Learn Hardcore Russian: Я часто повторяю слова, но всё равно иногда забываю их. - I often review words, but I still sometimes forget them.

Here it means roughly still / anyway / nevertheless: despite often repeating the words, you still sometimes forget them. Note: всё равно can also mean “it’s all the same / I don’t care” when used with a person in the dative, e.g., Мне всё равно = “I don’t care.” In our sentence it’s the concessive “still/anyway” sense.

Why do we have both но and всё равно? Isn’t one of them enough?

They’re often used together to strengthen the contrast: но = “but,” and всё равно = “still/anyway,” so together: “but still.” You can drop но and say … всё равно иногда забываю их, which is also fine and a bit more colloquial. With both, the contrast is slightly sharper.

Could I use а instead of но?

Usually no: а marks a mild contrast (“whereas”), while но is adversative (“but”). Because the second clause goes against the expectation set by the first, но sounds more natural: … но всё равно …. Using а here can sound off or weaker.

Why is их at the end? Could I move it?

Russian word order is flexible. Default order puts the object after the verb: забываю их. You can move it for emphasis:

иногда их забываю (focus on “them”),
их иногда забываю (stronger focus on “them”),
иногда забываю их (neutral). All are grammatical; the nuance is in what you emphasize.

Why is it их and not another form like им or них?

Их is the accusative plural pronoun “them,” which you need after забываю (verb takes a direct object: забывать кого? что?). Other forms:

им = to them (dative),
ими = with them (instrumental),
них = about/from them (prepositional or genitive after a preposition). Here the direct object is correct: забываю их.

Could I say забываю о них instead of забываю их?

You can, but it changes the nuance:

забываю их = I fail to remember them (can’t recall the words).
забываю о них = I forget about them (stop paying attention to them/neglect them). In a memory context, забываю их is the natural choice.

What case is слова here, and why not слов?

Слова is accusative plural (same form as nominative plural) of сло́во “word.” For inanimate nouns, accusative plural = nominative plural. Слов is genitive plural and wouldn’t fit as a direct object here. Key forms: сло́во (sg), слова́ (nom/acc pl), слов (gen pl).

Why are both verbs imperfective (повторяю, забываю)?

Imperfective describes habitual, repeated actions: “I often repeat… I sometimes forget…” Perfective (повторю, забуду) would point to single, completed events (“I will repeat [once], I will forget [once]”), which doesn’t match the habitual meaning.

Does повторять слова mean “repeat words out loud,” or can it mean “review vocabulary”?

Both, depending on context. In study contexts, повторять слова commonly means “to review/revise vocabulary,” not just to literally say them again.

Where do adverbs like ча́сто and иногда́ usually go?

They typically precede the verb: я часто повторяю, я иногда забываю. You can move them for emphasis: иногда я забываю, я их иногда забываю. Russian allows flexibility; just ensure the sentence remains clear.

Is the comma before но required?

Yes. In Russian, a comma is placed before coordinating conjunctions like но when they join independent clauses: …, но ….

Should всё be written with ё in всё равно?

Yes, strictly it’s всё равно. In everyday writing Russians often omit the dots (все равно), but for learners it’s best to write ё to avoid confusion with все (“everyone”). The fixed phrase is всё равно.

How is the stress in the key words?

ча́сто
повторя́ю
слова́
но
всё равно́
иногда́
забыва́ю
их (monosyllabic, no marked stress) Also, ё in всё is always pronounced “yo.”

Can I drop их and just say … иногда забываю?

In conversation, yes—if the referent is crystal clear from context. In careful writing or standalone sentences, keep их to avoid ambiguity.

Can I rearrange the second half, e.g., … но иногда всё равно забываю их or … но всё равно их иногда забываю?

Yes. All are grammatical. Placing всё равно right after но is very common. Moving их before the verb adds emphasis to “them.” Choose the order to match what you want to highlight.

What’s the difference between всё равно, всё-таки, and тем не менее?

всё равно = “still/anyway,” often meaning “no matter what, the result persists.”
всё-таки = “after all/ultimately/nevertheless,” with a nuance of an outcome prevailing despite obstacles or expectations.
тем не менее = “nevertheless/nonetheless,” more formal/written. In this sentence, всё равно is the most idiomatic. … но всё-таки иногда забываю also works, with a slightly different feel.