Spaced Repetition

What Is Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning method where the interval between reviews automatically grows based on how well you remember the material.

Tip

The better you know it, the longer the interval. The faster you forget, the shorter the interval. This lets you remember the most with the least amount of time.

Simple example:

• You learn “LGTM” and review it the next day (1-day interval)
• You remember it perfectly, so the system waits 3 days before asking again
• You still remember, so the system waits 7 days
• It keeps growing up to 30 days

But if one day you forget, the interval immediately resets to 1 day.

The Algorithm DevGlish Uses: SM-2

DevGlish uses the SM-2 algorithm (Supermemo 2), developed 30 years ago and still the most widely used spaced repetition algorithm.

Note

Anki (the most popular flashcard app) also uses a variant of SM-2. So the review habits you build with DevGlish will transfer to Anki as well.

Review Flow

1. Review Cards

Every entry in the Word Book with review progress is a “card.” Each day, the DevGlish menu bar shows how many cards are due for review:

DevGlish Menu Bar
  ├─ Word Book
  ├─ Settings
  └─ Review 3 →

Click “Review 3” to open the review interface.

2. Four Rating Buttons

Each card shows an English expression. You check whether you still remember it, then click one of four buttons:

Card: "Good catch"

Do you remember this?

[Again]  [Hard]  [Good]  [Easy]
  0        2      3        5

Button	Meaning	Quality Score	Consequence
Again	Completely forgot	0	Interval resets to 1 day, immediate re-review
Hard	Remembered but with difficulty	2	Interval shorter than usual
Good	Remembered, normal response time	3	Interval grows at standard rate
Easy	Remembered effortlessly, fast response	5	Interval grows faster than standard

Caution

Don’t always click “Easy” — this will cause intervals to grow too fast, leading to embarrassing moments when you actually forget. Be honest with yourself.

3. Automatic Next Review Date Calculation

After each rating, the system automatically calculates the next review date.

Example sequence:

Expression: "Could you elaborate"

Day 1: Saved
  └─ Next: 1 day

Day 2: Review → Good (quality 3)
  └─ Next: 3 days

Day 5: Review → Good (quality 3)
  └─ Next: 7 days

Day 12: Review → Hard (quality 2)
  └─ Next: 4 days (reset, but not completely)

Day 16: Review → Easy (quality 5)
  └─ Next: 15 days

Day 31: Review → Good (quality 3)
  └─ Next: 30 days

Difficulty Factor

Each card has a “difficulty” starting at 2.5.

• Easy expressions — difficulty 1.3-2.0 (intervals grow fast)
• Medium difficulty — difficulty 2.5-3.5 (standard growth)
• Hard expressions — difficulty 4.0-5.0 (intervals grow slowly)

Note

The difficulty factor adjusts automatically; you don’t need to set it manually. The system infers how hard an expression is for you based on your rating history.

Daily Review Flow

Menu Bar Reminder

Every morning, the DevGlish menu bar shows how many cards are due today:

DevGlish → Review 5

Click to quickly enter review mode.

Quick Review (5-10 minutes)

Review Session (5 cards)

Progress: ████░░░░░░ 2/5

Card 1: "Let me walk you through"

Do you remember?
[Again] [Hard] [Good] [Easy]

← Back    Next →

Each rating immediately jumps to the next card. The entire flow is quick and frictionless.

Streak

Consecutive days of reviewing are displayed as a “streak”:

Word Book Stats
  Current Streak: 7 days ✓
  Longest Streak: 23 days

Tip

Streaks provide external motivation. Many people enjoy maintaining a 7+ day streak.

Review Statistics

Each expression in the Word Book shows review progress:

Expression: "LGTM"

Spaced Repetition
  Last reviewed: 2 days ago
  Quality: 4/5
  Interval: 10 days
  Next review: 2024-04-16
  Total reviews: 12
  Ease factor: 2.8

Check “Total reviews” to see how much you’ve invested. Most people need 3-5 reviews to truly master a technical expression.

Free vs Pro Version Differences

Free Version

• Local Word Book (offline, no cloud sync)
• Basic review (4 rating buttons)
• No advanced statistics (only totals, no detailed progress)
• No menu bar review reminders
• No review flow

Pro Version

• All Free features
• Cloud-synced Word Book
• Complete review statistics (difficulty factor, streak, detailed progress)
• Menu bar review reminders and “N due today” display
• Efficient review flow (optimized UI, keyboard shortcuts)
• Export review data

Note

Even with the Free version, reviews work locally. You just won’t see detailed statistics and menu bar reminders.

Review Best Practices

1. Review Every Day, Even If Just 5 Minutes

The most critical aspect of spaced repetition isn’t one long study session, but continuous, small reviews. 5 minutes per day is more effective than 1 hour once a week.

2. Start Reviewing on the Day You Save

Review an expression the same day you save it (e.g., in the evening). This reinforces the impression while the new information is still “hot” in your brain.

3. Be Honest with Your Ratings

• Again — truly cannot recall at all
• Hard — remembered, but it took more than 5 seconds
• Good — recalled naturally, 1-3 seconds
• Easy — came to mind quickly, effortlessly

Caution

If you always click “Easy,” intervals will explode, and you’ll completely forget the expression 30 days later. This won’t lead to true mastery.

4. Adapt Flexibly to Context

When writing code reviews at the office, you may need to review certain expressions. In DevGlish, even if they’re not “due,” you can proactively search and review. This doesn’t count as a formal review, but it reinforces memory.

Search: "code-review" tag
  └─ Click on "Good catch" (not due today)
     └─ Review anyway for practice

FAQ

Q: What if I don’t review for a week? A: No problem. Reviews accumulate (maybe 15 due cards), and you can process them all at once or spread across a few days. There’s no “failure.”

Q: Is reviewing an already-mastered expression useful? A: Yes. Even for well-mastered expressions (difficulty 1.3, 30-day interval), occasional review strengthens retention. But the system prioritizes cards you’re “close to forgetting.”

Q: Why are some expression intervals getting shorter? A: Because you keep rating “Again” or “Hard.” The system determines you haven’t mastered it yet. Keep reviewing and you’ll gradually get there.

Q: Can I manually set the next review date? A: No. The SM-2 algorithm is automatic, ensuring scientific rigor. But you can proactively review any expression at any time without waiting for a system reminder.

Q: How many cards should I review per day? A: There’s no fixed number. But if you exceed 20 per day, you may be saving expressions too quickly without enough quality. We recommend 5-10 high-quality reviews per day.