Forgetting a new word days after you learn it is frustrating. You study a list, feel confident, and then draw a blank when you need the term. The problem isn't your memory—it's your review method. Spaced repetition is a powerful technique designed to solve this exact problem.\n\nSpaced Repetition, or Spaced Repetition System (SRS), is a memorization technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals. Instead of cramming, you review a word just as you're about to forget it, strengthening its place in your long-term memory. It's the most efficient way to learn and retain vocabulary, and apps can automate this entire process for you.\n\n
How Spaced Repetition Fights the “Forgetting Curve”\n\nIn the 19th century, psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered the “forgetting curve.” It shows that we forget new information exponentially unless we actively review it. Spaced repetition directly counters this by scheduling reviews at specific moments:\n\n1. Initial Learning: You encounter a new word and its definition.\n2. First Review: You review it soon after, perhaps within a day.\n3. Increasing Intervals: Each time you correctly recall the word, the time until the next review gets longer (e.g., 2 days, then 4 days, then 8 days, and so on).\n4. Incorrect Recall: If you forget the word, the interval shortens, bringing it back for review sooner.\n\nThis system focuses your effort on the words that are hardest for you to remember, saving you time from studying what you already know.\n\n
A Simple Spaced Repetition Schedule for Flashcards\n\nWhile a dedicated app is the easiest way to manage this, you can try a basic version manually with physical or digital flashcards. The key is to separate your cards into different review piles or boxes based on how well you know them.\n\nHere is a popular, simplified schedule known as the Leitner System:\n\n* Step 1: Create Your Flashcards\n Write the word on one side and the definition on the other. For example, Ephemeral on the front and “Lasting for a very short time” on the back.\n\n* Step 2: Daily Review (Box 1)\n All new cards start in Box 1. Review this box every day. If you get a card right, move it to Box 2. If you get it wrong, it stays in Box 1.\n\n* Step 3: Extended Review (Boxes 2, 3, 4...)\n - Box 2: Review every 2-3 days. If correct, move it to Box 3. If wrong, move it back to Box 1.\n - Box 3: Review once a week. If correct, move it to Box 4. If wrong, move it back to Box 1.\n - Box 4: Review every two weeks, and so on.\n\nManually tracking this can be tedious, which is why Flashi’s AI-powered flashcards are so effective. The app automatically schedules your daily “Word of the Day” and any custom flashcard sets you create, ensuring you review each term at the optimal time for long-term retention without any of the manual sorting.\n\n
Why SRS is Ideal for Vocabulary Learning\n\nSpaced repetition is perfect for vocabulary because it treats each word as a separate piece of information. Whether you're studying for the SAT, learning a new language, or just expanding your daily vocabulary, an SRS ensures that every word gets the exact amount of attention it needs to stick. It's a focused, efficient system for building a lasting vocabulary.