An extended-life method for soft-programming at least one floating gate memory cell (10) includes connecting the substrate and the source (11) to a reference voltage, then applying to the control gate (13) a soft-programming voltage, the soft-programming voltage being between thirty and sixty percent of the voltage used to hard-program the cell. Increasing voltages are applied to the drain (12), while measuring the current flow into the drain (12). A specific drain (12) voltage, less than or equal to that value of drain (12) voltage at which the current flow into the drain (12) reaches a first peak, is chosen. With the substrate at reference voltage, the cell (10) is soft-programmed by applying to the drain (12) a first voltage slightly less than or equal to the specific drain (12) voltage; by applying to the source (11) a non-negative second voltage less than the specific drain (12) voltage; and by applying to the control gate (13) a third voltage no greater than the soft-programming voltage.