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Start from a ready-made vocabulary pack

A vocabulary pack is a ready-made word list for one topic at one level, such as food at A1 or business at C1. You can look through a pack and practice it without an account, then add it to your decks as an ordinary deck with its own review schedule.

Packs are written for learners of English, and English is the only language with a full set of topics. A few other languages have a handful of packs, and most have none. The packs page lists only the languages you can browse there. If the language you're learning isn't on it, build a deck from a topic instead.

What you need

  • Nothing, to look through a pack and practice it on the web.
  • A Vocards account, to add a pack to your decks.
  • AI credits, only if your language has no ready-made definitions for the pack. Adding a pack that does have them costs no credits. See AI credits.
  • On iOS and Android, an internet connection.

1. Open the packs

On the web, open the page menu at the top left (it shows the name of the page you're on) and choose Vocabulary Packs. Home also has a Vocabulary Packs banner under your decks. You can also click Add, then New deck, then Pick a topic.

All three open Vocabulary Decks, the public catalog. Anyone can open it at /decks, signed in or not. Pick the language you want to learn.

Note: On iOS and Android, tap the Topics tab. The screen is titled Vocabulary packs.

2. Choose a topic and a level

The language page shows one tile per topic. Each tile has level chips with the number of words at that level.

  • Click a level chip to open that level.
  • Click the tile itself to see every level of the topic under Choose a level.

Levels follow the CEFR scale, A1 to C2. No topic covers all six: each has one, two or three levels, so a topic may exist only for beginners or only for advanced learners. The Academic Word List doesn't use CEFR levels. It's split into Sublist 1 to Sublist 10.

Note: On iOS and Android, tap a topic to open its list of levels, then tap a level.

3. Look through the words

The pack page shows the level, the number of words and the whole word list. Each entry has the word, its part of speech and register, a definition, a usage note and an example sentence.

Set Definitions in to the language you want the definitions in. The list is split into Ready now and Needs translating. Which languages are ready can differ from pack to pack, so check the list. If you pick a language from Needs translating, the words keep their English definitions and a note says that language isn't ready.

The picker starts on the language of the page. On an English page that means English definitions, the same as a same-language deck.

4. Practice it before you add it (web)

Above the word list, the pack page runs a practice round over the pack's words, with no account needed.

  • It mixes flashcards with multiple-choice and gap-fill questions.
  • It's marked Demo. Your progress is kept in this browser only, and the round doesn't change any schedule.
  • At the end you see your score, with Try again to go again.

The practice round is on the web only. The iOS and Android pack screen shows the word list.

5. Add the pack to your decks

If the pack is ready in the language under Definitions in, the page shows Add to my library.

  1. Click Add to my decks. If you aren't signed in, the button reads Sign in to copy. After you sign in, you come back to the same pack and the deck is created for you, with its definitions in the language under Definitions in, so steps 2 and 3 are skipped.
  2. In Add this pack to your decks, check Definitions language before you go on. It only lists languages the pack is ready in, and it never starts on the language you're learning. It starts on your app language if it can, otherwise on the language under Definitions in. With the app in English and Definitions in left on English, it starts on Spanish.
  3. Click Create deck.

You see Deck copied!, and a second later the new deck opens. The web page doesn't check whether you already have a deck from this pack, so adding it again gives you a second copy.

Note: On iOS and Android, the definitions language is the Definitions in picker at the bottom of the pack screen, and the word list above it follows it. It starts on your app language. On an English pack with the app in English, it starts on Spanish. Pick the language you want, then tap Create deck. The button shows the number of cards. The new deck opens. If you already have a deck from this pack with the same definitions language, the button reads Already in your decks and opens that deck.

What the deck contains

The deck is named after the topic and level, for example "Business & Economics B2". Each card has the pack's word on the front and the definition on the back, with the pack's example sentences, part of speech, register and usage note. It's your own deck: every card starts unlearned and gets its own review schedule, and you can edit or delete cards like any others.

Adding a ready pack uses no AI and no credits, and there's no daily limit on it.

When your language isn't ready: generate your own copy

If you pick a language the pack isn't ready in, the page shows No ready-made translation and offers Generate my own copy.

Click it, and Vocards writes a private deck with AI: one card for each word in the pack, with the translation in your language and example sentences. The fronts are the pack's words in dictionary form, so a few may read slightly differently from the list. The deck appears on your decks page while it's being written.

  • It uses AI credits. If they run out partway, the deck pauses and keeps the cards written so far.
  • You can generate up to five pack copies in 24 hours.
  • The copy is yours only. It doesn't change the public pack.
Note: On iOS and Android, languages the pack isn't ready in say No ready-made translation in the Definitions in list. Pick one and the button changes to Generate my own copy. When it starts, you go back to Home, where the deck appears while it's written.

If something goes wrong

You seeWhyWhat to do
No packs for the language you're learningPacks exist mainly for English. Most languages have none.Build a deck from a topic.
Daily pack limit reachedYou generated five pack copies in the last 24 hours.Try again tomorrow, or click Create a custom deck to build a deck from a topic. On iOS and Android the button reads Create custom deck.
No ready-made translation where you expected Add to my libraryDefinitions in is set to a language the pack isn't ready in.Pick a language under Ready now, or generate your own copy.
Your language is missing from Definitions languageThat list only has languages the pack is ready in.Close it, pick your language under Definitions in, and use Generate my own copy.
Two decks from the same packYou added it twice on the web, which doesn't check for an existing copy.Delete the one you don't want. If you've already studied both, the duplicate words review lets you keep one copy of each word, starting from the one you know best: see Organize your decks.
Offline · connect to browse packs on iOS or AndroidThe app is offline.Reconnect.
The copy stopped partwayYou ran out of AI credits.See AI credits.