Anki Word Bank
Why We Include 9 Front Languages on Every Premium Deck
Most Anki decks assume you speak English. If you're a French speaker learning Japanese, or a Korean speaker learning Spanish, you're stuck translating twice: target language → English → your native language.
That's inefficient. So we fixed it.
The Problem: English-Centric Language Learning
Browse any Anki shared deck repository. Search for "Spanish vocabulary" or "Japanese JLPT N5." What do you find?
English front cards. Always.
- "house" → "casa"
- "dog" → "perro"
- "to eat" → "comer"
This works fine if you're an English speaker. But what if you're not?
The Reality of Language Learning in 2026
- 1.5 billion people are learning English as a second language
- 500+ million people speak Spanish natively
- French is an official language in 29 countries
- Mandarin Chinese has 920 million native speakers
Most language learners aren't native English speakers. Yet almost every learning resource assumes they are.
Our Solution: 9 Front Languages on Every Deck
Every premium deck on Anki Word Bank comes in 9 front language variants:
| Front Language | Example (Spanish deck) |
|---|---|
| English | "house" → "casa" |
| French | "maison" → "casa" |
| German | "Haus" → "casa" |
| Italian | "casa" → "casa" |
| Portuguese | "casa" → "casa" |
| Japanese | "家" → "casa" |
| Korean | "집" → "casa" |
| Chinese | "房子" → "casa" |
| Spanish | (Native speakers learning other languages) |
Same high-quality deck. Same native audio. Your language on the front.
Why This Matters for Learning
1. Direct Neural Pathways
When you learn "maison → casa" instead of "house → casa":
- Your brain creates a direct French↔Spanish connection
- No English intermediary slowing you down
- Faster recall in real conversations
2. No Mental Translation Tax
English speakers don't realize the extra cognitive load non-English learners carry:
Without front language support:
See Spanish word → Think of English → Translate to native language → Understand
With front language support:
See Spanish word → Understand in native language
That's 2 fewer mental steps on every single card.
3. Contextual Sentences That Make Sense
Our AI generates example sentences in your front language too:
French front, Spanish target:
"La maison est près de la plage."
"La casa está cerca de la playa."
You're learning Spanish grammar patterns by comparing them to French patterns you already know.
Which Decks Support Multiple Front Languages?
All premium decks on Anki Word Bank include 9 front language variants:
Japanese (JLPT Series)
- JLPT N5: 100 Core Words
- JLPT N4: 500 Essential Words
- JLPT N3: 100 Intermediate Words
- JLPT N2: 800 Essential Words
- JLPT N1: 1000 Advanced Words
German (Goethe Institut)
- German A1: 650+ Words
- German A2: 1200+ Words
Spanish
- Spanish Top 1000 Most Common Words
Korean
- Korean Top 1000 Most Common Words
And More
- Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Welsh, Irish...
Each deck × 9 languages = hundreds of localized learning options.
How to Find Your Front Language
- Go to any deck page (e.g., Spanish Top 1000)
- Look for the "Front Language" dropdown
- Select your native language
- The page updates to show the localized version
- Download that variant
Direct links also work:
- /decks/spanish-top-1000-most-common-words-french-front
- /decks/jlpt-n5-essentials-100-core-japanese-words-audio-korean-front
- /decks/german-a1-vocabulary-goethe-institut-certified-650-words-chinese-front
The Technical Side (For the Curious)
How We Generate 9 Variants
- Create master deck in English front
- AI translation of all front-facing content to 8 additional languages
- Native speaker verification of translations
- Same audio files - the target language pronunciation stays identical
- Separate sitemap entries - each variant is indexed independently
Quality Control
- GPT-4 generates initial translations
- Human review for premium decks
- Native audio unchanged (it's the target language, not the front)
- Schema markup in each front language for SEO/GEO
Who Benefits Most?
Polyglots Learning Their 3rd+ Language
If you speak French and English, and you're learning Spanish:
- Use French front (Romance language similarities help)
- Direct cognate recognition: "maison/casa", "important/importante"
Heritage Speakers
If your parents speak Korean but you grew up in Germany:
- Learn Japanese with Korean front
- Leverage your home language advantage
Students in Non-English Countries
If you're a Brazilian learning German:
- Portuguese front makes more sense than English
- School teaches German, not English-mediated German
Professionals Relocating
If you're a Japanese businessperson moving to Germany:
- Japanese front, German target
- No need to route through English
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the audio different for each front language?
No. The audio is always native pronunciation of the target language. The front language only affects the text on the front of the card.
Example (Japanese JLPT deck, French front):
- Front: "manger" (French text)
- Back: "食べる (taberu)" + Japanese audio
Can I switch front languages after downloading?
Each front language variant is a separate deck file. Download the one(s) you want. You can have multiple variants in Anki simultaneously.
Do free decks have multiple front languages?
Currently, multi-language fronts are a premium feature. Free decks are English-front only.
What if my language isn't supported?
We currently support 9 front languages. If there's demand for additional languages (Hindi, Arabic, Turkish, etc.), we'll add them. Contact us with requests.
Try It Yourself
Browse our deck library and look for the front language selector on any premium deck.
Popular starting points:
- Spanish Top 1000 - Available in 9 front languages
- JLPT N5 Japanese - Perfect for Korean/Chinese speakers
- German A1 - Great for French/Italian speakers
The Bottom Line
English shouldn't be a prerequisite for learning languages.
If you speak French, learn Spanish from French.
If you speak Korean, learn Japanese from Korean.
If you speak Portuguese, learn German from Portuguese.
Your native language is an asset, not an obstacle.
That's why every premium deck includes 9 front language variants. Same quality. Same audio. Your language.