Spaced repetition explained
Cramming works for tomorrow's test and fades fast. Spreading reviews over days and weeks takes less time overall and lasts much longer.
Flashcard apps schedule the reviews for you: cards you know come back rarely, cards you miss come back soon.
Try it today
- Turn key facts into simple question-and-answer cards.
- Review the cards that are due each day, even for five minutes.
- Rewrite cards you keep missing so they test one idea only.
Where it comes from
Hermann Ebbinghaus's memory experiments, published in 1885, described how quickly we forget. Sebastian Leitner's 1972 book So lernt man lernen introduced the Leitner box, an early way to space flashcard reviews.
Frequently asked questions
- What is spaced repetition?
- Spaced repetition is reviewing what you learn at increasing intervals, just before you would forget it, so it moves into long-term memory with less total study time.
- Where does spaced repetition come from?
- Hermann Ebbinghaus's memory experiments, published in 1885, described how quickly we forget. Sebastian Leitner's 1972 book So lernt man lernen introduced the Leitner box, an early way to space flashcard reviews.
- How do I start with spaced repetition?
- Turn key facts into simple question-and-answer cards. Review the cards that are due each day, even for five minutes. Rewrite cards you keep missing so they test one idea only.
- Which tools help with spaced repetition?
- Tools in our directory that help include Anki, RemNote, Recall, NotebookLM. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.