Top 10 Most Effective Free Websites for Learning English Vocabulary

TED Talks - These inspirational presentations by various speakers are recorded at TED events, providing a fantastic way to learn English. Through TED Talks, learners can acquire an extensive range of vocabulary, particularly for IELTS exams, with a focus on enhancing your IELTS Speaking skills.

With TED, you can practice listening and speaking by watching videos of renowned speakers discussing diverse, academic topics such as life, politics, culture, technology, and history. This variety makes learning more engaging. However, TED is better suited for those who already have a foundation in English, as it includes specialized vocabulary that may be challenging for beginners. If you're just starting, TED can still help improve your skills, but it requires a lot of time and effort.

Website: ted.com/talks

The Manythings website offers an extensive collection of vocabulary. True to its name, 'many things,' you can find a wide variety of vocabulary across different subjects on this site.

Here, you can easily access any vocabulary you want to explore. Manythings categorizes words by different themes, making it easier to study and remember them. You’ll find everything from academic terms to everyday vocabulary, as well as words organized by specific topics. To start, head over to the 'Choose a Set of Word List' section to explore a variety of topics. However, a drawback is that the meanings of the words aren’t explained in detail, so you’ll need to actively search for more context for the words you wish to learn.

Website: manythings.org

One effective technique for answering questions in the IELTS exam is paraphrasing – rephrasing a word, phrase, or even an entire sentence using different words while preserving the original meaning. A widely used resource for this technique is thesaurus.com.

Thesaurus helps users find synonyms and organizes them by different meanings of the original word. For instance, the word 'common' can mean 'average, ordinary' or 'generally known,' and synonyms for each meaning are grouped separately. The most similar terms are highlighted in bold and prioritized. The website is user-friendly and features an attractive interface, making it a popular choice among many users.

Website: thesaurus.com

Anki is an open-source software designed to boost memory retention through flashcards. It’s particularly effective for learning English vocabulary, or the vocabulary of any language. With Anki, you can study English words on your computer for free. The unique feature of Anki is its spaced repetition system, which reminds you of words at intervals, helping you retain them over time.

You can also study English vocabulary for free using AnkiWeb or the AnkiDroid app for Android devices. Anki allows you to embed audio, images, and videos into your flashcards, giving you the ability to both listen to sounds and view images while learning words. It also synchronizes across platforms, ensuring your cards are always updated across your computer and mobile devices.

Website: apps.ankiweb.net

Memrise offers a unique approach to language learning that stands apart from traditional textbook methods, making learning enjoyable and effective. Founded in 2010, Memrise quickly grew to serve nearly 60 million learners across 189 countries, helping them improve their skills, connect with others, and engage with the world.

Memrise provides a comprehensive collection of IELTS vocabulary sets designed to support learners in research, test preparation, spelling practice, and pronunciation training. This platform is completely free for all levels of learners. Memrise utilizes diverse learning techniques, including images, videos, audio, and short stories, to make English learning more engaging and accessible. It also offers a range of vocabulary sets, from common words to specialized terms in fields such as economics, healthcare, and technology.

Website: memrise.com

Mochi Mochi is a well-known free English vocabulary learning platform, recognized by many. This app was officially reviewed by Khánh Vy, a polyglot who speaks seven languages, on her YouTube channel, where she highlighted its remarkable features that assist learners.

Mochi Mochi utilizes the famous Spaced Repetition technique to help users rapidly and effectively improve their vocabulary retention. Spaced Repetition is a method where learners repeatedly review newly acquired words at intervals, fitting these reviews into their free time throughout the day. This website offers a variety of vocabulary topics, ranging from daily life themes like family, work, and entertainment, to specialized IELTS topics such as science and economics.

Website: mochidemy.com

‎4English is a popular website for learning English vocabulary, particularly well-known among those preparing for the IELTS exam. It offers a wide range of resources, including vocabulary lists, exercises, and more, ensuring efficient vocabulary learning. You can even create your own vocabulary flashcards with examples and images to make memorization easier.

The lessons cover topics like news stories, the latest English words and phrases, and even a collection of videos that focus on perfecting English pronunciation. While it lacks interactive features, each podcast and video comes with follow-up exercises to help you assess your listening comprehension. Overall, it's an excellent resource for enhancing your English listening skills and significantly expanding your vocabulary.

Website: 4englishapp.com

British Council is a website designed with three distinct sections catering to different age groups: children, teenagers, and adults. Each section offers a wealth of interactive lessons, videos, games, and podcasts aimed at developing all aspects of English skills. No matter your English proficiency, you'll find a wide variety of interesting topics to explore here.

Additionally, after each listening exercise, video, or podcast, there are follow-up tasks to enhance your comprehension. The site also includes discussion boards where you can engage with others by sharing thoughts or what you've learned. Furthermore, you can assess your English level with online tests. There’s also a vast collection of downloadable listening exercises to help you practice effectively every day.

Website: learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

Quizlet is an online platform and mobile app designed for learning vocabulary, concepts, and terms using flashcards and interactive games that help learners remember better and longer. It offers almost endless opportunities to learn vocabulary, making it one of the most popular platforms. With over thirty million user-generated flashcard sets, it has been the subject of many studies examining its effectiveness in vocabulary learning.

One of the greatest advantages of Quizlet is its vast collection of pre-made vocabulary sets created by other users. Instead of manually typing out words and definitions, learners can search for sets based on subject, book title, chapter number, and more. Another benefit is the ability to listen to the words being pronounced, which paper flashcards cannot offer. With Quizlet, users can hear the English words pronounced with native speaker accuracy, enhancing both listening and pronunciation skills.

Website: quizlet.com

Vocabulary is an incredibly helpful website designed to support you in learning the most essential vocabulary to pass basic English proficiency tests. What sets this website apart from others is its interactive Play feature, allowing you to play while learning new words. This makes the process of studying much simpler, more enjoyable, and engaging. With Vocabulary, learning English becomes a lot more exciting and fun.

Vocabulary offers a comprehensive collection of words, not only for IELTS but also for TOEFL, SAT, and GRE exams. At first glance, the website may appear somewhat basic, but it contains numerous intriguing features, such as the 'The Challenge' section. Here, you'll find vocabulary quizzes presented in pop-up windows. Your task is to identify the synonym of a bolded word within a provided text. After selecting, the website will inform you whether you're correct or wrong and will display a 'LOOK UP' option, allowing you to search for the words, including their phonetic transcription, synonyms, and antonyms.

Website: vocabulary.com