Korean That Sticks

Why spaced repetition works for Korean

Forgetting half your Korean vocabulary a week after cramming it isn't a discipline problem — it's how memory works. Ebbinghaus's forgetting-curve research showed that information fades fast, but there's a catch worth exploiting: material you review right before you'd forget it sticks dramatically longer. Spaced repetition (SRS) is simply a study method built around hitting that exact timing.

Loopla Korean runs on FSRS, a modern spaced-repetition algorithm. Instead of giving every card the same fixed schedule, it watches how you answer each card and estimates its difficulty and your memory stability separately — so 안녕하세요 might come back in three weeks while that tricky counting word returns in two days. Struggling cards show up often; mastered ones get out of your way.

The habit that makes it all work is simple: a little every day beats a lot once a week. Ten minutes of clearing reviews daily leaves you with far more usable Korean after three months than weekend cramming sessions ever will. With 3,400+ everyday-Korean cards from A1 to C2, each showing Hangul plus romanization, it's built to survive a commute-sized attention span.

How to start

1. 1Start below your level — mixing in words you already know keeps the rhythm going. A1 is the right first step for most learners.
2. 2Keep your daily new-card goal small. Clearing due reviews always matters more than adding new cards.
3. 3Learn with flashcards first, then switch to cloze quizzes — recalling a word from a blank is what turns recognition into actual speaking vocabulary.
4. 4Grade yourself honestly on hard/easy. Those taps train the scheduling algorithm; careless grading teaches it the wrong intervals.