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Study Tipsby FlashRecall Team

Flashcard Maker Microsoft Word: 7 Reasons You Should Stop Struggling And Use Smarter Tools Instead – Learn Faster, Save Time, And Actually Stick To Studying

flashcard maker microsoft word sounds easy, but it’s slow and clunky. See the exact table/print tricks people use, why they break, and how Flashrecall fixes it.

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FlashRecall flashcard maker microsoft word flashcard app screenshot showing study tips study interface with spaced repetition reminders and active recall practice
FlashRecall flashcard maker microsoft word study app interface demonstrating study tips flashcards with AI-powered card creation and review scheduling
FlashRecall flashcard maker microsoft word flashcard maker app displaying study tips learning features including card creation, review sessions, and progress tracking
FlashRecall flashcard maker microsoft word study app screenshot with study tips flashcards showing review interface, spaced repetition algorithm, and memory retention tools

So… Can You Really Use Microsoft Word As A Flashcard Maker?

Alright, let's talk about this: flashcard maker Microsoft Word basically means using Word to design and print your own flashcards by typing questions and answers into a document. It works, but it’s clunky, manual, and honestly pretty slow once you have more than a few cards. You have to format everything yourself, keep track of what you’ve learned, and there’s zero built‑in memory science like spaced repetition. That’s why most people eventually switch from Word to a dedicated flashcard app like Flashrecall (iPhone/iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085), which does the heavy lifting for you and actually helps you remember stuff long term.

Let’s break down how to do flashcards in Word properly, why it feels so painful after a while, and how a smarter tool like Flashrecall makes your life way easier.

Using Microsoft Word As A Flashcard Maker (The Old-School Way)

If you still want to stick with Word for now, here’s how people usually turn it into a “flashcard maker”:

Option 1: Flashcards Using Tables

1. Open a new Word document

2. Go to Insert → Table

3. Choose 2 columns, however many rows you want

4. Left cell = question / front

5. Right cell = answer / back

6. Adjust the row height so each card is a decent size

7. Print, cut them out, fold if needed

  • Simple, no extra tools needed
  • Good if you just need a small stack for a one‑off test
  • Super manual
  • Hard to rearrange or add new cards later
  • No tracking, no reminders, no spaced repetition

Option 2: Flashcards Using “2 Pages Per Sheet” Printing

Another way people do this “flashcard maker Microsoft Word” thing:

1. Make one card per page

2. Page 1 = Question, Page 2 = Answer

3. Repeat for all cards

4. When printing, select Print → 2 pages per sheet or booklet style

5. Cut or fold to turn them into cards

This is slightly nicer visually, but still:

  • Takes ages to set up
  • Gets messy if you want to edit or reorder cards
  • Useless for digital studying or on-the-go review

The Big Problem With Using Word As A Flashcard Maker

Word is great for essays, not so great for learning.

Here’s what Word doesn’t do for your flashcards:

  • It doesn’t remind you when to review
  • It doesn’t know which cards are hard vs easy
  • It doesn’t space out reviews based on how well you know things
  • It doesn’t work nicely on your phone for quick review sessions
  • And obviously, you can’t chat with your flashcards or ask follow-up questions

So you end up with:

  • Piles of printed cards you forget to use
  • Or a Word file that just sits there on your laptop
  • And a lot of wasted time formatting instead of actually learning

That’s where apps like Flashrecall come in and honestly just beat Word at this game.

Why Flashrecall Beats Microsoft Word For Flashcards

If you’re searching for “flashcard maker Microsoft Word”, you probably want something:

  • Simple
  • Free or cheap
  • That doesn’t require a huge learning curve

Flashrecall hits all of that, plus actually helps you remember what you’re studying.

👉 Download it here:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Here’s what it does that Word simply can’t:

1. Instant Flashcards From Almost Anything

Instead of typing everything manually into Word tables, Flashrecall can turn stuff into cards automatically:

  • Images – snap a photo of textbook pages, notes, slides
  • Text – paste in definitions, bullet points, lecture notes
  • PDFs – upload and generate cards from key parts
  • YouTube links – create cards from videos you’re learning from
  • Audio – great for language learning and pronunciation
  • Or just type them manually if you like full control

Word = you build everything from scratch.

Flashrecall = you feed it content, it helps turn it into cards fast.

2. Built-In Spaced Repetition (No More Manual Schedules)

Flashrecall automatically keeps track and reminds you of the cards you don't remember well so you remember faster. Like this :

Flashrecall spaced repetition study reminders notification showing when to review flashcards for better memory retention

With Word flashcards, you have to remember to remember:

  • “Did I review yesterday?”
  • “When should I go over this chapter again?”

Flashrecall has spaced repetition built in:

  • Shows you cards right before you’re about to forget them
  • Adjusts intervals based on how well you remember each card
  • Sends study reminders so you don’t drift off for weeks

So instead of printing new Word cards every time you panic before an exam, you just open Flashrecall and it tells you exactly what to review that day.

3. Active Recall Is Baked In

You know how flashcards work best when you force yourself to remember the answer before flipping the card? That’s active recall.

  • Word flashcards: you print them, shuffle them, hope you use them properly
  • Flashrecall: every review session is active recall by design

You see the question, you think, then you rate:

  • “Easy”
  • “Medium”
  • “Hard”

The app uses that feedback to schedule the next review. Word can’t do that.

4. You Can Chat With Your Flashcards (Seriously)

This is where Word doesn’t even compete.

In Flashrecall, if there’s a concept you still don’t get, you can:

  • Chat with the flashcard
  • Ask follow-up questions
  • Get things explained in simpler terms
  • Get more examples without leaving the app

With Word, if you don’t understand a card, you’re back to Google, textbooks, or YouTube.

5. Works Offline, On iPhone And iPad

Word is… fine on a laptop, annoying on mobile.

Flashrecall:

  • Works on iPhone and iPad
  • Works offline, so you can study on the bus, in class, on a plane
  • Has a fast, modern, clean interface — no weird formatting issues

You open the app, tap the deck, boom, you’re studying. No printing, no cutting, no files.

6. Perfect For Any Subject (Not Just School)

People usually think of flashcards = vocab or exams, but Flashrecall works for basically anything:

  • Languages – vocab, grammar rules, phrases
  • Medicine / nursing – drugs, anatomy, diseases
  • Law – cases, principles, definitions
  • Business – frameworks, formulas, interview prep
  • School / university – history dates, formulas, theories
  • Personal stuff – names, birthdays, codes, anything you don’t want to forget

You can use Word for all of this… but it quickly turns into a mess of documents.

7. Free To Start, No Printer Required

Using Word for flashcards sounds “free”, but:

  • Printing costs money
  • Cutting takes time
  • You can’t easily reuse or edit cards

Flashrecall is:

  • Free to start
  • No printer needed
  • Cards are editable anytime
  • You can add, delete, or reorganize in seconds

Again, here’s the link if you want to try it:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Quick Comparison: Flashcard Maker Microsoft Word vs Flashrecall

FeatureMicrosoft WordFlashrecall
Create cards from textYes, manuallyYes, super fast
Create cards from imagesOnly by inserting into docYes, auto extraction
Spaced repetitionNoYes, built-in
Study remindersNoYes
Active recall flowOnly if you do it manuallyYes, by default
Works offlineDepends on setupYes
Mobile-friendlyClunkyDesigned for iPhone & iPad
Chat with flashcardsDefinitely notYes
Easy to edit & reorderAwkward with tables/pagesVery easy
Free to startYesYes

When It Still Makes Sense To Use Word

To be fair, there are a few situations where Word flashcards are okay:

  • You need one small set for a quick in-person activity
  • You’re making flashcards for a classroom game and want them printed
  • You’re not allowed to use phones in your exam prep environment
  • You enjoy the physical feel of paper and don’t mind the manual work

In those cases, Word is fine. Just don’t expect it to help you remember long-term. It’s more of a one-off tool than a real learning system.

A Simple Workflow: From Word To Flashrecall (If You’re Switching)

If you’ve already started in Word and don’t want to redo everything, you can move over pretty easily:

1. Copy your Q&A pairs from Word

2. Paste them into Flashrecall as text

3. Or take photos of your printed cards and turn them into digital ones

4. Organize them into decks (e.g. “Bio – Chapter 1”, “French – Verbs”)

5. Start reviewing — the spaced repetition kicks in automatically

You keep all your hard work, but now it actually pays off because your cards are part of a system that helps you remember.

So… Should You Use Microsoft Word As A Flashcard Maker?

If you just need a few basic flashcards, sure, Microsoft Word can do the job in a very manual way. But if you’re serious about learning faster, remembering more, and not wasting time on formatting and printing, Word is honestly holding you back.

A dedicated app like Flashrecall:

  • Builds cards from your notes, PDFs, images, YouTube links
  • Uses spaced repetition and active recall automatically
  • Reminds you to study before you forget
  • Lets you chat with your flashcards when you’re stuck
  • Works offline on iPhone and iPad
  • Is free to start and actually fun to use

If you’re currently Googling “flashcard maker Microsoft Word”, you’re already halfway to realizing Word isn’t built for this. Try something that is:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Build smarter flashcards in minutes, not hours — and actually remember what you study.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

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Inside the FlashRecall app you can also create your own decks from images, PDFs, YouTube, audio, and text, then use spaced repetition to save your progress and study like top students.

Research References

The information in this article is based on peer-reviewed research and established studies in cognitive psychology and learning science.

Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380

Meta-analysis showing spaced repetition significantly improves long-term retention compared to massed practice

Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., Kang, S. H., & Pashler, H. (2012). Using spacing to enhance diverse forms of learning: Review of recent research and implications for instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 24(3), 369-378

Review showing spacing effects work across different types of learning materials and contexts

Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19

Policy review advocating for spaced repetition in educational settings based on extensive research evidence

Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966-968

Research demonstrating that active recall (retrieval practice) is more effective than re-reading for long-term learning

Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20-27

Review of research showing retrieval practice (active recall) as one of the most effective learning strategies

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58

Comprehensive review ranking learning techniques, with practice testing and distributed practice rated as highly effective

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FlashRecall Team

FlashRecall Development Team

The FlashRecall Team is a group of working professionals and developers who are passionate about making effective study methods more accessible to students. We believe that evidence-based learning tec...

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