English vocabulary app

Learn English vocabulary
that sticks.

OpenWords is a comprehensive English 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
Get it on Google Play

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 English word. Every meaning it carries — with CEFR level, frequency, and example. Run has dozens of senses. Get has more.

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.

approach
VERB / NOUN · 4 SENSES
approachableunapproachableapproachability
A2 to come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality, or amount verb
To come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality, or amount.
The train began to approach the station slowly.
B1 to speak to someone for the first time about a proposal, request, or offer verb
To speak to someone for the first time about a proposal, request, or offer.
She decided to approach her boss about a pay rise.
B2 a way of dealing with something or doing something noun
A way of dealing with something or doing something.
We need to try a different approach to solve this puzzle.
C1 to be almost the same as something; to come close to a particular quality or state verb
To be almost the same as something; to come close to a particular quality or state.
His performance approached perfection during the final act.

Every meaning, in your language.

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

DEGermanESSpanishFRFrenchITItalianNLDutchPLPolishTRTurkishCSCzechRURussian
English vocabulary research

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

Vocabulary researchers measure size in word families — a root word and its common forms. The CEFR levels map roughly to these thresholds, based on studies by Nation, Milton, and others.

The jump from B1 to B2 means learning 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.
A1
~500
A2
~1,000
B1
~2,000
B2
~4,000
C1
~8,000
C2
~16,000

Made for English learners who want to expand their vocabulary.

Most English vocabulary apps teach the same thousand words everyone already knows. OpenWords starts from the words you run into — in articles, in meetings, in lectures, in books — and turns each one into a flashcard at the moment you look it up.

Non-native speakers building everyday, academic, or professional English
IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge exam candidates who need CEFR-levelled word lists
Advanced readers who keep meeting C1–C2 words they half-know and keep forgetting
Anyone who's tried Anki and found it too much work to set up
FAQ

English vocabulary questions

What's the best way to learn English vocabulary?
Read and listen to things you find interesting, save the words you don't know in their exact meaning, and review them before you forget. That's the loop OpenWords runs for you.
Does it work for IELTS, TOEFL, or academic English?
Yes. Entries carry CEFR levels up to C2 and frequency data, so you can focus on the words that matter for academic reading, exam prep, or professional writing.
Can I study English vocabulary offline?
Review works offline — once a word is saved, you can study it anywhere. Looking up new words needs internet.
What does CEFR mean?
The European scale for language levels, from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near-native). Every entry in OpenWords carries one, so you know what's worth learning at your 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

Start learning English vocabulary with OpenWords.

Every English word you look up is one tap away from becoming a flashcard.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Free · No account required · Works offline

Also available for

Dutch vocabulary
Polish vocabulary
Russian vocabulary