Mnemonics

Mnemonics: Memorization techniques, tricks, aids, or devices

While some memorization is necessary in learning, the more effective learners have learned not to rely on this method too much, and some use mnemonic techniques, or memory tricks, to reduce memorization time in order to focus more on deeper learning of concepts. Some common mnemonics are summarized her; many of these are adapted from Lorayne and Lucas (1996), particularly the visualization techniques and the peg system below.

1 Simple or traditional methods

1.1 Music

Singing or humming short phrases or series of numbers, or committing them to memory with a melody, can help. This works for the same reason that TV commercials with musical jingles and slogans stay in your head forever (or those who grew up in the 1980s in North America or Europe will always remember the rock song "Jenny, 867-5309").

1.2 Numeric patterns

For numbers such as phone numbers, look for any kind of mathematical patterns; e.g., for a phone number like 355-5364, remember '3' and three 5s, 3+5=8, 5+5=10, 5+3=8, 6+4=10. It also helps to "chunk" or divide longer numbers into smaller segments of 2-4 digits, and learn it segment by segment.

1.3 Keypad patterns

You can remember simple keystroke patterns for words and numbers, such as how your fingers move to dial a phone number – a visual and tactile association.

1.4 Acronyms

This is the most common type of mnemonic, for example:

1. The colors of the rainbow: Roy G. Biv = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
2. The names of the Great Lakes in North America: HOMES = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, Superior.
3. Moons of Saturn: Met Dr. Thip = Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, Iapetus, Phoebe.
4. Effects of opioid drugs (in medicine): BAD AMERICANS = Bradycardia & hypotension, Anorexia, Diminished pupilary size, Analgesics, Miosis, Euphoria, Respiratory depression, Increased smooth muscle activity (biliary tract constriction), Constipation, Ameliorate cough reflex, Nausea and vomiting, Sedation.

1.4.1 Visual associations, visualization

Creating unusual, strange or dynamic mental images can help to remember things more easily. Often this is used with other techniques, particularly with association techniques like those below.

1.4.2 Word association

Learning new words, such as those in a foreign language, can be simplified with word-visual associations. For example:

• A Korean learning basic English can remember suddenly by associating it with '썩은이' (rotten teeth), especially if one creates a humorous or memorable mental image that connects suddenly with rotting teeth (an example from a former student of mine).

Learn new words by associating them with words that you already know in English, in your own language, or in languages that you know well.

• For example, I learned the Hebrew word šuləhan for table by thinking of the German Schule (school) and Hahn (rooster), and thinking of a rooster on top of a school table.

For a foreigner learning Korean, one can use associations like these.

• 검 [black]: Think of black gum. This can be associated with other words with 검, e.g., 랙 검색, think of someone frantically searching for black colored gum from among a number of other colors [색]; for 검사 think of someone frantically examining or searching through four [사] sticks of black gum. The more bizarre, dynamic, or humorous these mental images are, the more memorable they will be.
• It can be confusing to remember the homophones 게, 계, 개 in various words. Regardless of the meaning of the Chinese character in an actual word, the individual syllabus alone could mean crab, chicken, dog, respectively. So for 계약 (contract), I think of a cartoon chicken (계) signing a contract and getting a large quantity of drugs or medicine (약) in exchange; for 잽게 (tweezers), I think of a crab (게) picking up a house with its claws; and for 개발 (develop), I think of a dog (개) developing or growing new feet (발).

1.4.3 Facial visualization

Remembering names and faces can be enhanced with word and visual associations. For example, to remember someone named Barclay after meeting him, imagine that his face looks like broccoli. After meeting someone named Mr. Cower, create a mental image combining his face with a cow (for some of these, it is best not to tell them how you learned their names).

For Korean and Chinese names, connect a possible meaning of the name (not necessarily the correct meaning, but a possible one, for the sake of a memorable association) with the person with a creative visual association. For someone named Suyoung, imagine her swimming [수영하기]; for someone named Juyoung, make a visual association with the famous Korean footballer 박주영.

1.4.4 Locus method

The locus (Latin for 'place, location'; loci in the plural) method is an ancient method used by Greek and Roman orators to memorize speeches. To memorize a speech, one can associate different parts or topics of the speech with different parts of one's home. Create a visual association between the contents of your introduction with the front door, and then mentally move through your house, associating different parts of the talk with rooms and household items.

Alternatively, you can use the visual layout of the room where you will be speaking. This works well in a large room or for a longer, more complex talk. The different corners and parts of the room, and different rows of seats, can serve as mnemonic loci. For example, when I give talks about presentation skills, the first main part of the talk is about planning and organization, so I imagine someone in the far front left corner (my immediate left) doing some kind of planning work (for subpoints of that section, I can extend the image into the neighboring front row of seats). The next section on delivery skills is associated with the back left corner, where I imagine a delivery truck arriving, and the driver gets out and performs several actions that remind me of the subpoints of that section.

1.4.5 Peg system

For memorizing numbers or lists of items, the peg system is a classic system. There are different variations, but here I will present the one popularized by Lucas and Lorraine. For each numeral (1, 2, 3...) or item in a list or series (item 1, item 2...), a standard consonant (or consonant pair) is associated with that numeral, and with that, a word that stands for that consonant; this word serves as a "peg," with which items to be memorized are associated by means of creative visual association. For numbers 0-9, the following letters can be used, but feel free to change this to whatever works for you, or create your own peg system.

number	consonant(s)	peg word	hint
0	s, z	(not usually used for list items)	an "S" is roundish like "0"
1	t, d	tie	a necktie looks long and thin like "1"
2	n	no (or Noah)	"n" is curved like "2"
3	m	Ma (or mow)	"m" has a double curve like "3"
4	r	rye (bread)	"r" in 'four'
5	l	law (imagine a police officer)	imagine five police officers
6	sh, ch, j, zh [ ʃ/ʧ/ʤ]	shoe	imagine six shoes
7	k, g	cow	"7" is angular like "k"
8	f, v	ivy	imagine ivy shaped like a figure 8
9	b, p	bee	"9" has a loop like "b" or "p"
10	t+s/z	toes	Simply combine the peg consonants for 1 & 0 and think of a word with those sounds.

The consonants /w/, /h/ and /y/ are unassigned, as are all the vowels, so these can be put in anywhere without changing the numeric values of any words. This system can be extended indefinitely by combining the peg consonants, e.g., 11 = toot (train sound), 12 = ton (something extremely heavy falling), 13 = Tom or dam, 14 = tire, 20 = noose, 30 = moose, and so on.

Example: Biological characteristics of planarian worms (flatworms)

item #, peg	characteristic	mnemonic association
1 = tie	No respiratory or circulatory systems	A flatworm is wearing an overly tight tie and choking, so it cannot breathe, and its face turns red due to lack of circulation.
2= no	Breathe by diffusion of oxygen and CO2	A flatworm is offered an oxygen mask and dry ice (solid CO2) but refuses.
3 = ma	Basic nervous system	A flatworm is nervous and shaking in front of your mother.
4 = rye	Sexual or asexual reproduction	A bunch of flatworms have infested a loaf of rye bread, and are rapidly reproducing and taking it over.
5 = law	Reproduction also by regeneration	A police officer cuts a flatworm into pieces, and each piece regenerates into a whole flatworm.
6 = shoe	Move by ventral cilia or muscular undulations	A flatworm crawls out of a shoe (or takes off some shoes) and starts moving on the ground by twisting and undulating.

1.4.6 Numeral – consonant associations

Memorizing numerals can be helped by associating each numeral with a consonant sound, as in the peg system. For actual strings of numerals, fill in vowels to make up words, phrases, and sentences. (Feel free to adapt this so that it works for you.) For a number like π, convert it to consonants and then words, create memorable phrases and sentences, and create a mental image to remember it.

π = 3.14159 26535 8979323846 264

= m trtlp nʃlml fpkpm tmfrʃ , OR

= m drdlb n{ch/j}lmlvbgbm dmvr{ch/j}

= My turtle Poncho will, my love, pick up my dumb fridge. (fridge = refrigerator)

You can also find other peg (or "hook") systems on the Internet. An alternate system uses the following pegs, which may be easier, but is difficult to extend beyond 12.

1. one – bun 2. two – glue 3. three – tree 4. four – door 5. five – hive

6. six – mix 7. seven – heaven 8. eight – fight / bait 9. nine – dine 10. ten – tent

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