UiA Bibliotek Blog

Use mnemonics

Use mnemonics

Many people use mnemonics to help improve their memory. Mnemonics can help with the spelling of difficult words, remembering names, and memorizing information. There are a variety of different mnemonics out there, so choose one that works for you and what you need to remember.  

Types of mnemonics:

1. Spelling
2. Feature – Remember a specific detail of a person you meet, like their blue eyes – “blue eyed Daniel”.
3. Rhyming – “In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
4. Note organization
5. Alliteration – Tony: Tall, tanned and tennis
6. Song – Remember new information though a song, like the ABC-melody.
7. Organization – break a large group of words or numbers into smaller, more manageable groups. “456159753481 – 4561 5975 3481.”
8. Visual – associate an image with characters or objects whose name sounds like the item that has to be memorized. “African elephants have big ears in the shape of Africa; Indian elephants have small ears in the shape of India”.

How to use mnemonics:

1. Choose the appropriate mnemonic.
   • If you are trying to spell something, a spelling technique works better than a naming technique.
2. Practice the technique.
3. Repeat the mnemonics to others.

What mnemonics would you use to help your studies? For further reading, check this book about your memory and how to improve it.