9TypesofMnemonicsforBetterMemory

ByDennisCongos,UniversityofCentralFlorida
Mnemonicsarememorydevicesthathelplearnersrecalllargerpiecesofinformation,especiallyintheformoflistslike
characteristics,steps,stages,parts,phases,etc.Weknewbackin1967fromastudybyGeraldR.Millerthatmnemonics
increasedrecall.Hefoundthatstudentswhoregularlyusedmnemonicdevicesincreasedtestscoresupto77%!
Manytypesofmnemonicsexistandwhichtypeworksbestislimitedonlybytheimaginationofeachindividuallearner.
The9basictypesofmnemonicspresentedinthishandoutincludeMusic,Name,Expression/Word,Model,
Ode/Rhyme,NoteOrganization,Image,Connection,andSpellingMnemonics.
1.MusicMnemonics
Howmanylyricstosongsdoyouremember?Howdidyoucometorememberthem?Thesamemethodyouused
torecallsonglyricsalsocanworkjustaswellinacademics.Musiccanusedtohelpstudentsrecallimportant
detailstomainideasandmanylearnershavemadesongsoutofinformationwhenalistofitemsmustbelearned.
AdvertisingonradioandTVusesmusictohelppotentialcustomersremembertheirproductswhenshopping.
Withsufficientrepetitionofcommercials,advertisershavediscoveredthatwhenshoppersseetheirproductinthe
storesthatoftentheshopperwillstartrecitingaoftrepeatedphrasesfromthecommercialorstartsingingthe
lyricstothepromotionmelody.Theresultshasbeenincreasedsalesoftheproduct.
Youcanmakeasongorjingleusinganytypeofmusicyouchooseforanylistofitems.MusicMnemonicswork
bestwithlonglists.Forexample,somechildrenlearntheABC'sbysingingthe"ABC"song.Otherchildrenlearn
allthestatesinalphabeticalorderusingthe"50NiftyUnitedStates"song.
2.NameMnemonics
InaNameMnemonic,the1stletterofeachwordinalistofitemsisusedtomakeanameofapersonorthing.
Sometimes,theitemscanberearrangedtoformamorerecollectablenamemnemonic.Examples:
ROYG.BIV=colorsofthespectrum(Red,Orange,Yellow,Green,Blue,Indigo,Violet.)
Pvt.TimHall=Essentialaminoacids(Phenylanine,Valine,Threonine,Tryptophan,Isolucine,Histidine,
Arginine,Leucine,Lysine.

3.ExpressionorWordMnemonic
Thisisbyfarthemostpopularlyusedmnemonic.TomakeanExpressionorWordmnemonic,thefirstletterof
eachiteminalistisarrangedtoformaphraseorword.Examples:
Forphysicallawsdealingwithgasses,trythese:
Charles'Law:Foraconstantvolume,pressureisdirectlyproportionaltotemperature.
ThesimplewaytorememberChuckisifthetank'stoohot,you'reblownintomuck.
Henry'sLaw:Thesolubilityofagasincreaseswithpressure.
ToremembergoodoldHank,rememberthebubblesintheshakenCokeyoudrank.
Boyles'Law:Atconstanttemperature,pressureisinverselyproportionaltovolume.
Boyle'slawisbestofallbecauseitpressesgassesawfullysmall.
InEnglish,the7coordinatingconjunctionsareFor,And,Nor,But,Or,Yet,So=FANBOYS.
TheorderofoperationsformathisParentheses,Exponents,Multiply,Divide,Add,andSubtract=PleaseExcuse
MyDearAuntSally.
ThecategoriesintheclassificationoflifeareKingdom,Phylum,Class,Order,Family,Genus,Species,Variety=
KingsPlayCardsOnFairlyGoodSoftVelvet.
Forthosewhohavetoremembertheorderofcolorcodingonelectronicresistors:Black,Blue,Red,Orange,
Yellow,Green,Brown,Violet,Gray,White,Silver,Gold.

BadBoysRileOurYoungGirls,ButVioletGivesWelts(to)SillyGuys
or
BadBeerRotsOurYoungGutsButVodkaGoesWell(in)SilverGoblets.
Almosteveryanatomyclasshastoremembertheeightsmallbonesinthewrist:Navicular,Lunate,Triquetrum,
Pisiform,Multongular(Greater),Multongular(Lesser),Capitate,Hamate.
NeverLickTilly'sPopsicle,MotherMightComeHome.
CreateanExpressionMnemonicforrememberingtheorderoftheplanetsfromthesunoutward:Mercury,
Venus,Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,Neptune,andPluto.
4.ModelMnemonics
InaModelMnemonic,sometypeofrepresentationisconstructedtohelpwithunderstandingandrecalling
importantinformation.
Examplesincludeacircularsequencemodel,apyramidmodelofstages,apiechart,anda5boxsequence.
Modelsshouldbeusedinadditiontowordsandlistsbecausetheymakerecallattesttimemucheasier.Witha
largemodelsuchastheKrebsCycle,itiseasiertolearnandrememberifitisdividedintoquartersandlearned
onequarteratatimehence,thecrosshairs.
5.OdeorRhymeMnemonics
AnOdeorRhymeMnemonicputsinformationintheformofapoem.Examplesinclude:
AcommonlyusedRhymeMnemonicforthenumberofdaysineachmonthis:
30dayshathSeptember,April,June,andNovember.
Alltheresthave31
ExceptFebruarymydearson.
Ithas28andthatisfine
ButinLeapYearithas29.
You'dprobablypreferyourdoctortoknowthedifferencebetweencyanateandcyanide:Cyanate"Iate"and
Cyanide"Idied."Cyanideisalittlefatal.
Rememberthisone?In1492,Columbussailedtheoceanblue.
Howisyourspelling?
Ibeforeeexceptafterc
orwhensoundinglikea
inneighborandweigh
Hereisaneasywaytorememberthenerves:olfactory,optic,oculomotor,trochlear,trigeminal,abducens,facial,
acoustic,glassopharyngeal,vagus,spinalaccessoryandhypoglossal.
OnOldOlympus'ToweringTops,AFinnAndGermanViewedSomeHops

6.NoteOrganizationMnemonics
Thewaytextbookandlecturenotesareorganizedcaninhibitlearningandrecallorpromoteit.Inthesensethatthe
organizationofnotescanpromoterecall,itisamemorydevice.Threeexamplesoforganizingnoteformatsthat
promoterecallareasfollows:
Notecards
Notecardsareaneasywaytoorganizemainideasandrelevantdetailstoberecalled.Ifmainideasareformatted
intopossibletestquestions,notecardscangivelearnerspracticeinseeingquestionsandrecallinganswersasthey
mustdoonexams.
Outlines

Outlinesclearlyseparatemainideasfromdetails.Thishelpsorganizetheinformationinthemindmakingiteasier
toremember.
I.PIAGET'STHEORY
A.FourStages
1.Sensorimotor
2.Preoperational
3.ConcreteOperations
4.FormalOperations
B.Definitionofeachstage
1.Sensorimotormeans........etc.
CornellSystem
TheCornellSystemisanotherwaytouseaNoteOrganizationMnemonictopromoterecall.Averticallineis
drawn3inchesfromtheleftmarginofnotebookpaper.Mainideasorquestionsfromthemareplacedtotheleftof
thelineanddetailsoranswersplacedtotheright.
ThetopicusedhereisfromHowToStudyInCollege(3rdedition)byWalterPauk,pages292300.
7.ImageMnemonics
TheinformationinanImageMnemonicisconstructedintheformofapicturethatpromotesrecallofinformation
whenyouneedit.ThesilliertheImageMnemonicis,theeasieritistorecalltherelatedinformation.These
imagesmaybementalorsketchedintotextandlecturenotes.Don'tworryaboutyourartisticability.Aslongas
youknowwhatyoursketchmeans,ImageMnemonicswillhelpyoulearnandremember.Examples:
YoucanuseanImageMnemonictorememberBAT(thedepressantdrugsmentionedaboveBarbiturates,
Alcohol,andTranquilizers).Visualizeorsketchinyournotesalimp,depressedbatthattookBarbiturates,
Alcohol,andTranquilizers.
PicturemeetingsomeonenewatapartynamedJohnHorsley.UseanImageMnemonictohelpyourememberhis
name.Visualizeahorsesittingonajohn:notprettybuteffectiveinrecall.Noexampleprovidedonthisone.
Whatisanumismatist?Visualizeanewmistrollingontoabeachfromtheoceanandbeachismadeofcoins.
Silly?Ofcourse,butsillyographymakesitiseasiertorememberthatanumismatistisacoincollector.
Howaboutusingabadjoketohelpyouremember?Picturetwonumismatistshavingadrinkfor"olddime's
sake."Corny?Yes,butcornographyoftenmakesthingseasiertoremember.

8.ConnectionMnemonics
Inthistypeofmnemonic,theinformationtoberememberedisconnectedtosomethingalreadyknown.Examples
include:
Rememberingthedirectionoflongitudeandlatitudeiseasiertodowhenyourealizethatlinesonaglobethatrun
NorthandSoutharelongandthatcoincideswithLONGitude.AnotherConnectionMnemonicpointsoutthat
thereisanNinLONGitudeandanNinNorth.Latitudelinesmustruneasttowest,thenbecausethereisnoNin
latitude.
AnotherConnectionMnemonicisrelatedtosound.The1stpartofthewordlatitudesoundslikeflatandflatruns
horizontalorEastandWest.

9.SpellingMnemonics
Hereisanexampleofaspellingmnemonic:Aprincipalataschoolisyourpal,andaprincipleyoubelieveor
followisarule.
AnothercommonlyusedSpellingMnemoniciscombinedwithanOde/RhymeMnemonic.

Ibeforeeexceptafterc
orwhensoundinglikea
inneighborandweigh
Athirdexampledealswiththeproblemssomelearnershaverememberingthatthereisan"a"inthemiddleof
separateandnotan"e."ASpellingMnemoniccombinedwithanImageMnemonicmaybeusedtospellthe
wordseprateusinganexaggerated"a."
TospellMississippi,manylearnerscombineaRhythmMnemonicwithaSpellingmnemonic:Mississippi.
Herearesomemoreexamplesofspellingmnemonics:
Geography:GeorgeEdwards'sOldGrandmaRodeAPigHomeYesterday.
Arithmetic:ARatInTheHouseMayEatTheIceCream.
Saskatchewan:AskAtChewAnwithanSinfrontofit.
Takethe1stletterofeachtypeofmnemoniclistedaboveandprintthembelowonthelinetohelpyouremember
the9types.

HaveaMnemonicsParty
Wanna'Practice?Youbecomebetteratthatwhichyoupractice.Ifyoupracticenotmaking
mnemonics
Getsomeclassmatesorfriendstogetherandpracticemakingmnemonicsusingthelistsprovidedbelow.Ninetimesout
of10everyonegetsasideachefromlaughingsohardbeforetheexercisebelowisfinished.
Usingtheitemsbelow,deviseamnemonicforrememberingeachpieceofinformation.Useanyofthe9typesof
mnemonicsasaguideorcombineanyofthetypes.Trymakingamnemonicwithoutchangingtheorderandthenafew
whereyoureorganizetheitemstofityourmnemonic.
1.9characteristicsthatfacilitatelearningOpenmindedness,selfawareness,tolerance,alertmind,energy,
abilitytosetgoals,willingnesstotakerisks,selfdiscipline,andthecapacitytovalue,accept,andundergo
change.
__________________________________________________________________________
2.OrderoftheplanetsfromthesunoutMercury,Venus,Earth,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn,Uranus,NeptunePluto
_________________________________________________________________________
3.GoingshoppingEggs,milk,onions,butter,cucumbers,lettuce,Tide
__________________________________________________________________________
4.Blooms7levelsofthinkingabilityrecall,translation,interpretation,application,analysis,synthesis,
evaluation
__________________________________________________________________________
5.TheroyalhousesonEnglandNorman,Plantagenet,Lancaster,York,Tudor,Stuart,Hanover,Windsor
__________________________________________________________________________
6.Body'sexcretoryorgansLiver,kidneys,skin,lungs,intestines
__________________________________________________________________________
7.ReasonswhyrecitingnotesaloudincreasesmemoryGetsyouinvolved,providesfeedbackonwhatyouknow,
suppliesmotivation,usesmanysensesinlearning,andpromotesconcentration.
__________________________________________________________________________

8.6typesofmachineslever,inclinedplane,axleandwheel,jackscrew,pulley,&gear.
__________________________________________________________________________
9.6waystopurifywatersettling,filtration,coagulation,chlorination,aeration,boiling.
__________________________________________________________________________
10.Factorsthataffectwaterevaporationtemperature,areaexposed,wind,andhumidity.
__________________________________________________________________________
11.Howsoilfertilityisrestoredrotatingcrops,addingfertilizer,restingthesoil,sweeteningthesoil,draining
andirrigating,undoingdamagedorpollutedsoil.
__________________________________________________________________________
12.Majorfeaturesofsoleproprietorshipeasytostart,canmakedecisionsquickly,nobosses,profitsarenot
shared,lossesarenotshared,andborrowingislimited.
__________________________________________________________________________
13.Fourtypesofchemicalreactionssynthesis,decomposition,singlereplacement,anddoublereplacement.
__________________________________________________________________________
14.Basicstepsinthescientificmethodstatetheproblem,gatherinformationontheproblem,formhypothesis,
experimenttotesthypothesis,recorddata,analyzedate,anddrawconclusions.
__________________________________________________________________________
15.Generalpropertiesofmattermass,weight,volume,anddensity.
__________________________________________________________________________
16.Fivepartsofadeciduousforestupperstratum,lowertreestratum,shrublayer,groundlayer,soillayer.
__________________________________________________________________________
17.FourOceanzonesintertidal,nearshore,edgeofcontinentalshelf,perpetualdarkness
__________________________________________________________________________
Youareonlylimitedbytherestrictionsthatyouplaceonyourowncreativity.

Questionsorcomments?Contacttheauthoratdcongos@mail.ucf.edu.