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Best resources to learnSpaced Repetition & Anki

Study sheet

Spaced repetition schedules review just before you forget. You will learn the science, how to write effective flashcards, Anki setup and workflows, and how to use it for languages, medicine and exams.

Where to start

Start with Effective learning: Twenty rules of formulating knowledge by Piotr Wozniak, a free, beginner-level guide to phrasing flashcards from the creator of SuperMemo. If you only use one resource, make it the Anki Manual from the Anki developers, the official reference for setup, scheduling and FSRS. Next, read Michael Nielsen's Augmenting Long-term Memory for card-writing patterns drawn from years of practice.

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6 resources · · How we curate

📚Books(1)

bookPaid

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Three researchers summarise the experimental evidence on how durable learning happens: retrieval practice beats rereading, spaced and interleaved sessions beat massed ones, and effortful study predicts later recall. Directly applicable to practising and memorising music.

intermediate🇬🇧

🌐Websites(4)

website

FSRS Wiki (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler)

Wiki for the Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler, the algorithm that replaced SM-2 as Anki's default. Documents the difficulty-stability-retrievability memory model, parameter optimisation by machine learning, the evaluation metric, and benchmarks against competing schedulers. The deepest technical layer of the topic, distinct from the Anki manual, which documents FSRS configuration but not the memory model or benchmark methodology.

advanced🇬🇧
website

Augmenting Long-term Memory

Essay documenting several years of Anki use, including a worked example of reading the AlphaGo paper card by card. Covers card-writing patterns, common failure modes such as orphan cards, and the argument that memory underpins understanding. A serious researcher reporting first-hand practice, not an influencer.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

Effective learning: Twenty rules of formulating knowledge

Twenty principles for phrasing material before entering it into a spaced-repetition system, written in 1999 by the creator of SuperMemo. Covers the minimum information principle, cloze deletion, avoiding sets and enumerations, imagery, and personalising items. Prescriptive rules derived from Wozniak's own long-run repetition data, each with worked good/bad examples. Reading this once removes the need for any downstream 'how to make good flashcards' listicle.

beginner🇬🇧
website

Anki Manual

Official documentation for the Anki desktop client, maintained by its developers. Covers installation, note types and card templates, the scheduler, deck options including FSRS configuration, syncing, add-ons, importing shared decks, and troubleshooting. The single canonical setup/workflow reference, making every 'how I set up Anki' video redundant.

beginner🇬🇧

📄Papers(1)

paper

Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques

Peer-reviewed monograph assessing ten study techniques against criteria including learning conditions, materials, and student characteristics. Distributed practice and practice testing receive the only high-utility ratings; rereading, highlighting and summarisation rate low. Fifty-eight pages with full citations.

advanced🇬🇧
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where should I start learning Spaced Repetition & Anki?

Start with Effective learning: Twenty rules of formulating knowledge by Piotr Wozniak, a free, beginner-level guide to phrasing flashcards from the creator of SuperMemo. If you only use one resource, make it the Anki Manual from the Anki developers, the official reference for setup, scheduling and FSRS. Next, read Michael Nielsen's Augmenting Long-term Memory for card-writing patterns drawn from years of practice.

What are the best free resources to learn Spaced Repetition & Anki?

Dantes has curated 6 resources for Spaced Repetition & Anki, including 1 books, 4 websites, 1 papers. All resources are hand-picked for quality — no algorithmic filler. Browse the full list above to find the format that works best for you.

Is Spaced Repetition & Anki hard to learn?

Spaced Repetition & Anki is approachable at the beginner level — there are resources here specifically for those starting from scratch. As you progress, intermediate and advanced material is also available to take your skills further.

What types of Spaced Repetition & Anki learning resources are available on Dantes?

For Spaced Repetition & Anki, Dantes has curated 1 books, 4 websites, 1 papers. Each resource type serves a different learning style: videos and YouTube for visual learners, books for depth, courses for structured progression, and websites for quick reference.

How does Dantes select Spaced Repetition & Anki resources?

Dantes is an algorithm-free learning directory. Resources are hand-curated based on quality, accuracy, and usefulness — not engagement metrics or paid placements. The goal is to surface the best learning material for Spaced Repetition & Anki, whether it's a free YouTube series, a classic textbook, or an open courseware from a top university.

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