๐Ÿ“• VocabCLI

May 6, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

๐Ÿ“• VocabCLI

The AI-powered vocabulary builder for linguaphiles โ€” right in your terminal.

CI Python License: MIT PyPI


โšก Install

pip install vocabcli             # core features
pip install "vocabcli[ai]"       # + OpenAI-powered tools
pip install "vocabcli[nlp]"      # + spaCy / transformers (heavy, opt-in)

Recommended: pipx install "vocabcli[ai]" for an isolated, globally-available install.


๐Ÿš€ 30-Second Quickstart

# First-run setup (API key, provider preferences)
vocab setup

# Look up a word
vocab define serendipity

# AI deep-dive with etymology, register, and memory tip
vocab ai explain serendipity

# Generate a mnemonic to remember it
vocab ai mnemonic serendipity

# Add to your learning list & start spaced-repetition review
vocab learn serendipity
vocab review

# Check your streak
vocab streak

โœจ Feature Grid

CategoryFeatures
๐Ÿ“š DictionaryDefinitions, phonetics, audio pronunciation, commonly confused words
๐Ÿ”ค ThesaurusSynonyms & antonyms via API + NLTK WordNet fallback
๐Ÿง  Spaced RepetitionSM-2 algorithm (vocab review) โ€” the Anki algorithm built-in
๐Ÿค– AI ExplainEtymology, register, usage tips, memory hook โ€” streamed live
๐Ÿง  AI MnemonicVivid story hooks cached locally for instant re-display
๐Ÿ“– AI StoryShort narrative using all your learning-list words
๐Ÿ’ฌ AI ChatInteractive vocabulary tutor with conversation context
โ“ AI QuizAdvanced question types: analogies, fill-in-the-blank, context usage
๐ŸŽซ FlashcardsBeautiful PIL-generated image cards for learning/mastered/favorite lists
๐Ÿ“Š Graphs8 visualisations: word distribution, tags, categories, weekly/monthly trends
๐Ÿ“ฅ Import/ExportBulk CSV import, PDF export, quiz history export
๐Ÿ“ฐ RSS ReaderSubscribe to feeds; highlighted vocabulary words appear inline
๐Ÿ”ค NLP ToolsSentiment analysis, readability index, text summarization, bad-word censor
๐Ÿ”ฅ StreaksDaily lookup streak tracking
๐Ÿ’ก AI SuggestPersonalised next-10-words recommendation based on your history

๐Ÿค– AI Features Spotlight

vocab ai explain <word>

Streams an educator-quality explanation covering etymology, core meaning, register (formal/informal/archaic), when to use it, when not to, and a memory tip.

vocab ai mnemonic <word>

Think of EPHEMERAL as an EP record โ€” it barely lasts long enough to play one side.

vocab ai story

Takes every word in your --learning list and weaves them into a 150โ€“200 word narrative. Reading words in context dramatically improves retention.

vocab ai chat

An interactive vocabulary tutor you can ask anything:

"What's the difference between ephemeral and transient?"

Local / Offline AI with Ollama

# ~/.vocabcli/config.toml
[ai]
provider = "ollama"
model    = "llama3.2"

All AI commands then route to your local Llama 3 / Mistral instance โ€” no API key, no cloud, complete privacy.


๐Ÿ—„ Database & Configuration

VocabCLI stores everything in ~/.vocabcli/:

~/.vocabcli/
โ”œโ”€โ”€ VocabularyBuilder.db   # SQLite โ€” words, cache, quiz history, ai_cache, streaks
โ””โ”€โ”€ config.toml            # User preferences

Manage config from the command line:

vocab config --show
vocab config --set ai.provider=ollama
vocab config --set ai.model=llama3.2

๐Ÿ” Spaced Repetition (SM-2)

vocab learn ephemeral serendipity eloquent

# The next morning, review only words due today:
vocab review

# Rate your recall: 1=forgot  3=hard  5=easy
# VocabCLI automatically schedules the next review date

The SM-2 algorithm โ€” the same one used by Anki โ€” adjusts review intervals based on your ratings.


๐ŸŽฏ Complete Command Reference

vocab define <word>          Look up a word
vocab synonym <word>         Find synonyms
vocab antonym <word>         Find antonyms
vocab learn <word>           Add to learning list
vocab master <word>          Mark as mastered
vocab revise <word>          Revise a word
vocab review                 Spaced-repetition review (words due today)
vocab quiz                   Classic 4-choice definition quiz
vocab flashcard              Generate flashcard images

vocab streak                 View daily lookup streak
vocab today                  Word of the day
vocab daily_quote            Quote of the day

vocab ai explain <word>      Deep AI word explanation
vocab ai mnemonic <word>     Generate/show mnemonic
vocab ai story               Story using learning list
vocab ai sentence <word>     3 example sentences
vocab ai suggest             Personalised recommendations
vocab ai quiz                Advanced AI quiz
vocab ai chat                Interactive tutor
vocab ai paraphrase <text>   AI paraphrase

vocab setup                  First-run setup wizard
vocab config                 View/set configuration
vocab refresh                Refresh API cache
vocab about                  About VocabCLI

๐Ÿ›  Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/HighnessAtharva/VocabCLI.git
cd VocabCLI
pip install -e ".[dev,ai]"

# Run tests from repo root
pytest

๐Ÿ“š Documentation

Full documentation at vocabcli.github.io (built with MkDocs Material)


๐Ÿค Contributors

Built with โค๏ธ by Atharva Shah and Anay Deshpande.

"Buy Me A Coffee"


๐Ÿ“„ License

MIT License