Anki Flashcards
FREEThe most powerful spaced repetition system available! Scientific memory scheduling that adapts to your personal learning patterns for maximum retention.
The Science of Memory: Why Anki Works
Active Recall Testing
Active recall is the process of actively stimulating memory during learning. Instead of passively reading or reviewing material, you force your brain to retrieve information from memory. This retrieval process strengthens neural pathways far more effectively than passive review.
The Testing Effect
Research shows that retrieving information from memory improves long-term retention by 50% compared to passive review. Each successful recall strengthens the memory trace, making future recalls easier and more automatic.
Desirable Difficulties
The slight struggle to recall information is actually beneficial. This "desirable difficulty" forces deeper processing and creates stronger, more durable memories. Easy reviewing feels productive but creates weak memories.
Spaced Repetition Algorithm
Spaced repetition leverages the psychological spacing effect - we remember information better when reviews are spaced out over time rather than massed together. Anki's algorithm calculates optimal review intervals based on your performance.
The Forgetting Curve
Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that memory retention decreases exponentially over time. Without review, we forget 50% of new information within an hour, 70% within 24 hours, and 90% within a week. Spaced repetition interrupts this curve at optimal moments.
Efficiency Maximization
Review only when you're about to forget, not before (waste) or after (relearning). This minimizes time while maximizing retention.
Adaptive Intervals
Easy cards get longer intervals, hard cards shorter ones. The algorithm adapts to each item's difficulty for you personally.
Compound Growth
Each successful review increases the next interval exponentially, eventually reaching months or years between reviews.
Applying Anki to Chinese Learning
Character Cards Best Practices
Front: Character only
Show just 学 - force recall of pronunciation and meaning
Back: Complete information
Pinyin (xué), meaning (study), audio, example sentence
Use multiple card types
Recognition (character→meaning) and production (meaning→character)
Tone Training Cards
Audio on front
Play native pronunciation, recall character and tone number
Minimal pairs
Create cards contrasting mā/má/mǎ/mà for tone discrimination
Sentence Mining
Instead of isolated words, use sentences from real Chinese content. Highlight the target word but keep the full context. This builds natural usage patterns and collocation knowledge alongside vocabulary.
Technical Configuration
Key Algorithm Settings
Interval Modifier: 100%
Default is optimal for most learners. Decrease if forgetting too much.
Starting Ease: 250%
How quickly intervals grow. Lower for harder material like Chinese.
New Cards/Day: 10-20
Sustainable pace prevents review avalanche. Quality over quantity.
Maximum Interval: 365 days
Prevents cards from disappearing forever. Annual review maintains knowledge.
Card Types for Chinese
Basic (Front/Back)
Simple recognition cards for characters and vocabulary
Basic (and reversed)
Creates both recognition and production cards automatically
Cloze Deletion
Fill-in-the-blank for grammar patterns and sentence structures
Image Occlusion
Hide parts of character stroke order diagrams for practice
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Don't add too many new cards daily - reviews compound quickly
Don't make cards too complex - one piece of information per card
Don't skip difficult cards - use "Hard" button, not "Again" repeatedly
Don't review when tired - poor performance skews the algorithm
Advanced Anki Techniques for Chinese Mastery
Morphological Analysis
Break compound words into components. For 电脑 (computer), create linked cards for 电 (electric) and 脑 (brain) to understand the logic behind word formation.
Leech Management
Cards failed 8+ times become "leeches" - they waste time. Rewrite them with better mnemonics, add more context, or break into smaller pieces.
Media Enhanced Cards
Add audio from native speakers, character stroke animations, and contextual images. Multi-sensory encoding creates stronger memories.
Progressive Difficulty
Start with recognition cards, add production cards after mastery, then cloze deletions for usage. Build complexity gradually.
Contextual Clustering
Group related vocabulary by theme or usage situation. Learning 买/卖/购/售 together shows the relationships between buying and selling concepts.
Review Optimization
Review at the same time daily for habit formation. Morning reviews have better retention. Keep sessions under 30 minutes for sustained focus.
Platform Availability
Desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux)
FREE - Full featured with all customization options
AnkiWeb
FREE - Browser-based for review anywhere
Android
FREE - Full mobile experience with sync
iOS
$25 one-time - Supports development, lifetime updates
Why Anki is Essential
Scientifically optimized review scheduling
Completely customizable card formats
Massive library of shared decks
Detailed statistics and progress tracking
Supports audio, images, and stroke animations
Works across all devices with sync
'Anki' means 'memorization' in Japanese, but it's perfect for Chinese learning - systematic repetition has been the foundation of Chinese education for millennia!
Expert Assessment
For disciplined learners seeking mastery, this tool follows the ancient Chinese principle: '温故而知新' - review the old to learn the new.
"温故而知新" - Review the old to learn the new. Anki embodies this ancient Chinese wisdom through modern science.
Begin Your Scientific Learning Journey
Join millions who have discovered that learning doesn't have to be hard - it just needs to be smart. Anki makes the science of memory accessible to everyone, free forever.
Visit AnkiWeb