Make flashcards with Cambridge English Online (tutorial)

What is a flashcard?

A flashcard or flash card is a set of cards bearing information, as words or numbers, on either or both sides, used in classroom drills or in private study. One writes a question on a card and an answer overleaf. Flashcards can bear vocabulary, historical dates, formulas or any subject matter that can be learned via a question and answer format. Flashcards are widely used as a learning drill to aid memorization by way of spaced repetition.

Benefits of using Cambridge English Online flashcard-maker

Cambridge English Online flashcard-maker is a tool aimed at teachers and students of English. It allows them to create images acompanied by text, useful for the teaching and learning of vocabulary items. Teachers can use this tool to create visual resources for their lessons. In this way, the teacher can create the exact images she/he needs, instead of relying on some ready-made material that may not fit his/her purporse. Besides, students themselves can also profit from this tool. They can create their own visual material. In this way, students get engaged with the course material, becoming active participants in their learning process, rather that objects of lecture and textbooks. 

1) Getting started

- Enter www.cambridgeenglishonline.com
- Select the option 'Flashcard Maker' in the middle of the page.

2) Make your flashcards

- Now, you will see four options: '1 A4 card', '2 A4 cards per sheet', '4 A4 cards per sheet' and '8 A4 cards per sheet'. Choose the one that fits your aim best and press on the label.

- You will be given a set of options on the right of the flashcard/s. In each of them, you can insert an image, text and the correspondent phonetic script. You can draw your own image or choose one from the library. So as to adjust each of these options, you have to click on the labels.

- You can start by introducing a picture. When clicking on 'Use image library', you will be given a list of words for you to find what you need to be represented. For instance, if you choose the word 'out of', you will get the drawing of a ball out of a box. Otherwise, if you click on 'Draw your own picture', a blank window will appear, together with a pencil and some other options to adjust colour and size, erase and position the drawing on the sheet. Once you have finished, press 'Apply'.

-  To introduce text, press on 'Text' and write what you like on the box bellow, they press 'Apply'

- To introduce the phonetic script, press on 'Phonemic Script' and click on the symbols on the grid one by one in the order needed. Then press 'Apply' to inset it in the flashcard.

3) Finally

- Once you have finished, press on 'Print' if you want to print them at that moment, or take a screen capture, if you want to save it in your computer files.


Have a look at a sample product from Cambridge English Online flashcard maker!

See an activity on Cambridge English Online

Have fun!