Kindle’s built-in Vocabulary Builder (not to be confused with WordWise, which is cool in its own right) is a nifty flashcards feature you can access in your book’s menu to revise and master new vocabulary. The Vocabulary Builder database gets updated with every word you’ve checked the definition of while reading. The problem with vocabulary builder is that there is a ton of situations in which you would love to revise the words, but aren’t carrying your Kindle.
What’s also worth noting is that, in a somewhat walled-garden approach, Amazon has restricted Vocabulary Builder to only selected devices in their lineup (AFAIK Kindle Oasis 3 and Paperwhite included). Vocabulary Builder does not work in the Kindle mobile app on Apple or Android either.
Good news: there is a way to export the vocabulary database for further use outside of the device, and ChatGPT comes to the rescue.
The steps detailed below will likely work for other models (e.g. Claude) but I have yet to do some tests.
1. Export the Vocabulary Builder (vocab.db) file from your Kindle
As mentioned below, the Vocabulary Builder database file (vocab.db) is located on your Kindle device. To access it, connect your Kindle to your PC using a USB cable.
The contents of your Kindle should look like this:
To find the vocab.db file, you need to Access the D:\system\vocabulary folder on your Kindle.
Please note that system folders are a hidden by default in Windows. If you can’t see the folder, type the full path D:\system\vocabulary in the path field, or change the Windows settings to see all system files.
Once in the D:\system\vocabulary folder, copy the vocab.db file to your computer.
You can disconnect the USB cable for now.
2. Convert the vocab.db file into a list of words
Open ChatGPT (I’m using the paid version, but the free 4o model should suffice for this step). Use the prompt below with your vocab.db file attached:
Open this db file. List all the “word” entries in the “words” table.
Output the list of words only, no pre-text.
What this will do is convert the SQLite database file into a simple list of words. Copy the output list of words from ChatGPT and paste it into a Google Doc (or use any other editor).
Now, save the Google Doc as PDF: Download > PDF Document (.PDF) — this format works best for most language models.
2. Create a custom Vocabulary Builder chat
In this step, you’ll need to open ChatGPT and create a custom vocab trainer chat.
- Give your chat a name (e.g. Vocab trainer) and a description (e.g. Kindle DB vocabulary flashcards)
- Choose an icon for your chat (or use Dall-E)
- Give clear instructions for the chat. In my example, a Polish translation is requested. Feel free to experiment! Use the instructions below for a start:
Choose a random entry from the list of words. Write the word in bold.
Ask me the meaning of the word.
After I answer, say if my answer is correct or not.
Then, provide a correct Polish translation and generate a use example.
Next, proceed to a randomly selected next word from the list.- Upload the .PDF list of words as “knowledge”.
- Add a conversation starter. This could be anything like: Let’s do aquick vocabulary quiz based on the words list. This will create a clickable button action allowing you to quickly start the quiz.
That’s it. Save all your changes and test the trainer.
Remember it’s a conversation, so feel free to ask the chat for additional examples and synonyms of the words when needed. If you don’t know the meaning of the word, just say “I don’t know” or “No idea”.
Please note that the list of words has to be re-uploaded to ChatGPT’s knowledge periodically. As your Kindle Vocabulary Builder database grows, make sure to repeat steps 1 and 2 e.g. every couple of weeks.
3. Extra step: try the voice chat on your mobile phone
What’s cool about ChatGPT is that you can interact with it using voice. To do this, install the ChatGPT app on your Apple or Android device. Voice interaction also works in custom chats.
The benefit of using the ChatGPT voice chat on mobile is you’ll also hear the word being spoken by the model.
Enjoy!
If you liked the tips, buy me a coffee to keep me going, thanks!
