Cloze Flashcard Maker

What a cloze card is

A cloze card is a sentence with a word or phrase blanked out: "The mitochondria is the site of [...] respiration." You recall the missing part, then check. It works well for facts that only make sense in context, such as dates, definitions, formulas, and parts of a process.

For a longer explanation and examples, see the cloze deletion guide.

Cloze cards are also quick to make. Instead of inventing a question for every fact, you take a sentence you already wrote in your notes and hide one part. That makes them a natural fit for turning a page of notes into a deck in a few minutes.

How to write cloze cards here

Type the cloze markup around the part you want to hide:

• {{c1::Paris}} is the capital of France. One card, hiding "Paris".
• {{c1::Canberra}} is the capital of {{c2::Australia}}. Two cards, one for each blank.
• {{c1::Ottawa}} is the capital of {{c1::Canada}}. One card, both hidden at once.
• {{c1::H2O::chemical formula}} is water. The text after the second :: is a hint shown in the blank.

Use the same number when parts only make sense together, and different numbers when each should be tested on its own.

Generate cloze cards from notes

Paste notes into Smart import and it can suggest cloze cards from sentences that contain numbers, dates, and names. You confirm which ones to keep. It's a quick way to make a first pass through a history chapter or a list of lab values.

Study, print, or export

Cloze cards work with spaced repetition review and the other study modes, and they can be printed like any other card.

When you export to Anki .apkg, cloze cards become real Anki cloze notes, so the numbering and hints keep working there. Anki decks with cloze notes also import here without changes.

Because cloze cards are just text with markup, you can also write them in a spreadsheet or text editor and import them. A CSV column containing {{c1::...}} markup keeps the markup, and you can change the card type in the editor after importing.

Writing good cloze cards

• Blank out the key idea, not filler words.
• Keep sentences short. One fact per sentence is easier to review than a paragraph with five blanks.
• Leave enough context that only one answer fits.
• Avoid hiding more than you could reasonably recall at once.

Examples by subject

• History: "The Berlin Wall fell in {{c1::1989}}."
• Biology: "{{c1::Ribosomes}} are the site of protein synthesis."
• Chemistry: "The pH of a neutral solution at 25 °C is {{c1::7}}."
• Languages: "Ich {{c1::habe}} keine Zeit." (German, "I have no time")
• Law: "A contract requires offer, {{c1::acceptance}}, and consideration."
• Programming: "In JavaScript, {{c1::const}} declares a variable that can't be reassigned."

Each of these is one short sentence with one blank that carries the meaning. That pattern — short, specific, one idea — is what makes cloze cards quick to review. For more on writing them well, read the cloze deletion guide.