Quick Answer
Filter CIPLE vocabulary apps on three things: European Portuguese audio, A2 daily-life topics, and spaced repetition. Start with the Prep2Go CIPLE Anki deck (1,600+ words) or the Prep2Go iPhone app; add Practice Portuguese for extra EU-PT listening. Duolingo is Brazilian Portuguese only — a habit toy, not exam prep.
CIPLE A2 is Portugal’s citizenship language exam, run by CAPLE. It tests a narrow slice of European Portuguese: housing, health, transport, work, family, appointments, and short messages. A huge general word list is not the same as exam fit.
Most language apps fail that test. They teach Brazilian Portuguese, skip public-service vocabulary, or never force you to recall a word the day before you forget it. This ranking is for candidates who need the right variant, the right topics, and a daily review loop — not a tourist phrasebook.
The three filters that actually matter
If an app fails any of these, it is a supplement at best. If it fails the first, do not make it your main deck.
| Filter | Why it decides CIPLE fit | Fail case |
|---|---|---|
| European Portuguese audio | Listening and speaking use PT-PT rhythm, vowels, and everyday wording | Brazilian-only courses (Duolingo Portuguese) |
| A2 / CIPLE topics | Exam language is forms, appointments, health, housing, transport — not travel small talk | Generic tourist or “fun facts” decks |
| Spaced repetition | You need recall under time pressure, not recognition in a streak | Linear lessons with no review queue |
How this ranking works
Tier 1 tools pass all three filters, or come close enough that a CIPLE candidate can use them as a daily core. Tier 2 helps around the edges — extra sentences, extra listening, extra reading. Tier 3 is useful only with a hard limit: habit, pronunciation, or a human tutor — never as the vocabulary engine.
We do not score “fun”, streak length, or how pretty the owl is. We score whether you will recognise marcação, centro de saúde, and recibo de vencimento in European Portuguese when the clock is running.
Tier 1 — use these first
Prep2Go CIPLE A2 Anki deck — best exam-mapped SRS
Anki is still the strongest spaced-repetition engine. Desktop and Android are free. AnkiMobile on iPhone is a separate paid app from Anki — that fee is Anki’s, not ours. The deck is the fuel: without CIPLE-mapped cards, Anki is just an empty box.
The shop sells the FULL CIPLE A2 deck only — no lite SKU, no free .apkg. Preview 3 sample cards on the product page before you buy. Current list price is a one-time deck purchase; see the shop for the current price.
- 1,600+ CIPLE-focused words with European Portuguese audio — not Brazilian.
- Topics that match the exam: family, housing, work, health, transport, services, appointments, short messages.
- Example sentences in A2 exam context, not tourist dialogues.
- Lifetime updates to the deck file you already own.
Best for: candidates who will review on desktop or AnkiDroid, or who already live in Anki. If setup friction is what stops you opening the app, use the iPhone product below instead of abandoning review.
Preview sample cards: CIPLE A2 Anki deck.
Practice Portuguese — best independent EU-PT input
Practice Portuguese is the rare general platform that actually teaches European Portuguese. Units, audio, and explanations are PT-PT. For CIPLE, that matters more than another Brazilian streak.
It is not a CAPLE past-paper bank. You will not get exam-section tags. You will get the right accent, A2-ish daily topics, and listening you can repeat. Use it beside a CIPLE deck, not instead of one.
Best for: extra European Portuguese listening and explanations when your deck audio feels too short. Paid subscription; check their site for current plans.
Prep2Go iPhone app — best zero-setup daily review
The Prep2Go iOS app is for people who will not install Anki, import a .apkg, or manage decks. Open CIPLE, review cards with European Portuguese audio, close the phone. There is no Android app — do not wait for one in this review.
It uses the same exam-vocabulary idea as the Anki deck: CIPLE topics, native EU-PT audio, spaced repetition on the phone. Offers and local pricing are shown in the App Store. Web Pro is a separate product; this article ranks the iPhone vocabulary app, not a mock pack.
Best for: daily 15–25 minutes on iPhone. Many candidates run the iPhone app in the week and Anki on a laptop at the weekend. Download: Prep2Go on the App Store.
Tier 2 — useful supplements, not the core deck
These tools can add sentences, reading, or extra audio. None of them is a CIPLE syllabus. Keep them in a 10–15 minute side slot.
MosaLingua
MosaLingua uses flashcards and spaced repetition, and it offers European Portuguese. That already beats most “Portuguese” apps. The word list is still general-learner, not CAPLE-mapped, so you will over-learn travel phrases and under-learn forms and health-centre language unless you curate.
Best for: a second SRS queue if you already like the MosaLingua interface. Do not replace a CIPLE deck with it.
Clozemaster
Clozemaster fills gaps in sentences. That is closer to exam reading than isolated word lists. Check that you are in European Portuguese, not Brazilian, before you grind thousands of items. Quality varies by sentence; it will not tell you which words CIPLE actually uses.
Best for: extra retrieval practice once your core deck is underway. A few minutes, not a second full deck.
LingQ
LingQ is a reading-and-listening library. Import European Portuguese content, tap unknown words, and grow a personal lexicon. Powerful if you have months, weak if you have six weeks and need housing/health/admin coverage in order.
Best for: candidates with 3+ months who want more input around the deck. Subscription; steep at first.
Memrise
Memrise still helps when it shows native-speaker clips. European Portuguese material exists, but community and official courses mix quality, and nothing is labelled by CIPLE section. The free tier is thin.
Best for: pronunciation clips beside your main deck. Not a primary CIPLE vocabulary source.
Tier 3 — use with a hard limit
Duolingo — Brazilian Portuguese only (downgrade)
Duolingo’s Portuguese course is Brazilian Portuguese. There is no European Portuguese tree. For CIPLE that is a variant error, not a small accent difference. Rhythm, several everyday words, and the listening section will not match.
Keep it only if the streak is the only thing that gets you to sit down — then switch the real study block to EU-PT audio the same day. Link: Duolingo Portuguese (BR). Do not treat a completed tree as CIPLE readiness.
Pimsleur
Pimsleur does offer European Portuguese and is strong for repeating sentences out loud. Vocabulary growth is slow, expensive, and not mapped to CIPLE tasks. Good for ears and mouth; poor as a coverage plan.
Best for: candidates whose main gap is understanding spoken PT-PT, with months to spare. Not last-mile vocab repair.
italki
italki is a tutor marketplace, not a vocabulary app. Book a European Portuguese teacher, not a Brazilian one, and bring your weak CIPLE topics: appointments, describing your house, asking for documents. Between lessons you still need SRS.
Best for: the last 4–6 weeks if speaking is the section you fear. Pay per lesson; skip it if budget only covers a deck.
Comparison at a glance
| App | EU-PT audio | A2 / CIPLE topics | Spaced repetition | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep2Go Anki deck | Yes | Yes — 1,600+ exam-focused words | Yes (Anki) | Core deck |
| Practice Portuguese | Yes | Daily-life A2, not CAPLE-tagged | Partial | EU-PT input |
| Prep2Go iPhone | Yes | Yes — CIPLE path | Yes | Core on iPhone |
| MosaLingua | Yes (check setting) | General learner | Yes | Side SRS |
| Clozemaster | Check PT-PT | Sentence mix | Yes | Extra cloze |
| LingQ | If you pick EU-PT | Whatever you import | Yes (lexicon) | Reading input |
| Memrise | Partial | No | Yes | Clips |
| Duolingo | No — Brazilian only | No | Partial | Habit only |
| Pimsleur | Yes | No | No | Audio drill |
| italki | Tutor-dependent | If you brief the tutor | No | Speaking |
Prices change. Prep2Go’s deck is a one-time shop purchase (see current shop price). The iPhone app shows offers in the App Store. Third-party tools are mostly subscriptions or per-lesson. We do not freeze dollar figures here so this page does not go stale against checkout.
Study stacks by candidate type
Pick one stack. Two tools beat five half-used apps.
Busy professional (30–40 minutes a day)
- Prep2Go iPhone app — 20 minutes of CIPLE cards on the commute.
- Practice Portuguese — 10 minutes of EU-PT audio, same topics as your weak cards.
Desktop / Anki already installed
- Prep2Go CIPLE Anki deck — 30–50 new cards a day until reviews dominate, then reviews only.
- Optional: Clozemaster or LingQ for 10 minutes if reading still feels thin.
You already speak Brazilian Portuguese
- Skip Duolingo. You already have BR. You need PT-PT audio and Portugal-specific wording.
- Prep2Go deck or iPhone app + Practice Portuguese. Listen to every card. Do not assume you “already know” autocarro / comboio / pequeno-almoço.
True beginner, 8–12 weeks
- Weeks 1–2: Practice Portuguese for sound and basic A2 situations.
- Week 2 onward: CIPLE Anki or iPhone as the spine. Keep Practice Portuguese as listening only.
Listening is the weak section
- Deck audio on every card, then Practice Portuguese or Pimsleur for longer stretches. Vocabulary still comes from the CIPLE deck so topics stay exam-shaped.
Speaking is the weak section
- Keep the deck daily. Add italki (EU-PT tutor) in the last month. Brief the tutor with CIPLE tasks — not free conversation about football.
FAQ
What is the best app for CIPLE A2 vocabulary in 2026? The best core is a CIPLE-mapped spaced-repetition deck with European Portuguese audio: Prep2Go’s Anki deck (1,600+ words) or the Prep2Go iPhone app if you will not set up Anki. Practice Portuguese is the best independent EU-PT add-on.
Does Duolingo teach European Portuguese for CIPLE? No. Duolingo’s Portuguese course is Brazilian Portuguese only. Use it as a light habit, never as the source of exam audio or Portugal-specific wording.
How many words do I need for CIPLE A2? Coverage beats a magic number. A 1,600+ CIPLE-focused deck is sized to daily-life and admin topics the exam actually uses. A random 400-word tourist list is not.
Anki deck or Prep2Go iPhone app? Anki if you want desktop control, custom scheduling, and a downloadable .apkg. iPhone app if setup is the blocker. Same job: CIPLE vocabulary with EU-PT audio. There is no Prep2Go Android app.
Is there a free CIPLE vocabulary app? Anki itself is free on desktop and Android. The CIPLE deck is a paid full deck with sample cards on the shop page before checkout. Duolingo is free but the wrong Portuguese variant.
Should I use Brazilian apps if I am Brazilian? No as a CIPLE core. You already have BR. Train European Portuguese audio and Portugal vocabulary (transport, food, public services) so listening and speaking do not surprise you.
Next step
Preview the CIPLE A2 Anki deck sample cards or download the Prep2Go iPhone app. Then learn how the exam is built: CIPLE A2 exam structure 2026. After you sit it: CIPLE exam results 2026.
Related: CIPLE A2 exam structure 2026 · CIPLE exam results 2026 · which words you actually need.
Last updated August 2026. App catalogues change — re-check European Portuguese settings before you pay a subscription. Deck price: see the shop on the day you buy.