The Forgetting Curve and How to Beat It

In 1885, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered something uncomfortable: we forget things rapidly. Within an hour of learning new information, we've already lost a significant portion. Within a day, most of it is gone. Within a week, almost all of it.

This is the forgetting curve. It explains why vocabulary you learned last month has vanished and why cramming doesn't work. But it also points to a solution.

The Forgetting Curve Explained

When you first learn something, memory strength is high but unstable. Without reinforcement, memory decays exponentially:

• After 20 minutes: ~40% forgotten
• After 1 hour: ~55% forgotten
• After 1 day: ~75% forgotten
• After 1 week: ~90% forgotten

These numbers vary by individual and material, but the pattern is consistent. Learning without review leads to forgetting.

The Solution: Spaced Repetition

Each time you successfully retrieve information from memory, you strengthen it. The memory becomes more stable and decays more slowly. If you review at the right intervals, you can maintain memories indefinitely with minimal effort.

This is spaced repetition: reviewing material at increasing intervals, just as you're about to forget it. The first review might be after a day, the next after a few days, then a week, then a month, then several months.

By timing reviews to coincide with the edge of forgetting, you strengthen memories efficiently. You spend time only on what you're about to lose, not on what you already know well.

How Spaced Repetition Systems Work

SRS apps like Anki automate the scheduling. When you review a flashcard:

• If you remember it easily, the interval increases (e.g., from 3 days to 8 days)
• If you struggle, the interval resets or shortens
• If you forget completely, it returns to the beginning

Over time, easy cards appear rarely (maybe once every few months). Hard cards appear frequently until they become easy. The system adapts to your actual memory, card by card.

Applying This to Language Learning

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the classic use case for SRS. Add new words as flashcards, review daily, and let the algorithm manage scheduling. Over months and years, you can accumulate thousands of words with manageable daily review times.

Grammar

Grammar rules and example sentences can also be SRS cards. Review conjugation patterns, sentence structures, and exception rules at spaced intervals.

Sentences

Many learners use sentence cards rather than isolated words. You see a sentence and have to translate or understand it. This teaches vocabulary in context and reinforces grammar simultaneously.

Best Practices

Add Cards Slowly

New cards create review debt. If you add 50 cards today, you'll be reviewing those cards repeatedly for months. Start with 5-15 new cards per day and adjust based on your review load.

Review Every Day

Skipping review days causes cards to pile up. The system works best with daily consistency. Even 10-15 minutes daily is better than irregular longer sessions.

Trust the Algorithm

If a card keeps appearing, it's because you keep forgetting it. That's valuable information. Don't resent hard cards; they're telling you what needs work.

Supplement with Exposure

SRS isn't the only way to review. Encountering vocabulary in reading, listening, and conversation also reinforces memory. SRS ensures you don't forget; natural exposure deepens understanding.

Common Mistakes

Too Many New Cards

Enthusiastic beginners often add 50+ cards daily. Within weeks, they're drowning in reviews and quit. Sustainable beats ambitious.

Stopping When It Gets Hard

Reviews can feel tedious. That tedium is the price of retention. Push through. The alternative is constant relearning.

Only Using SRS

Flashcards build recognition but not necessarily production or deep understanding. Use SRS as one tool among many, not your entire approach.

What If You've Stopped?

If you've been away from your SRS for weeks or months, you'll face a mountain of overdue reviews. Options:

• Work through them gradually (maybe 50-100 reviews per day until caught up)
• Reset cards that are clearly forgotten
• Start fresh with a new deck

Any option is better than abandoning the habit entirely. The goal is consistency going forward, not perfection in the past.

The Long-Term Payoff

Learners who use spaced repetition consistently report that vocabulary acquisition becomes almost effortless over time. Words stick. The forgetting problem is solved.

The forgetting curve is working against you whether you address it or not. With spaced repetition, you work with memory rather than against it. That's a significant advantage in the long game of language learning.