Why not Anki?

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to change the minds of Anki users, who are some of the most dedicated users I've ever encountered.

This article explains why Anki doesn’t meet my language-learning needs.

People sometimes ask me why I don't just use Anki (or Quizlet or Memrise).

I created Vocably because none of the existing solutions could create flashcards quickly enough.

Here's how adding a new word to your collection works with Anki, Quizlet, or Memrise:

  1. Read an article on a website.
  2. Find a new word.
  3. Select and translate it using Google Translate (or another tool).
  4. Copy the unknown word.
  5. Open Anki/Quizlet/Memrise.
  6. Click “Add new card.”
  7. Paste the word.
  8. Return to the website.
  9. Copy the translation.
  10. Go back to Anki/Quizlet/Memrise.
  11. Paste the translation.
  12. Click “Save.”
  13. Switch back to the website.

If you are watching YouTube videos, you’ll have even more steps to follow because you need to:

  1. Open Google Translate.
  2. Manually type the new word.
  3. Manually add it to Anki/Quizlet/Memrise.

If you want to avoid having plurals or past-tense verbs (for example, using the word 'acquire' instead of 'acquired'), you'll need to edit them manually, which involves typing and researching.

Here’s how the Vocably process works:

  1. You read an article or watch a YouTube video.
  2. Come across a new word.
  3. Select the word and translate it using Vocably (or click on it while watching YouTube).
  4. Add a new card with definitions, parts of speech, translations, usage examples, and in its base form.

4 steps versus 13 steps.

So, in response to the question, 'Why not Anki?':