Anki Text to Speech on iPhone: A Guide

Anki can speak your cards. The Anki manual documents a built-in text-to-speech replacement, {{tts en_US:Front}}, that makes the app read a field in a system voice when a card is shown. The manual lists the minimum versions as Anki 2.1.20, AnkiMobile 2.0.56, or AnkiDroid 2.17. You build the template once on desktop, sync, and review audio cards on the iPhone. What audio does not change is the study loop: you still answer each card and grade what you recalled.

Quick takeaway: Add TTS to the template, not to every note. One template edit covers a whole deck, and {{tts-voices:}} shows which voices the device actually has.

Why audio cards help, and what they cannot do

Two ideas drive most audio-card advice. First, hearing a word while seeing it gives the material a second encoding, which many learners find easier to hold. Second, hands-free review fits commuting, walking, and chores, so reviews happen instead of being postponed. ADDitude's overview of text-to-speech tools for students with ADHD notes that these tools can support comprehension and vocabulary, and that offloading some of the reading effort can free working memory for the task itself.

None of that makes listening a shortcut. Anki's scheduling engine is the part that moves knowledge into long-term memory, and it works by asking you to retrieve an answer before you see it. Audio changes the input channel; it does not answer the card for you. If you play a deck while doing something else and press the easy button without thinking, the algorithm learns nothing useful about your memory.

Audio review fits an existing study routine rather than replacing it. If you are building a broader listening habit for course material, our guide to text to speech for students on iPhone covers study packets, highlights, and session structure. And if you are weighing whether listening carries the same weight as reading, the listening versus reading explainer summarizes what the research actually found.

What the Anki manual documents

The Field Replacements chapter of the Anki manual is the page to read. The relevant pieces:

• Single field: {{tts en_US:Front}} reads the Front field in a US English voice on Anki 2.1.20+, AnkiMobile 2.0.56+, or AnkiDroid 2.17+.
• Voice list: place {{tts-voices:}} in a template to see the languages and voices available on that device.
• Voice preference: {{tts ja_JP voices=Apple_Otoya,Microsoft_Haruka:Field}} lists fallbacks, and Anki uses the first voice it finds.
• Speed: {{tts fr_FR speed=0.8:SomeField}} is supported in some implementations; the language is required and the rest is optional.
• Cloze cards: {{tts en_US:cloze-only:Text}} reads only the elided sections on newer versions.
• Multiple fields or fixed text: the block form [anki:tts lang=en_US] ... [/anki:tts] reads whatever sits inside the tags.

Two platform notes matter on iPhone. Anki uses the voices the operating system provides, so a voice you never downloaded cannot appear. And the manual states that the Siri voice can only be used by Apple apps, so it will not show up in Anki even though it is on the phone.

Build the template on desktop, then review on iPhone

You can edit templates on the phone, but desktop is faster and easier to preview. A workable sequence:

1. Duplicate the deck or export a backup before touching templates.
2. Open Browse, select a note, and open the card templates editor.
3. Insert the TTS replacement where the prompt belongs. For a basic vocabulary card, {{tts en_US:Front}} near the top of the front template is enough.
4. Preview several cards, including one long answer and one cloze card.
5. Adjust with a named voice or a slower speed only if the default disappoints.
6. Sync through AnkiWeb. The Anki home page describes AnkiWeb as the free synchronization service that moves cards across devices.
7. On the iPhone, open AnkiMobile, the official iOS app, and review. Anki's download page lists AnkiMobile as a paid app whose purchases fund development, so check the current App Store price before buying.

One design decision matters more than syntax: where the audio sits. Playing the front field before you answer risks turning recall into recognition if the spoken text gives away the answer. Many learners put TTS on the answer side, or on a prompt field that does not contain the answer, and keep pronunciation drills on the front only when the sound itself is what is being tested.

Four ways to put audio on a card

Method	Where it works	Prep effort	Best for	Main limit
TTS in the template	Desktop and AnkiMobile on recent versions	One template edit	Any text field you want spoken	Uses system voices; nothing is saved as an audio file
Pre-recorded audio	Every platform	High, per card	Pronunciation you must control	Recording and editing time
Screen reading the card	Any readable view	None	Occasional help with one card	No automatic playback and no resume
A document reader	iPhone reading app	Import once	Long notes and source texts behind the deck	Not spaced repetition

If your real goal is passive listening to notes, a reader is the better tool. If your goal is remembering, keep the review session active and let audio support it.

One honest boundary: a card is not an audiobook. Anki reviews are short, frequent, and interactive by design, and template TTS plays a field, not a chapter. When the source material is a 20-page chapter, listen to it in a reader first, then make cards from the parts you still miss. That order keeps retrieval practice focused on the hard fraction instead of re-listening to everything.

Keep the template readable, too. A template accumulated over years is hard to debug, so add the TTS line in one place and test each change with preview before syncing. If a shared deck already contains audio, check whether it uses recorded media or template TTS. The two behave differently when you edit the template, and recorded audio stays even if you remove the TTS line.

A 15-minute Anki TTS test

Test fixture: a duplicated 20-card deck with one cloze card, one card containing a number, and one card with a foreign name.

1. Add {{tts en_US:Front}} to the front template and preview five cards.
2. Confirm the voice reads punctuation sensibly and does not skip the field.
3. Add {{tts-voices:}} temporarily and note which languages exist on your phone.
4. Sync and review ten cards on the iPhone at your normal pace.
5. Check the cloze card and the number card twice.
6. Time how long a card takes with audio versus without.
7. Decide: audio on the front, audio on the back, or no audio for this deck.

Pass if the audio plays without tapping and the card still requires recall. Fail if the voice gives away the answer, if playback collides with your answer speed, or if a number is mispronounced in a way that changes its meaning.

Troubleshooting Anki text to speech

Nothing plays. Check the app version first, because TTS needs a recent Anki or AnkiMobile. Then confirm the template was saved and synced, and that the language code matches an installed voice.

The voice sounds wrong or is missing. Anki uses the system voices on iPhone. Add a voice in iOS settings, restart Anki, and list what is available with {{tts-voices:}}.

Siri's voice is not listed. The manual states the Siri voice can only be used by Apple apps, so Anki cannot offer it even when it is your default system voice.

Audio does not repeat when the answer shows. The manual notes that FrontSide does not automatically replay front audio. If you want the same clip on both sides, add the TTS replacement to the back template deliberately.

A number sounds ambiguous. "Fifteen" and "fifty" are the classic failure case, and a confident voice does not make it correct. Test number cards with the voice you plan to use, and consider a slower speed for those cards.

Where AudioPage fits

AudioPage and Anki do different jobs, and the split is clean. Anki schedules retrieval practice. AudioPage is an iPhone reading and listening app for supported PDFs, EPUBs, DOCX files, web articles, pasted text, and photos or scans. It is useful when the material behind your flashcards is long prose, such as a chapter you want to hear before making cards, or lecture notes you want to review on a walk. It does not replace spaced repetition and it does not modify your Anki decks.

AudioPage's core listening is local-first, first voice setup needs internet, and Free supports up to 10 saved items. Lifetime Offline covers eligible local features, while Pro adds connected document summary, chat, and optional sync. AudioPage does not export MP3 files and does not publish audiobooks, and it runs on iPhone with no Android version. For plan boundaries, see AudioPage support.

Frequently asked questions

Does Anki have text to speech on iPhone?

Yes. Recent Anki versions and AnkiMobile support the TTS template replacement, so Anki can read card fields in an installed iOS voice during review. Very old versions and some platforms need different syntax or do not support it at all.

How do I add text to speech to an Anki card?

Edit the card template for the note type and add a replacement such as {{tts en_US:Front}}. Build and preview it on desktop, then sync so the change reaches AnkiMobile. The Anki manual documents voice lists, speed, and cloze options.

Why is my Anki TTS voice missing on iPhone?

Anki uses voices installed in iOS, so add the voice in iPhone settings, restart Anki, and list what the device has. Some voices, such as Siri, are reserved for Apple apps and will not appear in Anki.

Is listening to audio flashcards enough to memorize?

No. Anki schedules reviews around active recall, and you still have to answer and grade each card. Audio changes how the prompt reaches you; it does not replace the retrieval step or the review schedule.

The practical answer

Anki's built-in text to speech is a small template change with a real payoff. One edit turns any text field into audio on the iPhone, using voices you already have. Use it to support pronunciation, accessibility, and hands-free review, and keep the session honest by grading what you actually recalled. When the material is long prose rather than a card, move it to a reader and keep Anki for retrieval.