I downloaded every Persian Anki deck with more than 50 ratings on AnkiWeb, imported 50 custom words from a BBC Persian article, and used Anki daily for a week. The experience was equal parts powerful and miserable. Anki’s spaced repetition algorithm is legitimately the best in the business for long-term memorization. The Persian content available for it is, with rare exceptions, garbage.
The app itself is ugly, the setup curve is steep, and the default flashcard experience feels like studying for a test in 2009. But if you can get past all that, and if you find the right deck or build your own, Anki for Farsi works better than any other flashcard tool I’ve tested. Here’s what I found.
Level: A1-C1 | Time: 15-30 min/day | Cost: Free (desktop) / $25 one-time (iOS) | Best for: Vocabulary, Reading
The Verdict: 6/10
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Persian Specificity | 4/10 |
| Real-World Usefulness | 6/10 |
| Value for Money | 8/10 |
| Elyar’s Verdict | 6/10 |
What Is Anki?
A free, open-source flashcard app with a spaced repetition algorithm (SRS) that schedules reviews based on how well you remember each card. Free on desktop and Android; $25 one-time on iOS (the developer’s only revenue source. worth supporting). Decks can be downloaded from AnkiWeb or built from scratch. Supports text, images, audio, and custom card layouts.
Anki is not a language learning app. It’s a memorization tool that happens to be very good for language vocabulary. The difference matters: there are no lessons, no grammar, no context, no progression. Just cards you flip, over and over, until the words stick.
The Best Anki Decks for Farsi
1. “1000 Most Common Farsi Words” by Anki community
The most downloaded Farsi deck. Front: English word. Back: Farsi in script + transliteration + audio. Quality is mixed. about 80% of the audio is native-sounding, 20% is robotic TTS. Transliteration is mostly accurate but inconsistent (sometimes Tehrani pronunciation, sometimes formal). No example sentences, no context, no register indication.
Verdict: usable as a starting point, but you’ll want to edit cards that have bad audio or add your own example sentences.
2. “Farsi Vocabulary with Sentences” by user deck
Smaller deck (~500 words) but each card includes an example sentence in Persian script with transliteration. This makes a huge difference for retention. seeing ketāb (کتاب) in the sentence ketābam rā gom kardam (کتابم را گم کردم. I lost my book) teaches you more than the word alone. No audio, which is a significant downside for pronunciation.
Verdict: best pre-made deck for learning words in context. Needs audio added manually.
3. “University Persian Vocabulary” decks
Several university-affiliated decks exist, organized by textbook chapters (Thackston, Lambton). These are useful if you’re following one of those textbooks. the vocabulary matches exactly. Formal register throughout, no colloquial forms, academic tone. Audio quality varies.
Verdict: textbook companion only. Useless as standalone.
4. Custom decks (build your own)
This is where Anki shines for Farsi. Import words from any source. a Persian article, a podcast transcript, a movie subtitle file. and create cards tailored to your level and interests. You control the register, the examples, the audio (record yourself or use Forvo). The setup cost is high (30-60 minutes to learn the workflow), but the payoff is a deck that matches exactly what you’re learning.
The Setup Problem
Anki’s biggest barrier for Farsi learners isn’t the content. it’s the configuration. Out of the box, Anki displays Persian text left-to-right, uses a tiny font that makes Arabic script illegible, and doesn’t handle the special characters in Farsi transliteration. You need to:
1. Edit card templates to add RTL direction and a readable font (IranSans or Vazirmatn)
2. Increase font size to at least 28px for Persian script
3. Configure the review algorithm (the defaults are fine, but interval modifier matters)
4. Install add-ons for audio (AwesomeTTS for text-to-speech)
This takes 30-45 minutes the first time. Most casual learners give up before they finish. If you’re comfortable with settings menus and CSS, it’s manageable. If “edit card template” sounds scary, this app isn’t for you.
RTL Rendering: The Farsi-Specific Problem
Anki was built for left-to-right languages. Persian is right-to-left. Every pre-made deck I tested had at least one of these problems: mixed LTR/RTL text alignment, Arabic font fallbacks that render Farsi characters incorrectly (the letter ک vs ك is a real problem), or broken text wrapping on long sentences. The AnkiDroid app on Android handles RTL better than the desktop version. The iOS app is somewhere in between.
You can fix all of this with CSS in the card template, but the fact that you have to is a mark against Anki for Persian use.
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Persian Content Quality | 4/10 | Pre-made decks are mediocre; custom decks can be excellent |
| SRS Algorithm | 10/10 | Best spaced repetition in any flashcard tool, period |
| Card Customization | 9/10 | Fully customizable cards with HTML/CSS. if you can code |
| Import/Export | 8/10 | CSV import, AnkiWeb sharing, deck export. Works. |
| Learning Curve | 3/10 | Steep. RTL setup, font configuration, template editing required |
Anki vs ZabanYar for Persian Vocabulary
| Feature | Anki | ZabanYar |
|---|---|---|
| SRS algorithm | Excellent (SM-2 based) | Excellent (9-stage adaptive) |
| Persian setup required | 30-45 min (RTL, fonts, audio) | None. built for Persian |
| Pre-made content | Community decks (variable quality) | Curated vocabulary |
| Cloze-deletion mode | Manual setup | Not available — try Clozemaster |
| Custom word import | CSV import (manual) | Smart import from any text |
| Alphabet teaching | No | Yes (32 letters with mnemonics) |
| Transliteration | Depends on deck | Built-in, consistent |
| AI features | None | AI tutor, AI mnemonics |
| Price | Free (desktop) / $25 (iOS) | Free |
Honest assessment: ZabanYar is better for most Farsi learners because it’s built for Persian from the ground up. no RTL setup, no font configuration, no template editing. The SRS is comparable in effectiveness. The AI features (generated mnemonics, contextual tutor) don’t exist in Anki.
Anki wins for advanced learners who want total control: custom card layouts, specific deck organization, integration with other study systems. If you already use Anki for another language, adding Persian makes sense. If you’re starting from zero, ZabanYar gets you productive in 5 minutes vs Anki’s 45.
Who Should Use Anki for Farsi
Learners already comfortable with Anki who want to add Persian. Advanced learners (B2+) who need custom vocabulary from specific sources. Students following a textbook who want matching flashcards. Anyone willing to invest setup time for a customized experience.
Skip Anki if you’re a beginner, uncomfortable with technical setup, or want an all-in-one Persian learning tool. ZabanYar covers the vocabulary and alphabet use case with zero configuration.
The Verdict
Anki is the best flashcard engine available, but it’s a terrible Persian flashcard app out of the box. The pre-made decks are mediocre, the RTL setup is a hassle, and the learning curve is steep. If you invest the setup time, it becomes a powerful vocabulary tool. If you won’t. and most people won’t. use ZabanYar instead.
The ideal setup: ZabanYar for your core vocabulary and alphabet (it’s faster to start and better for beginners), Anki for custom decks when you hit B2+ and start importing vocabulary from Persian novels, news articles, and podcasts.
More options: Complete Farsi Resources Guide | Best Textbooks
For the complete picture, see our guide to all Farsi learning resources where we rank every option.