You learn 20 new words today. In a week, you remember 3. Sound familiar?

The problem isn't your memory—it's your review timing. Spaced repetition solves this scientifically.

## What Is Spaced Repetition?

**The concept:**
Review information at increasing intervals right before you're about to forget it.

**The science:**
Your brain strengthens memories each time you successfully recall them. By reviewing just before forgetting, you maximize retention with minimum reviews.

**Traditional method vs. SRS:**
- **Traditional:** Review daily → Waste time on known words, forget others
- **SRS:** Review when needed → Efficient, nothing forgotten

## How Spaced Repetition Works

**The forgetting curve:**

```
Memory
100%  |\
      | \
      |  \__ ← Review here (just before forgetting)
      |    \__
      |       \___
0%    |___________→ Time
```

**After each successful review:**
- Interval doubles (1 day → 2 days → 4 days → 8 days...)
- Memory strengthens
- Eventually reaches years between reviews

**If you forget:**
- Interval resets
- Card comes back sooner
- Prevents forgetting

## Best Tools for Spaced Repetition

### Anki (Most Powerful)

**Pros:**
- Free and open-source
- Unlimited cards
- Highly customizable
- Sync across devices
- Massive addon library

**Cons:**
- Steeper learning curve
- iOS app costs $25
- Interface not pretty

**Best for:**
Serious learners willing to invest time in setup

### Memrise (User-Friendly)

**Pros:**
- Beautiful interface
- Pre-made courses
- Video examples from natives
- Gamification

**Cons:**
- Limited free version
- Less control over intervals
- Focused on their courses

**Best for:**
Beginners wanting ease of use

### Quizlet (Popular)

**Pros:**
- Huge library of pre-made sets
- Multiple study modes
- Easy sharing
- Good for school/structured courses

**Cons:**
- Basic SRS algorithm
- Ads in free version
- Less sophisticated than Anki

**Best for:**
Students using existing curriculum

## Creating Effective Flashcards

### Bad Card Example:
**Front:** "casa"
**Back:** "house"

**Why it's bad:**
- No context
- Boring
- Easily confused
- Not memorable

### Good Card Example:
**Front:** "Mi ___ es grande y tiene jardín."
(Image of house)
**Back:** "Mi **casa** es grande y tiene jardín."
(My house is big and has a garden)

**Why it's good:**
- Context sentence
- Visual aid
- Practical usage
- Memorable

## The 20 Rules for Formulating Knowledge

**Based on SuperMemo research:**

### Rule #1: Understand Before Memorizing
Don't memorize what you don't understand.

### Rule #2: Build on Basics
Learn simple concepts before complex ones.

### Rule #3: Minimum Information Principle
One idea = one card (not multiple concepts per card)

### Rule #4: Use Context
Always include example sentences.

### Rule #5: Add Images
Visual + Text = Better retention

### Rule #6: Use Mnemonic Techniques
Create memorable associations.

### Rule #7: Make It Personal
Relate to your life and experiences.

### Rule #8: Test Recognition and Recall
Some cards: English → Spanish
Other cards: Spanish → English

## Your Daily SRS Routine

**Morning (10-20 minutes):**
- Review all cards due today
- Focus: Pure recall
- Don't add new cards yet

**Why morning:**
Fresh brain, better retention

**Evening (10-15 minutes):**
- Add 10-20 new cards
- First review of new cards
- Lighter cognitive load

**Why evening:**
Sleep helps consolidate new memories

**Total daily time:**
20-35 minutes
Efficient, sustainable

## Optimal Settings for Anki

**New cards per day:** 10-20
**Review limit:** Unlimited
**Graduating interval:** 1 day
**Easy interval:** 4 days
**Starting ease:** 250%

**Why these settings:**
Balance between progress and overwhelm.

## Common Spaced Repetition Mistakes

### ❌ Too Many New Cards Daily

**Problem:** 50 new cards/day = 500 reviews/day within weeks

**Solution:** 10-20 new cards max, consistency over speed

### ❌ Skipping Reviews

**Problem:** Cards pile up, system breaks

**Solution:** Daily reviews non-negotiable, even 5 minutes

### ❌ Not Using Context

**Problem:** Isolated words don't stick

**Solution:** Always use sentences

### ❌ Perfectionism Paralysis

**Problem:** Spend hours perfecting cards, never review

**Solution:** Good enough cards used > Perfect cards never made

## Strategies for Different Learning Styles

### Visual Learners

**Add to every card:**
- Images
- Color coding
- Diagrams
- GIFs

**Resources:**
- Google Images
- Unsplash
- GIPHY

### Auditory Learners

**Add to cards:**
- Audio recordings (Forvo.com)
- Pronunciation guides
- Native speaker clips

**Anki addons:**
- AwesomeTTS (automatic audio)

### Kinesthetic Learners

**Technique:**
- Say word out loud while reviewing
- Write word physically
- Act out meaning

## Beyond Vocabulary: What Else to Use SRS For

**Grammar patterns:**
Front: "I ___ (go) to the store yesterday"
Back: "I **went** to the store yesterday"

**Listening practice:**
Front: (Audio clip)
Back: Written transcript

**Speaking practice:**
Front: "How do you say 'I'm hungry'?"
Back: Record yourself saying it

**Culture facts:**
Front: "What do you say before eating in Japan?"
Back: "Itadakimasu (いただきます)"

## The First 1000 Words Strategy

**Most important words:**
First 1,000 most common words = 80% of daily conversation

**Where to find them:**
- Frequency dictionaries
- Anki shared decks (search "1000 most common [language]")
- Language apps' beginner courses

**Timeline:**
- 10 new words/day = 100 days (3.5 months)
- 20 new words/day = 50 days (1.5 months)

**After 1,000 words:**
You can have basic conversations!

## Tracking Your Progress

**Metrics to monitor:**

**Daily:**
- Cards reviewed
- New cards added
- Review time
- Retention rate

**Weekly:**
- Total cards in deck
- Average retention %
- Longest streak
- Time saved vs traditional review

**Monthly:**
- Vocabulary growth
- Retention trends
- Deck maturity

**Use:** Anki's built-in stats or Trackinglanguages.com

## When SRS Isn't Enough

**SRS limitations:**
- Teaches recognition, not production
- Lacks real-world context
- Can feel mechanical

**Complement with:**
- Real conversations (apply vocabulary)
- Reading (see words in context)
- Writing (produce vocabulary)
- Listening (passive reinforcement)

**The balance:**
40% SRS, 60% immersion/practice

## Dealing with Review Backlog

**It happens:**
Vacation, illness, busy week → 500 cards overdue

**Don't:**
❌ Try to catch up all at once (burnout)
❌ Delete cards (waste previous work)
❌ Give up on system

**Do:**
✅ Set daily limit (50-100 reviews max)
✅ Accept slow catch-up (2-3 weeks)
✅ Reduce new cards to zero temporarily
✅ Focus on consistency

## Advanced Techniques

### Sentence Mining

**Process:**
1. Find sentence with unknown word in native content
2. Create card with full sentence
3. Highlight/bold the target word
4. Add context (where you found it)

**Benefits:**
- Natural usage
- Real context
- More memorable

### Image Occlusion

**For languages with characters (Japanese, Chinese, Arabic):**
- Image of text
- Cover parts
- Reveal on answer

**Anki addon:** Image Occlusion Enhanced

### Cloze Deletion

**Instead of:** Traditional front/back

**Use:** Fill-in-the-blank style

**Example:**
"Yesterday I {{c1::went}} to the {{c2::store}}."

**Benefits:**
- Multiple cards from one sentence
- Better context retention

## Your 30-Day SRS Challenge

**Week 1: Setup**
- Choose tool (Anki recommended)
- Find or create first 50 cards
- Review daily

**Week 2: Habit Building**
- Add 10 new cards daily
- Never skip reviews
- Track in calendar

**Week 3: Optimization**
- Adjust settings based on retention
- Add images/audio
- Find your rhythm

**Week 4: Expansion**
- Increase to 15-20 new cards daily
- Add grammar cards
- Measure progress

**Expected outcome:**
- 280+ new cards learned
- 90%+ retention rate
- Established daily habit
- Clear path forward

## The Long Game

**Month 1:** 300 words (basics)
**Month 3:** 900 words (conversational)
**Month 6:** 1,800 words (intermediate)
**Month 12:** 3,600 words (advanced)
**Year 2:** 7,200 words (near-fluent)

**Daily investment:** 20 minutes
**Lifetime result:** Language fluency

**The math works if you work the system.**

## Start Today

**Your action plan:**

**Today (30 minutes):**
1. Download Anki or choose tool
2. Find/create first 20 cards
3. Do first review

**Tomorrow:**
Review yesterday's cards + add 10 new

**Every day after:**
Reviews + new cards

**In 30 days:**
You'll have memorized 300+ words that you'll never forget.

**In one year:**
Vocabulary of 3,000+ words = functional fluency.

The secret to remembering thousands of words isn't working harder—it's reviewing smarter.

What's your first word?


Master spaced repetition techniques to memorize thousands of words efficiently and never forget vocabulary again.

Posts tagged with "vocabulary"

Spaced Repetition: The Science-Backed Method to Remember Vocabulary Forever