Editing Openai/6932fed8-c6a8-8000-8477-1049d95cb85e (section)

===== 5.3. Specific strategies for kanji and confusing compounds =====
# Add a minimal semantic anchor to kanji-only cards. - Without bloating the card, add: - a 1–3 word gloss, or - a short phrase like “responsibility; duty” for 責任. - Even a keyword is enough to give your brain another hook.
# Use “kanji families” outside of Anki. Take your frequent leech kanji like 解, 通, 正, 確, 直, 意, etc. and: - Make a small page per kanji: - kanji, - basic meaning, - 3–4 common words you’re actually studying. - Group your problem words on those pages so your brain sees patterns instead of isolated noise.
# Targeted practice for near-synonym sets. For clusters: - 性格 / 正確 / 正解 - 解放 / 解決 / 回復 - 通う / 通る do a 5–10 minute comparison drill: - Write each word by hand. - Say the reading out loud. - Say a short example sentence (even a simple one). - Explicitly say the contrast: - “正確 = correct (no mistakes); 正解 = the right answer on a test; 性格 = personality.” You can optionally make one extra card per set that directly asks you to distinguish them (e.g. a cloze sentence where only one fits).
# Limit pure “kanji → reading” drills for the worst offenders. For leechy compounds, it might be better to flip the direction: - Back = kanji (with sentence), Front = meaning or audio or reading. - That way you test understanding & recognition rather than strict production of the reading, reducing interference pressure. You don’t have to change the whole deck; just do this for a subset of chronic leeches.
# Writing practice for a small subset of kanji. For the most problematic kanji (e.g. 解, 憶 if you have it, etc.): - Pick 5–10 kanji max. - Write them by hand from memory in a notebook a few times while saying the reading & a word they appear in. - This isn’t to become a calligrapher; it’s to deepen the orthographic and motor memory, which stabilizes recognition and reduces confusion.