Learning vocabulary is one of the trickiest yet important part of GRE verbal preparation. But rote memorization rarely works long term.
What helps is learning words in context followed by repeated exposure, testing yourself, and optimizing review of words you tend to forget. Flashcards make this easier.
They can use spaced repetition, prompt you at the right time, track your progress, and sometimes even add mnemonics or visuals.
In this article, I’ll suggest 4–5 top digital GRE vocabulary flashcard sets you can use. For each, I’ll highlight key features, how many words they cover, how they’re perceived by users, and how they can help you.
Best Digital Flashcards for GRE
VerbalHQ flashcards
Forgive the bold claim but we have built our own version of digital flashcards for GRE that you can access for free (no sign up required).
What differentiates these flashcards from others is that they force you to learn the usage in context, rather than cram the meaning in isolation. You can try them right below or on its own webpage –
The tool also supports keyboard shortcuts (arrows for next/previous and spacebar for flip). It currently has over 700 words, and the list will soon expand to nearly a thousand.
I believe when words are learned through their context, their meaning is retained for much longer and it also strengthens your word usage skills. Please use it and let me know how it goes.
Alright, the next one on this list is the one by the testmaker itself (but its not free).
Flash cards by ETS
ETS is the GRE testmaker. On their website, they sell lots of study material aimed at GRE prep, including their own deck of digital flash cards.
Their deck of flash cards has 850 words plus 1 deck of 300+ word elements (like word roots, prefix, suffixes etc) that helps in guessing the meanings of unknown just by breaking them apart.
The price for these cards is $50 and your access to these cards expires after 6 months.
The price of these cards is very steep considering that they are not a physical product and you get access only for a period of 6 months. The only thing going on for them is they are prepared by the official testmaker, so the words chosen by them have a little more weight than others mentioned below.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK THEM OUT →
However, there are some good, even free alternatives that are perfectly capable of replacing these cards for your usage.
GRE Flashcards at Quizlet
Quizlet is a popular online quizmaker that hosts digital flash cards for a wide array of exams, including GRE. They have several decks of digital GRE Flashcards, such as this one with 654 words.
The best part about them is that they are completely free to use, but you may be asked to sign in to save your progress.
If this deck doesn’t scratch your itch, you can use this deck of over 1300 words, prepared by Vince Kotchian. Again this one’s free for you to use.
Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
Magoosh has built one of the most popular free vocabulary apps for GRE preparation. It contains about one thousand words, divided into smaller decks that range from common to advanced.
The system uses spaced repetition, so words you miss keep coming back until you finally remember them. This approach helps avoid the common problem of forgetting tricky words after a single review. The app is available on both web and mobile, which makes it easy to study during short breaks or commutes.
Other than mobile apps, you can also access these decks on their website.
Kaplan GRE Vocabulary Flashcards + App
Kaplan takes a slightly different approach. Their set includes around five hundred essential words, printed as physical flashcards but also supported by a companion app.
Some students like the feel of physical cards. They can be shuffled, sorted, and spread out on a desk. While for some, app is preferable for on-the-go study. With Kaplan, you get both options in one package. The cards themselves are detailed, usually giving pronunciation, synonyms, and example sentences, which helps in learning how to use each word in context.
The smaller size of the deck works in its favor. Five hundred words is a manageable number, and it gives learners a clear finish line without feeling overwhelmed.
Check out Kaplan GRE Flashcards here. →
Takeaway
Flashcards should never be the first step when learning vocabulary. The first and most important step is to learn words in context, through reading, listening, and seeing how they work inside real sentences. That’s how you grasp their tone, their collocations, and the subtle shades of meaning that simple definitions often miss.
Flashcards only come in as the second step. Their real purpose is spaced repetition: reminding you of words you have already understood so they stay in your memory for the long term. If you use them as a tool for rote memorisation, you lose the essence of the word and risk knowing only its dictionary meaning, not how it is used.
So, the right way is to first learn a word in its natural setting, then let flashcards handle the job of keeping it alive in your memory.
When used this way, they don’t just help you pass the GRE. They help you actually own the vocabulary.
Discover more from verbalhq.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.