Flags

Last modified: 04/03/2026

Overview

Sprout supports inline circle flags inside card text fields using token syntax. Flag assets are provided by HatScripts/circle-flags (MIT).

Supported token formats:

• {{es}}

These render as small circular flag icons with diameter matching the current text size.

Full code reference

Use Flag-Codes for full code tables:

• Country and territory codes
• State/region codes grouped by country (country in first column)
• Language codes

Where flags work

Flags are supported in all text content fields:

• T (title)
• Q / RQ / CQ / MCQ / OQ (question/stem fields)
• A and O (answers/options)
• Ordered-question steps (1, 2, 3, ...)
• I (extra information)

Flags are not supported in G (groups).

Editing behavior

In card editors and browser inputs:

• when the field is focused, you see raw tokens (for example {{gb}})
• when the field loses focus, tokens render as flag icons

This matches Sprout’s existing image-preview editing style.

Display behavior

Flags render in:

• Study mode
• Widget mode
• Gatekeeper mode
• Reading view / pretty-card rendering

They are also used by TTS when flag-aware routing is enabled.

Examples

Basic language-pair card:

Q | {{es}} Hola |
A | {{gb}} Hello |

State card example:

Q | {{us-ca}} California |
A | {{gb}} West Coast, United States |

Syntax and compatibility notes

• Sprout keeps cloze syntax untouched ({{c1::...}}, {{c2::...}}, etc.).
• Invalid flag tokens are left as plain text.
• Flags use circle-flag asset codes (country/region style codes), not free-form language names.

Offline cache behavior

Flags are fetched on demand and cached locally.

• first render of a new code may require network
• after fetch, cached data is used offline
• cache is bounded (LRU-style trimming) to avoid unbounded growth

This keeps plugin size small while still supporting offline use after first load.

TTS behavior with flags

When Settings → Audio → Flag-aware routing → Use flags for language and accent is enabled:

• {{es}} routes speech to Spanish voices.
• A single flag can apply to the full spoken text (not position-dependent).
• Multiple flags in one field use segmented inline voice switching.

Optional setting:

• Speak language name before flag segments adds spoken labels before each flag-switched segment.
  • Example labels are language names such as English or Spanish.
  • Regional accent selection still applies (for example UK/US English voices).

Tips

• Use short, consistent codes in language decks ({{es}}, {{fr}}, {{de}}).
• If you prefer UK/US distinction in English prompts, use explicit tokens such as {{gb}} or {{us}}.
• Combine flags with TTS for mixed-language cards, for example {{es}} question + {{gb}} answer.