Best app to learn Swedish vocabulary in 2026: how to make words stick
Short answer
Our pick is SFI Prov. The words are sorted into themes for each SFI level, every word is recorded at normal and slow speed, has an example sentence and is explained in English, Arabic, Persian or Somali. A word only counts as learned when you answer it correctly in a quiz. We make the app ourselves. If you want to make your own flashcards, Anki is a good addition.
Words are what you need most when you learn Swedish. You can understand a sentence with wrong grammar, but not a sentence where you are missing the words. Here we compare the apps that help you learn Swedish vocabulary, and show what makes the words stick. We make one of the apps ourselves, SFI Prov, so we say that up front.
Our pick for anyone learning Swedish in Sweden is SFI Prov: the words follow the SFI levels and everyday life here, and they are explained in your language. If you want to compare the whole apps and not just the words, read our comparison of apps to learn Swedish.
What makes a word stick?
Five things make the difference, whichever app you use:
- You hear it. A word you have only read is one you often pronounce wrongly, and then you do not recognise it when someone says it. Listen to a real voice, ideally at a slow speed first.
- You see it in a sentence. The word arbetsgivare (employer) is easier to remember in the sentence Min arbetsgivare är snäll (My employer is kind) than alone on a card.
- You learn en or ett. It decides how the word is inflected: en bil, bilen (a car, the car), but ett hus, huset (a house, the house). So always learn a noun together with en or ett.
- You get tested. Recognising a word on a card is not the same as knowing it. A quiz shows which words you actually know.
- You review at the right time. A word you see again the next day, and then a few days later, usually stays longer than a word you read ten times in one evening.
Quick overview
| App | Free | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| SFI Prov | Yes, everything | Words for SFI, with audio and explanations in your language |
| Anki | On Android and computers | Your own words that you want to remember for long |
| Drops | Short sessions, with ads | Getting started with common words |
| Quizlet | Flashcard sets, with ads | Word lists from your lessons |
| Clozemaster | The basics, with limits | More words in real sentences |
| Duolingo | The whole course, with ads | Common words and a daily habit |
The apps
SFI Prov (our app and our pick)
SFI Prov is made by SverigeFokus, which also publishes this blog. The app takes you from zero to the SFI test, and words are a big part of it: over 1,000 words, sorted by level and theme.
How the words work in the app:
- Themes for every level. In the beginner course you learn the words in the lessons, from the alphabet and numbers to family, food and the clock. Courses C, D and Intermediate have a word list with themes such as work, healthcare, housing, travel, personal finance and the environment, and there is a separate list of society words about how Sweden works.
- Recorded audio. The words and example sentences are recorded, at normal and at slow speed.
- En or ett, and a sentence. Nouns always come with en or ett, and every word has an example sentence.
- In your language. The meaning is shown in English, Arabic, Persian or Somali.
- A quiz that shows what you know. Every theme ends with a quiz. A word only counts as learned when you answer it correctly, and words you miss come back until you know them. The wrong answer options come from the same theme, so you cannot guess from the topic.
- Review at the right time. Words you are about to forget come back for review, and you say yourself whether you remembered them.
What does it cost? Nothing. The app is free, with no ads and no subscription, and the words need no account. Download: App Store and Google Play.
Anki
Anki is the best-known flashcard app with spaced repetition. The cards come back just before you would forget them, and you decide what is on them.
Good for: your own words, for example from your SFI book, your job or TV. Less good for: beginners who do not know which words to learn. Anki does not choose words for you, and the cards only have audio if you, or whoever made the deck, added it. Price: free on computers and on Android, where the app is called AnkiDroid. The app for iPhone and iPad costs money.
Drops
Drops teaches words in short, game-like sessions and has a Swedish course.
Good for: getting started with common words for a few minutes a day. Less good for: grammar and the tasks of the SFI test, which the app does not train. Price: free with a time limit and ads. Premium gives unlimited time and removes the ads.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a tool for flashcard sets. You make your own, or use a set someone else has made, for example your teacher.
Good for: practising the word lists from your lessons. Less good for: finding the right words on your own. The sets are made by users, so the quality varies. Price: the flashcard sets are free with ads. Quizlet Plus costs money and removes the ads and the limits in some study modes.
Clozemaster
Clozemaster teaches you words by having you fill in gaps in real sentences.
Good for: people who know the basics and want to learn many more words in context. Less good for: complete beginners. Price: free with limits, and a paid version.
Duolingo
In Duolingo’s Swedish course, the words are part of the lessons, which are short and game-like.
Good for: common words and a daily habit. Less good for: the tasks of the SFI test, which the course does not train. Price: free with ads, and a paid version without ads.
Which dictionary should you use?
Whichever app you choose, you need a dictionary for the words you meet in everyday life. Lexin is a free dictionary between Swedish and Arabic, Persian, Somali, Tigrinya and other languages, with pronunciation, inflection and examples.
How do you learn new Swedish words?
- Choose a theme you need right now, for example work or the health centre.
- Listen and say the word aloud, ideally at a slow speed first.
- Learn en or ett with every noun.
- Write a sentence of your own with the word, about something in your own life.
- Review the words the next day and again a few days later.
Ten words a day is about 300 words in a month. What matters is not how many words you take each time, but that you do it almost every day. If you want to practise without paying anything, read about the best free apps to learn Swedish.
Summary
- Best app for Swedish vocabulary: SFI Prov, with themes for every SFI level, recorded audio, en or ett, explanations in your language, quizzes and review. Free.
- For your own words: Anki.
- For short sessions with games: Drops.
- For the word lists from your lessons: Quizlet.
- Once you know the basics: Clozemaster.
- For looking up words: Lexin.
Sources
SFI Prov is independent practice material from SverigeFokus and is not affiliated with Skolverket, your municipality or any other authority.
The app for SFI and Swedish
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to learn Swedish vocabulary?
Our pick is SFI Prov. The words are sorted into themes for each SFI level, every word is recorded at normal and slow speed, has an example sentence and is explained in English, Arabic, Persian or Somali. A word only counts as learned when you answer it correctly in a quiz. We make the app ourselves. If you want to make your own flashcards, Anki is a good addition.
Is there a free app for Swedish words?
Yes. SFI Prov is completely free, and Anki is free on Android and computers. Quizlet, Drops and Duolingo have free versions with ads or limits.
How do you learn Swedish words fast?
Learn a few words at a time, ten a day rather than fifty once a week. Hear the word, say it aloud, learn en or ett with every noun, use the word in a sentence of your own, and review it the next day and again a few days later.
Is there an app with Swedish words in Arabic?
Yes. In SFI Prov the words are explained in Arabic, Persian, Somali and English. To look up single words there is Lexin, a free dictionary between Swedish and Arabic, among other languages.
Is Anki good for learning Swedish?
Anki is very good for remembering words, because the cards come back just before you would forget them. But Anki does not choose words for you: you make the cards yourself or download other people's, and the app does not explain grammar.
Why should you learn en or ett with every word?
Because en or ett decides how the word is inflected: en bil, bilen, bilar, but ett hus, huset, hus. If you learn the word without en or ett, you have to guess every time you use it.