Word Matching Review – V8.2.1

A matching-based review mode for Anki with fast two- or three-column matching. Use Anki's normal due queue with full scheduler/FSRS integration, or switch to the separate Speedrun Mode for a zero-progress whole-deck challenge.

Install from AnkiWeb · View releases

Setup

Choose a deck and select the note fields used for matching.

You can configure:

• Column 1
• Column 2
• optional Column 3
• group size from 3 to 8 cards
• optional session timing
• an optional audio field
• the column whose selection should trigger audio playback
• optional Speedrun Mode
• Speedrun order: Ordered or Randomized

Settings are saved per deck.

<p align="center"> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/ADBjig7.gif" alt="Word Matching Review setup" width="900"> </p>

Two-column matching

The regular mode displays two independently shuffled columns. Select one tile from each column to reconnect the fields belonging to the same Anki card.

Examples:

Japanese word → Meaning

Question → Answer

A correct match disappears from the board and the next cards can be matched immediately.

<p align="center"> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/bwoSziu.gif" alt="Two-column matching mode" width="900"> </p>

Three-column matching

V8 adds an optional third matching field. All three columns are shuffled independently and all three selected tiles must belong to the same Anki card before the match is accepted.

For Japanese vocabulary, this enables setups such as:

Kanji / written form → Kana reading → Meaning

This adds another association layer between orthography, reading and meaning instead of simply increasing the number of visible cards.

The mode is not limited to languages. Other examples include:

• Country → Capital → Currency
• Chemical element → Symbol → Atomic number
• Term → Definition → Example

Disable the third column at any time to return to regular two-column matching.

<p align="center"> <img src="https://i.imgur.com/Y758Cas.gif" alt="Three-column matching mode" width="900"> </p>

Speedrun Mode

V8.2 adds an optional Speedrun Mode that runs completely separately from Anki's normal scheduling.

Instead of using today's due queue, Speedrun Mode uses the complete selected deck and note type as an in-memory challenge.

• No scheduler or FSRS progress is written
• No due dates, intervals or review history are changed
• One incorrect combination immediately ends the run
• Correct matches continue until the complete Speedrun pool has been cleared
• The result screen shows run time, completed matches and rounds
• A failed run can be restarted immediately

Ordered

Ordered keeps a stable deck-wide item order between runs.

The same cards therefore form the same groups as far as possible, while the positions inside every matching column are still shuffled independently.

Randomized

Randomized additionally shuffles the complete deck-wide item order at the start of every run.

This means that the cards grouped together in one round will usually differ between runs. The cards inside every matching column are then shuffled independently as usual.

Speedrun Mode works with both two- and three-column matching.

Scheduler behavior

Word Matching Review does not implement its own scheduling system. It uses Anki's current scheduler queue.

• Correct on the first attempt → Good
• Incorrect combination before the correct match → Again
• Ratings are buffered and only submitted when that exact card is at the top of Anki's scheduler queue
• If Anki unexpectedly reorders the queue after a completed round, Word Matching refreshes the queue context and continues automatically instead of forcing blocked ratings
• Cards rated Again can naturally reappear later in the session
• Anki and FSRS remain responsible for intervals and due dates
• If too few suitable cards remain for a complete group, matching stops and the remaining cards stay available in Anki's normal reviewer

Configurable audio

Audio remains independent from the visible matching fields. Any note field can be selected as the audio source.

V8 lets you choose when that audio should play:

• when selecting Column 1
• when selecting Column 2
• when selecting Column 3 if the third column is enabled

The selected audio field is checked for valid [sound:filename] references in Anki's collection media folder. Missing or invalid audio files are ignored silently.

This makes setups such as Kanji → Kana → Meaning + pronunciation audio possible without requiring another visible column.

Additional features

• 3–8 cards per round, default 5
• Independent vertical shuffling for every active column
• Duplicate protection for identical visible values in every active field
• Keyboard workflow: 1–N selects Column 1, then Column 2, then optionally Column 3
• 0 clears the current selection
• Brief red feedback after an incorrect combination without revealing the answer
• Image and rich-text support
• Maximized matching window with automatic tile and font scaling
• Individual tile scrolling only when content actually overflows
• Session statistics and optional timing
• Per-deck matching and audio configuration

Installation

AnkiWeb

Install the add-on from AnkiWeb and restart Anki.

Manual installation

Download the .ankiaddon file from the GitHub releases and install it via:

Anki → Tools → Add-ons → Install from file

Then restart Anki and open:

Tools → Word Matching Review V8.2…

Why matching?

Word Matching still requires Active Recall / Retrieval Practice, but visible alternatives make the task more cued than a traditional free-recall Anki card.

It is therefore primarily intended as an alternative review mode for material that is already reasonably familiar, rather than a complete replacement for traditional recall.

The trade-off is faster interaction, simultaneous discrimination between multiple answers and a more game-like review format that may make larger review sessions more engaging.

Three-column matching increases the number of relationships that need to be considered at once. For Japanese, this can explicitly connect written form, reading and meaning as separate but related pieces of knowledge.

Traditional Anki cards remain useful for testing whether an answer can be generated without visible cues.

References

Roediger, H. L. & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x

Sailer, M. & Homner, L. (2020). The Gamification of Learning: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 32, 77–112. DOI: 10.1007/s10648-019-09498-w