Anki Vocab for VS Code
Learn English vocabulary, listen to native pronunciations, and master Anki flashcards directly inside your code editor.
✨ Overview
Anki Vocab is a developer-first language learning extension built seamlessly into Visual Studio Code. Study English vocabulary during breaks, listen to native audio pronunciations, test your spelling in Listen & Type Exams, and inspect unknown words in your code comments with spaced repetition powered by the proven SuperMemo SM-2 algorithm.
Designed strictly with the authentic VS Code design system—clean typography, native theme colors, codicons, and zero unnecessary visual clutter.
📸 Screenshots
| Practice View (3-Line Layout) |
Listen & Type Exam |
 |
 |
| Target word, phonetic badge, and speed-controlled audio. |
Listen to the pronunciation and practice accurate spelling. |
| Leitner 5-Box Spaced Repetition |
Analytics & Activity Chart |
 |
 |
| Organized retention boxes from Daily to Bi-Weekly. |
7-Day review activity bar chart and vocabulary mastery KPIs. |
| Code Comment Hover Dictionary |
 |
| Hover or select any word in your code to view definitions and play audio. |
🚀 Key Features
1. 🎴 Native Flashcard Practice
- Clean 3-Line Vertical Hierarchy:
- Word Title in bold typography.
- How to Spell / Phonetic Pronunciation badge (e.g.
/'eɪkər/).
- Audio Controls Row: Play button with slow-motion speed controller (
1.0x / 0.8x / 1.2x).
- One-Click & Keyboard-Driven Flip: Press Space to reveal meaning, high-resolution illustration, example sentence, and example audio.
- SM-2 Spaced Repetition Ratings: Rate cards using
Again (1), Hard (2), Good (3), Easy (4) to optimize retention intervals.
- Custom Session Goals: Click the word count badge (e.g.
4 / 100) to set custom limits or pick presets (10, 20, 30, 50, 100 words).
- Flexible Exit: Finish study sessions anytime with the End button to view session statistics.
2. ⌨️ Listen & Type Exam (Spelling Practice)
- Audio-First Testing: Hear the native pronunciation and type the word you hear.
- Adjustable Speed: Slow down fast or difficult pronunciations to
0.8x for precision listening.
- Context Hints: Toggle contextual sentence hints with the target word blanked out (e.g. "The students _____ they have too much homework").
- Instant Validation:
- Correct: Input glows green (
#98c379), reveals definition and picture, advances with Enter.
- Incorrect: Highlights in red (
#e06c75) with side-by-side letter comparisons ("You typed: agre | Correct: agree").
- Spaced Repetition Integration: Automatically feeds exam results back into your review queue.
- Dedicated Leitner navigation tab organizing words into 5 memory retention stages:
- Box 1: Every day (New & difficult words)
- Box 2: Every 2 days
- Box 3: Every 4 days
- Box 4: Every 7 days
- Box 5: Every 14 days (Mastered long-term vocabulary)
- Direct "Practice Box X" buttons to target weak spots.
4. 📊 Shadcn/UI Style Analytics
- KPI Metrics: Total Vocabulary count, Mastered Words percentage, Retention Rate, and Day Streak.
- 7-Day Review Activity Bar Chart: Visual column chart displaying cards reviewed per day.
- Leitner Progression Trackers: Progress meters showing vocabulary advancing across boxes.
5. 💡 Developer Flow Integrations
- Word of the Day in Status Bar: Rotates vocabulary in the bottom bar with instant audio playback on click.
- Hover & Selection Vocabulary Lookup: Select any word in documentation or code comments and press Cmd+Alt+D (or hover) to see definitions, phonetics, and native audio.
- Pomodoro Mode: 25 minutes of coding followed by a 5-minute Anki vocabulary study break.
- Collapsible Sidebar Tree: Browse your loaded books and Leitner boxes directly in the primary activity bar.
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut |
Context |
Action |
| Cmd+Alt+A / Ctrl+Alt+A |
Global |
Open Anki Flashcard Study Panel |
| Cmd+Alt+D / Ctrl+Alt+D |
Editor |
Look up selected word in vocabulary |
| Space |
Practice |
Flip card / Rate "Good" |
| 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 |
Practice (Revealed) |
Rate Again, Hard, Good, Easy |
| R |
Practice |
Replay native pronunciation audio |
| Enter |
Type Exam |
Submit answer / Advance to next word |
| Ctrl+R |
Type Exam |
Replay audio prompt |
| Esc |
Global |
Skip card or end study session |
📦 Getting Started
1. Install Extension
Install via the VS Code Marketplace by searching for "Anki Vocab" or running:
ext install ehsanshahbazi.vscode-anki
2. Open Study Panel
Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and run:
Anki: Start Study Session
(or press Cmd+Alt+A / click the Anki icon in your Activity Bar).
3. Load Your Vocabulary
- Click Load 4000 Essential English Words to immediately begin studying with the included collection.
- Or drag & drop any
.apkg / .colpkg package directly into the study window!
[!TIP]
Download 4000 Essential English Words Deck:
You can download the complete 4000 Essential English Words (all books, en-en) deck with native audio pronunciations and illustrations directly from AnkiWeb:
🔗 [Download on AnkiWeb (Deck #1104981491)](https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1104981491)
🛠️ Development & Building
# 1. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/EhsanShahbazii/Anki-Vocab.git
cd Anki-Vocab
# 2. Install dependencies
npm install
# 3. Build extension
npm run build
# 4. Run test suite
npm run test:parser
Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host.
📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
Crafted with care by EhsanShahbazii