storing user data in a plurality of memory cells of the memory array;

storing parity data associated with the user data in parity cells of the memory array, wherein a number of used parity cells is selected based on a status of the memory cells and is related to a selected Error Correction Code (ECC) correction capability; and

based on the selected number of used parity cells, performing an ECC operation on the plurality of memory cells; and

writing and/or sensing only the memory cells used to store the user data and the selected parity cells used to store the parity data, wherein the used parity cells are selected between a maximum number and a minimum number and a number of unused parity cells is a difference between the maximum number and the number of used parity cells, and wherein the unused parity cells are not written nor sensed.