How often should I review with spaced repetition?
Review only cards that are due — adaptive schedulers like FSRS calculate the count each day. Some days that is five cards; after a break it may be more. Consistency beats marathon sessions.
Guide
Spread reviews over time instead of cramming — the most replicated finding in learning science, now automated by algorithms like FSRS.
Spaced repetition is a study method where you review material at increasing intervals — each time just before you would forget it. One minute after learning, then hours, then days, then weeks. The spacing forces retrieval from long-term memory, which strengthens it. Cramming the same cards ten times in one hour feels productive but fades quickly; spaced reviews compound over months.
Psychologists have demonstrated the spacing effect for over a century: distributed practice beats massed practice for durable learning. Flashcard apps automate the schedule so you do not guess when to revisit a word. Older tools used simple fixed intervals; modern ones use algorithms like FSRS to personalize timing from your actual grades.
Many study apps repeat cards on fixed timers geared toward short-term tests. That helps before Friday’s quiz but not vocabulary you need next semester. Adaptive spaced repetition targets long-term retention: each card’s schedule reflects how you personally forget it.
Build a deck of term–definition pairs. Study due cards each day. Rate honestly after each recall. Trust the schedule — if a card is not due, drilling it again adds little. Pair flip practice with production (typing) and listening when possible so recall transfers beyond one format.
This guide covers the concept. See the feature page for how wordlet implements it in the app.
General answers about spaced repetition explained — see the feature page for wordlet-specific setup.
Review only cards that are due — adaptive schedulers like FSRS calculate the count each day. Some days that is five cards; after a break it may be more. Consistency beats marathon sessions.
Yes. Active recall (testing yourself) with spaced intervals produces stronger long-term memory than passive re-reading the same list.
FSRS is a modern open choice trained on large review datasets. Older SM-2-style schedulers still work but typically need more reviews for the same retention.
FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) is a modern algorithm that predicts when you will forget a flashcard and schedules the next review for that moment.
Term on one side, definition on the other — active recall that turns word lists into long-term vocabulary.