Using Anki for Korean Vocabulary

Why Anki is a strong choice for vocabulary

Anki combines active recall with spaced repetition. Instead of rereading every word equally, you attempt an answer and Anki schedules the next review according to how successfully you remembered it.

Start with Anki's default settings. A consistent review habit and honest answers matter more than adjusting advanced scheduling options immediately. Read Anki's explanation of active recall and spaced repetition.

What you will study

How a Hangul Headlines card is structured

Lesson exports and Vocab Builder exports use the same retrieval-focused format. The front tests the word in context; the back supplies the answer and restores the complete sentence.

Do this once

Set up Anki for one dependable workflow

Anki recommends using decks for broad categories and tags for more specific organization. That makes one Korean vocabulary deck a better long-term home than a growing list of lesson decks. Read the official organization guidance.

1. 1

   Install and sign in

   Use Anki Desktop as your home base

   Install Anki on your computer and create a free AnkiWeb account. Install AnkiMobile or AnkiDroid on any phone or tablet you want to use, then sign in to the same AnkiWeb account on every device. Importing is possible on mobile, but deck organization is easier on desktop.

2. 2

   Create one deck

   Make a single main deck called “Korean Vocabulary”

   Keep lesson cards together in one permanent deck instead of accumulating a separate deck for every lesson. If you already have a main Korean deck, use that one. Hangul Headlines adds lesson and source tags to exported cards, so you can still find where each word came from later.

3. 3

   Set the priority

   Tell Anki to show new cards after reviews

   Open the options for Korean Vocabulary. Under Display Order, set New/review order to Show after reviews. Leave the other scheduling settings at their defaults while you build a consistent habit.

4. 4

   First sync

   Upload your desktop collection, then download it on mobile

   If your new AnkiWeb account is empty, sync from the computer and choose Upload. Then sync each empty mobile app and choose Download. If you already have different cards on more than one device, do not overwrite either collection—follow Anki’s conflict instructions first.

The New/review order control is under Deck Options → Display Order. Select Show after reviews so your existing memory commitments come first. See Anki's display-order settings.

For every lesson

Import, consolidate, review, and sync

This expands the Anki portion of the authoritative How to Use Hangul Headlines routine. It does not change the lesson order or the suggested 15-minute Anki study block.

1. 1

   Learn in context

   Complete the lesson before opening Anki

   Follow the normal lesson order: watch the video twice, read the passage, answer the comprehension questions, and review the New Vocab section. Anki is the review stage, not your first introduction to the words.

2. 2

   Start clean

   Sync Anki Desktop before importing

   Open Anki on your computer and sync before adding anything. This brings in reviews or edits completed on another device and makes the desktop collection your current, reliable starting point.

3. 3

   Export on desktop

   Download the lesson deck to your computer

   Click Export to Anki directly below the New Vocab table. Hangul Headlines downloads a packaged deck named for that lesson. Use the computer for this step whenever practical; mobile remains the better place for quick reviews away from your desk.

4. 4

   Import

   Open the downloaded .apkg file

   Double-click the file, or choose File → Import in Anki Desktop, and confirm the import. The cards initially appear in a temporary lesson deck such as Hangul Headlines - Lesson 42.

5. 5

   Consolidate

   Move the imported cards into Korean Vocabulary

   Choose Browse, select the imported lesson deck in the left sidebar, switch to Cards mode, and select all its cards. Choose Cards → Change Deck, select Korean Vocabulary, and confirm. The lesson tags stay attached. If the now-empty lesson deck remains visible, you can delete that empty deck.

6. 6

   Reviews first

   Finish the cards already due before learning new words

   Open Korean Vocabulary and complete the due review cards first. These are the memories Anki has scheduled for today. If the review queue is too large to finish, stop after reviews and postpone new lesson cards rather than increasing tomorrow’s workload.

7. 7

   New cards second

   Learn today’s new lesson vocabulary

   Once due reviews are finished, continue into the new cards. Try to produce the missing Korean word before revealing the back, check the completed sentence, and rate your recall honestly. You do not need to force every imported card into the same day if the 15-minute block is full.

8. 8

   Finish with sync

   Sync before closing or switching devices

   Sync Anki Desktop after importing and studying. On mobile, sync when you open the app, complete your reviews, and sync again when you finish. This simple before-and-after habit prevents you from studying against an outdated schedule.

Change Deck moves the selected cards without removing their tags or review history. See the official Browser actions.

Your daily priority

Due cards first, new vocabulary second

New cards create additional reviews over the following days. Keep the routine sustainable by protecting scheduled reviews before expanding the deck. On a busy day, completing due cards and learning no new cards is a successful Anki session.

Across your devices

How Anki progress stays synchronized

AnkiWeb carries your collection and review changes between Anki Desktop, AnkiMobile, AnkiDroid, and the web. Automatic sync is available, but a deliberate sync before and after each device handoff is easier to trust.

If two devices already contain different unsynced collections, stop before choosing Upload or Download and follow Anki's merging instructions so neither collection is accidentally replaced. Read the official AnkiWeb sync guide.

Use the answer buttons honestly

The important dividing line is whether you actually recalled the answer. Hard is still a correct answer; use Again when the word was forgotten.

If four choices feel distracting, a simple approach is enough: Again for an incorrect answer and Good for a correct answer. See the official answer-button guide.