Memrise

Memrise was founded by Ed Cooke, a Grand Master of Memory, Ben Whately and [https://www.gregdetre.com/ Greg Detre], a Princeton neuroscientist specializing in the science of memory and forgetting. The website launched in private beta after winning the Princeton Entrepreneurship Club 2009 TigerLaunch competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.princetoneclub.com/programs/tigerlaunch/tigerlaunch-2009/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223100136/http://www.princetoneclub.com/programs/tigerlaunch/tigerlaunch-2009/|archive-date=December 23, 2011|title=TigerLaunch 2009|website=princetoneclub.com}}

In July 2010, Memrise was named as one of the winners of the London Mini-Seedcamp competition.{{cite web|url=http://seedcamp.com/pages/mini_seedcamps10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609063449/http://seedcamp.com/pages/mini_seedcamps10|archive-date=June 9, 2011|title=Mini Seedcamps 2010|website=Seedcamp}} In November 2010, the site was named as one of the finalists for the 2010 TechCrunch Europas Start-up of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/17/the-europas-the-finalists/|title=The Europas – The Finalists|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch|date=17 November 2010 |access-date=20 January 2015}} In March 2011, it was selected as one of the Techstars Boston startups.{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2011/03/techstars_boston_2011_who_got.html|title=TechStars Boston 2011: Who Got In|work=Boston.com|access-date=20 January 2015}} In May 2017, Memrise was named as the winner of the "Best App" award at the second edition of the Google Play awards.{{cite web|url=https://blog.google/products/google-play/winners-2017-google-play-awards-are|title=The winners of the 2017 Google Play Awards are ...|date=May 19, 2017|author=Purnima Kochikar|work=Play | Google Blog}}

On 1 October 2012, 100 users were allowed to sign up to test a non-beta version of the website called Memrise 1.0. As of May 2013, a Memrise app has been available for download on both the App Store (iOS){{Cite web|url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/learn-languages-with-memrise/id635966718|title=Learn Languages with Memrise|website=App Store|language=en-us|access-date=2020-01-12}} and Google Play.{{Cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.memrise.android.memrisecompanion&hl=en|title=Learn Languages with Memrise - Spanish, French - Apps on Google Play|website=play.google.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-12}}

As of January 2020, the app received $21.8 million of investments in a total of seven seed rounds.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/11/memrise-raises-15-5m-as-its-ai-based-language-learning-app-passes-35m-users/|title=Memrise raises $15.5M as its AI-based language-learning app passes 35M users|website=TechCrunch|date=11 June 2018|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-12|archive-date=2020-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112205559/https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/11/memrise-raises-15-5m-as-its-ai-based-language-learning-app-passes-35m-users/|url-status=live}}

{{Main|Spaced repetition}}

Memrise makes language studying a game, like its competitor Duolingo. Memrise uses spaced repetition to accelerate language acquisition. Spaced repetition is an evidence-based learning technique that incorporates increasing intervals of time between subsequent review of previously learned material to exploit the psychological spacing effect."Human Memory: Theory and Practice", Alan D. Baddeley, 1997 The use of spaced repetition has been shown to increase the rate of memorization.{{cite journal |last1=Smolen |first1=Paul |last2=Zhang |first2=Yili |last3=Byrne |first3=John H. |title=The right time to learn: mechanisms and optimization of spaced learning |journal=Nature Reviews Neuroscience |date=25 January 2016 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=77–88 |doi=10.1038/nrn.2015.18 |pmid=26806627 |pmc=5126970 |bibcode=2016arXiv160608370S |arxiv=1606.08370 }}

File:Memrise language catalogue.jpg courses are under "Middle Eastern", while "Asian and Pacific" encompasses languages from Mongolian to Marshallese.]]

Users of the platform have the ability to create personalized "courses," which consist of curated lists of words and phrases that can be accompanied by audio and pictures. These courses can be used for individual learning purposes or shared with the community by making them publicly available in the course catalogue. This feature has led to the accumulation of a diverse range of "community courses" over time, which has proven useful for studying languages with limited resources or those of niche interest, in addition to the more popular languages.

In 2012, less than two years after its launching, Memrise had already crowdsourced materials for about 100 languages, "from Catalan to Haitian Creole."{{cite magazine |last=Baker |first=David |date=13 April 2012 |title=Crowdsourced Mnemonics: How Ed Cooke teaches languages with Memrise |url=https://www.wired.com/story/crowdsourced-mnemonics/ |url-status=live |magazine=Wired |location=San Francisco, California |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325151923/https://www.wired.com/story/crowdsourced-mnemonics/ |archive-date=25 March 2024 |access-date=25 March 2024}} Courses have been created by enthusiasts to teach Klingon,{{cite news |date=17 March 2017 |title=5 resources to help you translate, read, and learn to speak Klingon (seriously) |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/5-resources-help-translate-read-learn-speak-klingon-040257324.html |url-status=live |work=geektime |location=Singapore|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325101455/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/5-resources-help-translate-read-learn-speak-klingon-040257324.html |archive-date=25 March 2024 |access-date=25 March 2024 |quote=Rival app Memrise, which allows users to create their own courses and thus offers many more classes than Duolingo, has several separate mini courses on things like Klingon vocabulary, the Klingon alphabet, affixes, basic grammar, shapes, days of the week, adverbs, numbers, and even a review course for the Klingon Language Certification Program (KLCP1).}} Toki Pona,{{cite news |last=Bramley |first=Ellie Violet |date=8 January 2015 |title=What happened when I tried to learn Toki Pona in 48 hours using memes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/08/toki-pona-invented-language-memrise |url-status=live |work=The Guardian|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115224633/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/08/toki-pona-invented-language-memrise |archive-date=15 November 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024 |quote=Only around 100 people in the world understand this language. This is Toki Pona, created in 2001 by Sonja Lang, a Toronto-based linguist, and I’m one of a group of 17 who recently took on a challenge to learn it in 48 hours. [...] To attempt it, we gathered in the East London warehouse that is the head office of Memrise, an online platform for language-learning.}} and Esperanto,{{cite news |last=Malheiro|first=Allan |date=23 December 2023 |title=Esperanto: what future in Europe? |url=https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/esperanto-what-future-in-europe?lang=fr |url-status=live |work=The New Federalist |location=Brussels, Belgium |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325180523/https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/esperanto-what-future-in-europe?lang=fr |archive-date=25 March 2024 |access-date=26 March 2024 |quote=It is now possible to learn Esperanto thanks to popular learning apps (where it has millions of learners) such as Duolingo, Drops, Memrise or LingQ [...]}} among other artificial languages. Classical languages, such as Latin and Ancient Greek, have been covered as well.{{cite web |url=https://www.aprendemas.com/mx/blog/idiomas-y-comunicacion/las-mejores-apps-para-aprender-y-repasar-latin-y-griego-104786 |url-status=live |language=es |title=Las mejores apps para aprender y repasar latín y griego |last=López |first=Dania |date=3 April 2023 |website=aprendemas.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326070716/https://www.aprendemas.com/mx/blog/idiomas-y-comunicacion/las-mejores-apps-para-aprender-y-repasar-latin-y-griego-104786 |archive-date=26 March 2024 |access-date=26 March 2023 |quote=Memrise cuenta con distintos cursos de latín, desde cursos de introducción al latín, pronombres demostrativos, declinaciones, gramática, entre otros. |trans-quote=Memrise has different Latin courses, from courses of introduction to Latin, to demonstrative pronouns, declensions, grammar, among others.}}

In Taiwan, the Department of Education of Keelung City Government has taken initiatives to foster the education of indigenous and local languages by publishing Memrise-based learning materials for the Amis, Taroko, Taiwanese Hakka, and Taiwanese Hokkien languages.{{cite web |url=https://mhotai.kl.edu.tw/ |url-status=live |language=zh-hant |title=基隆市本土教育網 |date=3 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240326080606/https://mhotai.kl.edu.tw/ |archive-date=26 March 2024 |access-date=26 March 2024}} Journalist Joshua Foer, in an attempt to communicate with the Pygmy peoples in the Congo Basin, was able to pick up Lingala, a language with scarce learning materials, by utilizing community courses.{{cite news |last=Foer |first=Joshua |date=9 November 2012 |title=How I learned a language in 22 hours |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/09/learn-language-in-three-months |url-status=live |work=The Guardian |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116180423/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/09/learn-language-in-three-months |archive-date=16 January 2024 |access-date=25 March 2024}}

Speech communities of endangered languages have made use of the platform to aid in their revitalization endeavors, as seen in the case of Ume Sámi, a language spoken by fewer than 50 people in Sweden.{{cite news |last=Young |first=Holly |date=22 December 2014 |title=Reindeer herders, an app and the fight to save a language |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/22/-sp-reindeer-herders-an-app-and-the-fight-to-save-a-language |url-status=live |work=The Guardian |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024022418/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/22/-sp-reindeer-herders-an-app-and-the-fight-to-save-a-language |archive-date=24 October 2022 |access-date=25 March 2024 |quote=The Memrise learning app is a platform that allows users to input words or phrases and create their own language course. The Ume Sami community began to use the app without the company’s knowledge and are now experimenting with using video clips to capture correct pronunciation and inject character into the online documentation of the language.}} In the United States, indigenous nations have published courses on Memrise to support efforts to revitalize their heritage languages, including Cherokee,{{cite news |last=Sellers |first=Caroline |date=8 June 2023 |title=Cherokee language lessons now available on two apps |url=https://kfor.com/news/local/cherokee-language-lessons-now-available-on-two-apps/ |url-status=live |agency=Kfor.com |location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923144201/https://kfor.com/news/local/cherokee-language-lessons-now-available-on-two-apps/ |archive-date=23 September 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024 |quote=The Cherokee Nation says it partnered with an app is called “Memrise” to add 20 language lessons that can be downloaded to both iOS and Android devices.}} Seneca,{{cite web |url=https://sni.org/education/faithkeepers-school/ |url-status=live |title=Faithkeepers School - SNI |date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106080958/https://sni.org/education/faithkeepers-school/ |archive-date=6 January 2024 |access-date=27 March 2024 |quote=The Faithkeeper's School uses Memrise, a web and mobile app to publish language learning tools and courses broken out by topic.}} Comanche,{{cite press release |author=Comanche Nation Language Department |date=13 February 2019 |title=New Language Department Has Launched |url=https://comanchenation.com/departments/comanche-nation-language-department |url-status=live |location=Lawton, Oklahoma |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104230906/https://comanchenation.com/departments/comanche-nation-language-department |archive-date=4 January 2024 |access-date=29 March 2024 |quote=The Comanche language course has launched on the Memrise website and app and continues to be updated with new levels.}} Potawatomi,{{cite press release |last=Neely |date=16 December 2023 |title=Language update: February 2023 |url=https://www.potawatomi.org/blog/2023/02/16/language-update-february-2023/ |url-status=live |location=Shawnee, Oklahoma |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924064636/https://www.potawatomi.org/blog/2023/02/16/language-update-february-2023/ |archive-date=24 September 2023 |access-date=29 March 2024 |quote=We also have two courses at memrise.com. One called “A Day in the Life” and the other “Conversational Potawatomi.” They can be found after signing up on Memrise then searching for Potawatomi.}} and Choctaw.{{cite web |url=https://www.choctawtribalschools.com/choctawlanguage |url-status=live |title=Choctaw Language - Choctaw Tribal Schools |location=Choctaw, Neshoba County, Mississippi |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329165810/https://www.choctawtribalschools.com/choctawlanguage |archive-date=29 March 2024 |access-date=29 March 2024}} The success of this project "inspired the start of similar projects among speakers of other Indigenous languages," like Unangam Qilinĝingin to teach the Aleut language spoken in Alaska. Courses of many other endangered languages can be found, including the other Sámi languages,{{cite magazine |last=Flyn |first=Cal |date=7 September 2018 |title=Apps Are Helping Keep Indigenous Languages Alive Online |url=https://www.howwegettonext.com/apps-are-helping-keep-indigenous-languages-alive-online/ |url-status=live |magazine=How We Get To Next |location= |publisher=Storything Ltd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204103201/https://www.howwegettonext.com/apps-are-helping-keep-indigenous-languages-alive-online/ |archive-date=4 February 2024 |access-date=27 March 2024 |quote=Campaigners there have piggybacked on the infrastructure of the well-known Memrise app, which now offers courses in Lule, Northern, Southern, and Ume dialects.}} Hawaiian, Yiddish, Cornish, Greenlandic, Navajo,{{cite news |last=Croissant|first=Morgane |date=4 March 2022 |title=5 Languages on the Brink of Extinction That You Can Learn Online |url=https://matadornetwork.com/read/endangered-languages-learn-online/ |url-status=live |agency=Matador Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130170446/https://matadornetwork.com/read/endangered-languages-learn-online/ |archive-date=30 November 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024}} Irish, and Welsh.{{cite journal |last1=Katinskaia |first1=Anisia |last2=Yangarber |first2=Roman |date= |title=Digital cultural heritage and revitalization of endangered Finno-Ugric languages |url=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2084/paper9.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the Digital Humanities in the Nordic Countries 3rd Conference |doi= |access-date=29 March 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126043236/https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2084/paper9.pdf |archive-date=26 November 2023 |quote=Memrise is a learning platform for courses created by users, and it includes several courses in Irish and Welsh.}}

The Institute on Collaborative Language Research, founded at the University of California, organized a workshop in 2018 to teach participants to use Memrise for teaching and learning endangered languages with the aim of revitalization, considering that Memrise is "an ideal tool for language revitalization because it’s flexible, community-oriented, easy-to-use, fun, and free" and "a great way for fluent elders and more tech-savvy young people to collaborate on a revitalization project".{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Lisa |last2=Wong |first2=Kevin Martens |url=https://www.colanginstitute.org/content/creating-language-learning-apps-for-endangered-languages |url-status=live |title=Creating Language Learning Apps for Endangered Languages |date=2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327200952/https://www.colanginstitute.org/content/creating-language-learning-apps-for-endangered-languages |archive-date=27 March 2024 |access-date=27 March 2024}} A research conducted by NEȾOLṈEW̱, a Canadian partnership working on indigenous language revitalization, praises the motivational effect of Memrise' leaderboard for learners,{{cite book |last=Tennell |first=Courtney |date=2022 |editor-last=Chew |editor-first=Kari A. B. |title=Learning in Relation: A Guide to Creating Online Indigenous Language Courses that Center Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being |pages=37 |chapter=Notable Features |url=https://netolnew.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Chew-et-al-2022-Guidebook-LearningInRelation.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127060128/https://netolnew.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Chew-et-al-2022-Guidebook-LearningInRelation.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=27 January 2024 |quote=Memrise uses a leaderboard where users accumulate points for time spent learning and questions answered. Users with the most points appear at the top of their leaderboard and rankings are displayed. These scores can help motivate users who are competitive and users who are learning with a group or class and want to compare their score against friends. |access-date=29 March 2024}} but raises concerns about the issue of data sovereignty.{{cite book |author1=Melvin Calls Him Jr. |last2=Chew |first2=Kari A. B. |date=2022 |editor-last=Chew |editor-first=Kari A. B. |title=Learning in Relation: A Guide to Creating Online Indigenous Language Courses that Center Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being |pages=5–6 |chapter=Populara Online Course Technology Providers |url=https://netolnew.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Chew-et-al-2022-Guidebook-LearningInRelation.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127060128/https://netolnew.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Chew-et-al-2022-Guidebook-LearningInRelation.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=27 January 2024 |quote=Memrise’s Terms of Use raises concerns pertaining to data sovereignty, as posting content means the user grants Memrise license to the content. Further, there are no protocols in place to ensure that individual users have permission from Indigenous Nations to share language content. |access-date=29 March 2024}}{{cite book |last=Chew |first=Kari A. B. |date=2022 |editor-last=Chew |editor-first=Kari A. B. |title=Learning in Relation: A Guide to Creating Online Indigenous Language Courses that Center Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being |pages=9–10 |chapter=Choosing a Platform |url=https://netolnew.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Chew-et-al-2022-Guidebook-LearningInRelation.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127060128/https://netolnew.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Chew-et-al-2022-Guidebook-LearningInRelation.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=27 January 2024 |quote=Technology providers also have an interest in protecting their own proprietary technologies. Indigenous Nations and organizations should be cautious of platforms like Memrise that do not negotiate these terms and claim rights to Indigenous language content in courses. |access-date=29 March 2024}} In 2023, the successes of the Memrise projects for Ume Sámi and Kristang were cited as "inspiring stories" by the UNESCO publication Digital initiatives for indigenous languages.{{cite book |last=Llanes-Ortiz |first=Genner |date=2023 |title=Digital initiatives for indigenous languages |pages=101–102 |chapter=Memrise for Ume Sámi and Kristang |url=https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000387186 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329184829/https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000387186 |url-status=live |archive-date=29 March 2024 |access-date=29 March 2024}}

Apart from resources for language learning, the community has produced courses for other subject matters, including geography, history, mathematics, natural science, some designed for general interests and some for test preparation.{{cite news |last=P. |first=Chris |date=11 April 2014 |title=Memrise review: learn a new language, take a math refresh course, or reinvigorate your vocabulary through addictive mems |url=https://www.phonearena.com/news/Memrise-review-learn-a-new-language-take-a-math-refresh-course-or-reinvigorate-your-vocabulary-through-addictive-mems_id55039 |url-status=live |agency=Phone Arena |location=Varna, Bulgaria|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630162339/https://www.phonearena.com/news/Memrise-review-learn-a-new-language-take-a-math-refresh-course-or-reinvigorate-your-vocabulary-through-addictive-mems_id55039 |archive-date=30 June 2022 |access-date=25 March 2024 |quote=At its core, Memrise employs a mnemonic approach to teaching you different topics, like languages, geography, math, or even standardized tests.}}{{cite web |url=http://it.blastingnews.com/tecnologia/2015/02/memrise-una-nuova-frontiera-dell-apprendimento-delle-lingue-00270339.html |url-status=live |language=it |title=Memrise: una nuova frontiera dell'apprendimento delle lingue? |last=Piccione |first=A. |date=13 February 2015 |website=blastingnews.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121035909/http://it.blastingnews.com/tecnologia/2015/02/memrise-una-nuova-frontiera-dell-apprendimento-delle-lingue-00270339.html |archive-date=21 January 2018 |access-date=26 March 2024 |quote=Memrise propone tantissimi corsi, perlopiù sulle lingua straniere, ma anche su geografia, storia e cultura générale. |trans-quote=Memrise offers many courses, mostly on foreign languages, but also on geography, history and general knowledge.}}

In July 2024, Memrise announced in a blog-post that community courses will be removed from their new app experience, moving them to a separate platform.{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Memrise |title=Major update: a new version of the app is coming! |url=https://www.memrise.com/blog/major-update-a-new-version-of-the-app-is-coming |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=www.memrise.com |language=en}}

File:An example of a "mem" on the language-learning platform Memrise.jpg" is remembered as an angry face grinding its teeth, matching its pronunciation to its meaning.]]

File:An_example_of_a_"mem"_on_the_language-learning_platform_Memrise_(for_a_Chinese_character).jpg, which means "noodles".]]

Memrise used to have a function known as "mems," which are user-generated mnemonic devices or memory aids to help learners remember and retain new information more effectively. Mems are often designed to be humorous or even absurd to be memorable, such as using a picture of Abraham Lincoln listening to a ghetto blaster with the caption "Abe ends work in the evening" for the German word Abend, which means "evening".{{cite news |last=Robson |first=Robson |date=7 March 2014 |title=How to learn like a memory champion |url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140307-how-to-learn-like-a-memory-champ |url-status=live |agency=BBC |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106180001/https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140307-how-to-learn-like-a-memory-champ |archive-date=6 January 2024 |access-date=25 March 2024}} For learning Chinese characters, mems have been created to help relate their meaning and the concept they represent.

In 2012, Ed Cooke highlighted the network effect associated with learning through mems, explaining that "the more people on the site, the more there are contributing new content for the mems".{{cite news |last=Dredge |first=Stuart |date=23 March 2012 |title=Memrise wants to turn learning into a 'recreational sport' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2012/mar/23/apps-mobilephones |url-status=live |work=The Guardian|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716153450/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2012/mar/23/apps-mobilephones |archive-date=16 July 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024}} In 2013, Ben Whately and Ed Cooke discussed their team's approach to take advantage of the Internet obsession with cats and "the relationship between cuteness and improved cognitive function" to create memorable mems.{{cite news |last=Rice |first=Carolyn |date=27 November 2013 |title=Cute cats could be key to learning new languages |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25103362 |url-status=live |agency=BBC |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322032441/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25103362 |archive-date=22 March 2022 |access-date=25 March 2024}}

However, since September 2022, mems have been completely removed from the site,{{cite web |url=https://memrise.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8805604634513-Mems-removal-is-scheduled-for-Monday-5-September |title=Mems removal is scheduled for Monday 5 September |author= |date=1 September 2022 |website=Memrise helpdesk |publisher=Memrise |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230521082246/https://memrise.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8805604634513-Mems-removal-is-scheduled-for-Monday-5-September |archive-date=21 May 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024}} despite overwhelmingly negative feedback from users as expressed in the official forum.{{cite web |url=https://community.memrise.com/t/rollout-of-the-new-dashboard-and-learning-sessions-experiences-to-all-our-customers/69305 |url-status=dead |title=Rollout of the new dashboard and learning sessions experiences to all our customers |author=Memrise Support |date=26 November 2021 |website=Memrise community forum |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130232420/https://community.memrise.com/t/rollout-of-the-new-dashboard-and-learning-sessions-experiences-to-all-our-customers/69305 |archive-date=30 November 2023 |access-date=25 March 2024}}

File:Memerise Main Page.jpg

File:Memrise iOS app chat.png on the Memrise app for iPhone.]]

As of February 2025, Memrise has official materials for 35 languages for English speakers.These languages are: Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (European and Brazilian varieties), Russian, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish (Castilian and Mexican varieties), Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Xhosa, and Yoruba.{{cite web|url=https://www.memrise.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250203055651/https://www.memrise.com/ |archive-date=3 February 2025|title=Memrise Mainpage}} Materials have also been developed for speakers of Arabic,Available languages: English (British and American varieties), French, German, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish. Chinese,Available languages: English (British and American varieties), French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish. Dutch,Available languages: English (British variety), French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish. French,Available languages: English (British and American varieties), Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish. German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

Starting from 2023, the official courses are combined with a GPT-3-powered "AI Language partner" that allows learners to practice human-like conversations,{{cite web |title=Introducing the Membot |url=https://www.figma.com/file/58RoIppGrbys0Wix8WcsZy/Hubspot-Designs?node-id=531%3A14778&t=OuPPd7U06cVWqeC6-0 |website=Memrise }} which Memrise believes can help learners to overcome the "confidence gap" in language acquisition.{{cite web |title=How new technology can bridge the "confidence gap" in language education |date=10 January 2023 |url=https://medium.com/edtechx360/how-new-technology-can-bridge-the-confidence-gap-in-language-education-63333050ea28 |publisher=Medium}} Official courses do not cover the vast majority of languages included in community courses, nor are there any non-language-related official materials.

In late September 2012, the leaderboard on the website was temporarily suspended due to "extensive cheating". Specific users had been using bots and non-intensive mechanisms, such as celebrity photo memory courses, to achieve atypical scores that were not reflective of actual learning. In response, the administrators established a new leaderboard after revising the scoring loopholes.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-11/12/gamification-of-learning|title=The irrationality of cheating at gamified learning|magazine=Wired UK}}

Over time, Memrise, initially established as a learning platform centered around crowdsourcing and community engagement, has undergone a noticeable transition by gradually phasing out significant features in favor of prioritizing their official content offerings.

In late February 2019, Memrise announced that user-created content will be moving to a different web-based platform.{{Cite web|url=https://community.memrise.com/t/important-update-upcoming-changes-to-memrise-community-created-courses/33461|title=Important Update: Upcoming changes to Memrise community-created courses|date=2019-02-19|website=Memrise|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015929/https://community.memrise.com/t/important-update-upcoming-changes-to-memrise-community-created-courses/33461/15 |archive-date=12 November 2020}} It was announced that this new website would not have an app and that users would be unable to access their material offline.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.memrise.com/2019/02/21/decksbymemrise/|title=The Creation of Decks and the Future of Memrise.|date=2019-02-21|website=The Memrise Blog|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-24|archive-date=2020-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111211130/https://blog.memrise.com/2019/02/21/decksbymemrise/|url-status=dead}} On 25 February 2020, as a response to the loud criticism from users, Memrise decided to undo the split (i.e. closing Decks and merging its content back to the Memrise main site.){{Cite web|url=https://community.memrise.com/t/important-announcement-about-decks/49470|title=Important announcement about Decks|date=2020-02-12|website=Memrise|language=en|access-date=2020-05-03}}

However, in November 2023, Memrise announced on a forum post that it planned to "sunset" user-created courses.{{Cite web |date=13 November 2023 |title=Forum absence, outlook |url=https://community.memrise.com/t/forum-absence-outlook/87919/24 |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Memrise |language=en}} The very forum was closed on 8th December 2023 as the company shifts its focus from supporting community-created content to developing a new "experience" based on official content.{{Cite web |date=8 December 2023 |title=Closure of the Memrise Community Forum |url=https://memrise.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/20736101603473-Closure-of-the-Memrise-Community-Forum |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Memrise |language=en}} In February 2024, Memrise has again separated community courses to a new website, which is not accessible through the updated mobile app, meaning that users can no longer download the courses for offline accessibility. The official notice states that the courses will remain on the new website until "at least the end of 2024".{{Cite web |date=20 February 2024 |title=Changes to the Memrise app |url=https://www.memrise.com/blog/changes-to-the-memrise-app |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Memrise |language=en}} The CEO Steve Toy has made posts announcing and trying to explain the abovementioned change on the Memrise subreddit, under which many users have expressed concerns, frustrations, and even anger regarding the future of community courses.{{Cite web |date=23 February 2024 |title=Why this is happening from the Memrise CEO |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/memrise/comments/1axye57/why_this_is_happening_from_the_memrise_ceo/ |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Reddit |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=23 February 2024 |title=Memrise CEO trying again |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/memrise/comments/1axdcgb/memrise_ceo_trying_again/ |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Reddit |language=en}} Regarding the future of community courses, Toy has clarified that he has no plan to take them down after 2024 or any date, but is "not prepared to put [his] name next to a promise about the site['s] longevity at this moment."{{Cite web |date=29 March 2024 |title=A reply to "Why this is happening from the Memrise CEO" |first=Steve |last=Toy |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/memrise/comments/1axye57/comment/kx3n7y2/ |access-date=7 April 2024 |website=Reddit |language=en}} As of March 2025, community courses are still available on the website.

• Anki
• Computer-assisted language learning
• Fluenz
• Lang-8
• Language education
• Language pedagogy
• List of flashcard software
• List of language self-study programs
• Rosetta Stone

{{reflist|group=note}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Official website|http://www.memrise.com}}
• [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/memrise-learn-languages/id635966718 iTunes App Store]
• [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.memrise.android.memrisecompanion Google Play]

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