๐ VocabCLI
May 6, 2026 ยท View on GitHub
โก 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.
๐ 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
โจ Feature Grid
| Category | Features |
|---|---|
| ๐ Dictionary | Definitions, phonetics, audio pronunciation, commonly confused words |
| ๐ค Thesaurus | Synonyms & antonyms via API + NLTK WordNet fallback |
| ๐ง Spaced Repetition | SM-2 algorithm (vocab review) โ the Anki algorithm built-in |
| ๐ค AI Explain | Etymology, register, usage tips, memory hook โ streamed live |
| ๐ง AI Mnemonic | Vivid story hooks cached locally for instant re-display |
| ๐ AI Story | Short narrative using all your learning-list words |
| ๐ฌ AI Chat | Interactive vocabulary tutor with conversation context |
| โ AI Quiz | Advanced question types: analogies, fill-in-the-blank, context usage |
| ๐ซ Flashcards | Beautiful PIL-generated image cards for learning/mastered/favorite lists |
| ๐ Graphs | 8 visualisations: word distribution, tags, categories, weekly/monthly trends |
| ๐ฅ Import/Export | Bulk CSV import, PDF export, quiz history export |
| ๐ฐ RSS Reader | Subscribe to feeds; highlighted vocabulary words appear inline |
| ๐ค NLP Tools | Sentiment analysis, readability index, text summarization, bad-word censor |
| ๐ฅ Streaks | Daily lookup streak tracking |
| ๐ก AI Suggest | Personalised next-10-words recommendation based on your history |
๐ค 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 150โ200 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.
๐ Database & Configuration
VocabCLI stores everything in ~/.vocabcli/:
~/.vocabcli/
โโโ VocabularyBuilder.db # SQLite โ words, cache, quiz history, ai_cache, streaks
โโโ 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
๐ 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.
๐ฏ 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
๐ Development Setup
git clone https://github.com/HighnessAtharva/VocabCLI.git
cd VocabCLI
pip install -e ".[dev,ai]"
# Run tests from repo root
pytest
๐ Documentation
Full documentation at vocabcli.github.io (built with MkDocs Material)
๐ค Contributors
Built with โค๏ธ by Atharva Shah and Anay Deshpande.
