the brain works. A word you only see once will fade. The fix is seeing it again at the exact right moment.

Without OpenWords

You look up a word today — and forget it by next week.

With OpenWords

Save it in one tap. Review it until it sticks.

How it works

Look up, save, review.

No setup.

Look it up.

Search any Dutch word — including separable verbs, compound nouns, and conjugated forms. Every meaning it carries, with CEFR level and example sentence.

Save the meaning you met.

One tap, no typing. That exact meaning becomes a flashcard.

Review before you forget.

Spaced repetition brings each word back at the right moment. Five card formats so the word sets from every angle.

afspraak

NOUN · 4 SENSES

afsprekenafgesprokenafspraakje

A2 a planned meeting with someone at a set time and place noun

A planned meeting with someone at a set time and place.

Ik heb een afspraak bij de dokter om drie uur.

A2 a date or social get-together with someone noun

A date or social get-together with someone.

Hebben jullie een afspraak vanavond?

B1 an arrangement or deal reached by agreement noun

An arrangement or deal reached by agreement.

We hebben een afspraak gemaakt over de huurprijs.

B2 a convention or agreed rule between people noun

A convention or agreed rule between people.

Dat is niet de afspraak die we hadden gemaakt.

Every meaning, in your language.

Definitions and example sentences are translated into 9 languages — so you understand every new Dutch word from the very first tap.

DEGermanENEnglishESSpanishFRFrenchITItalianPLPolishTRTurkishCSCzechRURussian

Dutch vocabulary research

How many words do you need to be fluent in Dutch?

Vocabulary researchers measure Dutch word size in word families — a root word and its common derived forms. The CEFR thresholds below reflect research by Schrooten, Vermeer, and Nation adapted to Dutch.

The jump from B1 to B2 in Dutch means roughly 2,000 more word families. At 5 new words a day, that's about a year — if you review consistently and don't forget what you've already learned.

~500

~1,000

~2,000

~4,000

~8,000

~16,000

Dutch for English speakers

The good news: Dutch and English are cousins.

Both Dutch and English come from the same West Germanic branch. Over the centuries, English borrowed hundreds of Dutch words — boss, cookie, landscape, yacht, and many more — and the core vocabulary still shows the family resemblance.

The real challenge isn't getting started; it's retention. Familiar-looking words carry unexpected meanings, and learners often re-look the same words repeatedly without them sticking. That's where building a personal wordbook pays off.

Shared roots — you already know these

water

hand

arm

open

naam

name

winter

boek

book

oud

old

groen

green

huis

house

goed

good

melk

milk

Dutch has thousands more that don't share English roots — and even familiar words often mean something unexpected. That's where building a personal wordbook pays off.

Made for Dutch learners who want to expand their vocabulary.

Whether you're in the NT2 system, working in a Dutch company, watching Dutch TV without subtitles, or just tired of re-looking up the same words — OpenWords turns every word you look up into a flashcard at the moment you look it up.

NT2 learners and inburgering exam candidates

Expats working or living in the Netherlands or Belgium

Daily life learners building vocabulary from TV, podcasts, and conversation

Heritage speakers reconnecting with the language

FAQ

Dutch vocabulary questions

What's the best way to learn Dutch vocabulary?

Read and listen to Dutch that interests you — news, podcasts, subtitled TV. Save the words you don't know in their exact meaning and review them before you forget. OpenWords builds that loop around the dictionary lookup.

Does it help with NT2 and the inburgering exam?

Yes. NT2 vocabulary is mapped to CEFR levels. OpenWords shows you the level of every entry, so you can focus on A2–B1 words for inburgering, or push to B2 for NT2-2.

Can I study Dutch vocabulary offline?

Review works offline — once a word is saved, you can study it anywhere. Looking up new words needs internet.

What's the difference between NT2-1 and NT2-2?

NT2-1 targets roughly B1 level (around 2,000 word families), NT2-2 targets B2 (around 4,000 word families). The CEFR bar chart on this page shows the approximate word counts for each level.

Is OpenWords free?

Yes. No subscriptions, no paywalls. Free to download, free to use, no account required.

How is OpenWords different from Anki?

Anki is great and powerful, but you build everything yourself — or rely on someone else's decks. OpenWords takes care of that. Look up a word, tap save, it's in your queue. Multiple review formats, FSRS scheduling, zero setup.

How is OpenWords different from Quizlet?

Quizlet gives you other people's flashcards. OpenWords starts with a real dictionary: full definitions, examples, usage notes — then turns what you save into smart, scheduled review. Multiple card formats, not just front-back drills — you practice exactly what you saved.

How is OpenWords different from Google Translate?

Google Translate is great for texts, sentences, and photo translation. OpenWords is for vocabulary building: every meaning, level, forms, and usage — save a word once, remember it through repetition.

Available on iOS & Android