FlashRecall

Memorize Faster

Get Flashrecall On App Store
Back to Blog
Learning Strategiesby FlashRecall Team

Flashcards Irregular Verbs: 7 Powerful Tricks To Finally Remember Them Faster

Flashcards irregular verbs made simple: see exact card setups, spaced repetition, and active recall tricks using Flashrecall so verbs finally stay in your head.

How Flashrecall app helps you remember faster. It's free

FlashRecall app screenshot 1
FlashRecall app screenshot 2
FlashRecall app screenshot 3
FlashRecall app screenshot 4

Stop Suffering With Irregular Verbs – Here’s a Smarter Way

Irregular verbs are honestly one of the most annoying parts of learning English (or any language with them).

You can’t just add “-ed” and move on with your life… you have to remember go–went–gone, take–took–taken, buy–bought–bought and like 200 more.

This is where flashcards shine — especially if you use an app that does all the boring repetition work for you.

That’s exactly what Flashrecall) does:

you create your irregular verb flashcards once, and it uses spaced repetition + active recall + reminders to keep them in your memory long-term, without you manually planning reviews.

Let’s walk through how to use flashcards to finally get irregular verbs to stick — and how to make the whole thing way easier with Flashrecall.

Why Flashcards Work So Well For Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are perfect for flashcards because:

  • They’re small chunks of info (verb forms, meaning, example)
  • You need to recall them quickly when speaking or writing
  • You forget them easily if you don’t see them often

Flashcards hit all three:

  • You see a cue (“to go”)
  • You force your brain to pull the answer out (“went, gone”)
  • You repeat it over days/weeks so it becomes automatic

Flashrecall bakes this into the app with:

  • Built-in active recall – you see the front, try to answer, then reveal the back
  • Automatic spaced repetition – it reschedules cards for you based on how well you remember them
  • Study reminders – so you actually open the app and review (instead of forgetting for 2 weeks)

You just focus on learning; Flashrecall handles the timing.

Step 1: Decide What To Put On Each Irregular Verb Flashcard

Most people make irregular verb cards that are either:

  • Too simple (just “go – went – gone”)
  • Or too messy (a whole paragraph on one card)

The sweet spot is short but meaningful. Here are a few card styles you can use.

Style A: Basic Forms Card

> go

> go – went – gone

> (to move or travel from one place to another)

Add a simple example sentence:

> I go to school every day.

> I went to school yesterday.

> I have gone to school late many times.

In Flashrecall, you can type this manually or even paste from a list or PDF, and it will turn it into flashcards automatically.

Style B: Fill-In-The-Blank Card

This helps you practice using the right form in context.

> Yesterday I ___ (go) to the store.

> went

You can create multiple cards for one verb:

  • Present: I ___ (go) to school every day. → go
  • Past: I ___ (go) to school yesterday. → went
  • Perfect: I have ___ (go) there many times. → gone

In Flashrecall, you can generate a bunch of these quickly from a text list or even from a YouTube video transcript if you’re learning from content.

Style C: Translation + Verb Forms

If you’re learning English from another language, this is super useful.

> “aller” (French)

> go – went – gone

> Example: I went to Paris last year.

You can do this for Spanish, German, Italian, whatever you’re learning from.

Step 2: Use Spaced Repetition So You Don’t Forget Everything

The biggest mistake with irregular verb flashcards?

> Studying them like crazy for one day…

> then forgetting them all two weeks later.

That’s where spaced repetition comes in. Instead of reviewing everything every day, you review:

  • New/weak verbs more often
  • Strong verbs less often

Flashrecall has spaced repetition built in, so after each card you simply tap how hard it was:

  • Easy
  • Good
  • Hard

Then the app automatically schedules the next review for you:

  • “Hard” verbs come back sooner
  • “Easy” verbs get pushed further into the future

You never have to think: “What should I review today?” — Flashrecall just shows you the right cards at the right time.

You can grab it here:

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

Flashrecall spaced repetition reminders notification

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

Step 3: Make Irregular Verb Flashcards Fast (Not One By One)

Nobody wants to sit there and type 150 irregular verbs manually.

Flashrecall helps you speed this up a lot:

Option 1: Paste From a List

If you have a list of irregular verbs in a note, Word file, or website:

1. Copy the list

2. Paste it into Flashrecall

3. Let the app auto-generate cards from the text

You can then quickly edit or add example sentences.

Option 2: Use PDFs or Images From Your Textbook

Got a textbook page with irregular verbs?

  • Take a photo of the page
  • Import it into Flashrecall
  • The app can pull text from the image and turn it into flashcards

Same with PDFs — upload the PDF, select the verbs, generate cards.

No more retyping giant tables.

Option 3: From YouTube or Audio

Watching a grammar video on irregular verbs?

  • Paste the YouTube link into Flashrecall
  • It can help you create flashcards from the transcript or key parts

You can also record audio and make cards from that if you like hearing pronunciation.

Step 4: Practice Irregular Verbs In Both Directions

If you only practice “go → went, gone”, you’ll know the list when you see it, but not when you need it in a sentence.

So make sure you practice:

  • Form → Meaning
  • “went” → past of “go”
  • Meaning → Form
  • “past of go” → went

In Flashrecall, you can:

  • Create two cards per verb (one each direction), or
  • Use prompts like:
  • Front: Past of “go” → Back: went
  • Front: Past participle of “go” → Back: gone

This trains you to recall the right form when speaking, not just recognizing it on paper.

Step 5: Use Active Recall, Not Just “Reading”

Don’t just flip through your cards and think: “Yeah, I know that.”

You want active recall:

1. Look at the card front

2. Say the answer in your head (or out loud)

3. Then flip and check

Flashrecall is built around this:

  • You see the question
  • You try to answer
  • Then you reveal the back and rate how well you remembered

This “struggle” is what actually strengthens your memory. Just rereading lists doesn’t do that.

Step 6: Add Example Sentences That Actually Sound Real

Irregular verbs stick better when you see them in real sentences, not just “I went to the park.”

Some ideas:

  • Use your own life:
  • Yesterday I went to…
  • Last year I bought…
  • I have never eaten…
  • Use your hobbies:
  • He shot three goals yesterday.
  • We flew to Japan last summer.

On your flashcards, add one or two short examples.

In Flashrecall, you can even chat with the flashcard if you’re unsure:

  • Ask it: “Give me 3 more example sentences for ‘go–went–gone’.”
  • Or: “Explain the difference between ‘went’ and ‘gone’.”

This is super helpful when you’re self-studying and don’t have a teacher around.

Step 7: Make Irregular Verb Practice a Tiny Daily Habit

You don’t need 2-hour study sessions.

You just need consistent tiny sessions.

With Flashrecall, you can:

  • Turn on study reminders (e.g., 10 minutes at 9 PM)
  • Do a quick review while commuting, waiting in line, or on a break
  • Study offline on your iPhone or iPad — no Wi‑Fi needed

Even 5–10 minutes a day is enough if you’re using spaced repetition.

Example: A Mini Irregular Verb Deck Setup

Here’s how a small deck might look in Flashrecall:

1. Front: go

Example: I went to the gym yesterday.

2. Front: Past of “go”

3. Front: Yesterday I ___ (go) to bed late.

4. Front: buy

Example: I bought a new phone last week.

5. Front: Past participle of “buy”

6. Front: She has ___ (buy) a new dress.

You review these a few times over a week.

Flashrecall spaces them out. After a month, went and bought will feel completely natural.

Why Use Flashrecall Specifically For Irregular Verbs?

There are lots of flashcard tools out there, but for irregular verbs, Flashrecall is especially handy because:

  • You can create cards from anything
  • Text, images, PDFs, audio, YouTube links, or just typing
  • Built-in spaced repetition + reminders
  • No need to set up complex settings or schedules
  • Chat with your flashcards
  • Ask for explanations, extra examples, or clarifications right inside the app
  • Fast and modern interface
  • You spend time learning, not fighting with the UI
  • Works offline on iPhone and iPad
  • Perfect for quick reviews anywhere
  • Free to start
  • You can try it with a small irregular verb deck and see how it feels

If you’re serious about finally getting irregular verbs to stick, this combo of smart flashcards + spaced repetition is honestly one of the most effective (and low-stress) ways to do it.

You can grab Flashrecall here and start building your irregular verb deck in minutes:

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

Quick Recap

To master irregular verbs with flashcards:

1. Create clean, simple cards (forms, meaning, examples)

2. Use spaced repetition so you don’t forget everything

3. Practice in both directions (form → meaning and meaning → form)

4. Use fill-in-the-blank sentences to train real usage

5. Add personal examples so verbs feel meaningful

6. Study a little every day, not just once a week

Do that with Flashrecall handling the scheduling and reminders, and irregular verbs go from “impossible list of chaos” to “oh yeah, I just know these now.”

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.

What is active recall and how does it work?

Active recall is the process of actively retrieving information from memory rather than passively reviewing it. Flashrecall forces proper active recall by making you think before revealing answers, then uses spaced repetition to optimize your review schedule.

What's the best way to learn vocabulary?

Research shows that combining flashcards with spaced repetition and active recall is highly effective. Flashrecall automates this process, generating cards from your study materials and scheduling reviews at optimal intervals.

Related Articles

Ready to Transform Your Learning?

Start using FlashRecall today - the AI-powered flashcard app with spaced repetition and active recall.

Download on App Store