Mnemonic memory device

Mnemonic Devices: Types, Examples, and Benefits

Mnemonic devices — like acronyms, chunking, and rhymes — work by tapping into how the brain naturally stores data.

If you’re like most people, you probably get frustrated when you can’t remember the name of your new co-worker, a friend’s phone number, or even why you walked into a room.

But memory shortages can feel even more frustrating when you have to recall large amounts of information, such as the state capitals or the bones in the human body.

This is where mnemonic devices can come in handy — as tricks to easily memorize things.

You’ve used a mnemonic device if you’ve ever used a rhyme or a song to help you memorize something. It’s simply a fancy word for a memorization tool.

Through various tricks, mnemonic devices can help you remember anything from phone numbers to long lists to other things that would be otherwise difficult to remember.

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There are several types of mnemonic devices, and many of them overlap in how they work. Below are five of the most common types of mnemonic devices:

acronyms and acrostics
association
chunking
method of loci
songs and rhymes

Acronyms and acrostics

An acronym is a word created from the first letter of a group of words or names. For instance: HOMES is an acronym for the five Great Lakes:

Huron
Ontario
Michigan
Erie
Superior

Some words we commonly use as “stand-alone” words are acronyms. For example:

radar (radio detection and ranging)
laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation)
scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)
gif (graphics interchange format)

An acronym doesn’t even need to be a “real” word — as long as it sounds like one. For instance, many government agencies use acronyms, such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

You can also use acronyms as mnemonic devices in day-to-day situations like grocery shopping.

For example, if you need to remember to buy pasta, apples, cilantro, and eggs at the store and you don’t have a way to write a shopping list, you may easily forget some random items. Creating the acronym (and word) “pace” from the items’ first letters and thinking “pace” as you walk through the grocery store may help you remember all the items you need:

pasta
apples
cilantro
eggs

An acrostic is a similar mnemonic device, but it can be a sentence or a whole phrase instead of just one word. For example, you’ve likely used a phrase similar to “My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas” to help you remember the nine planets and their order in our solar system:

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

Association

Association is a fairly easy technique to help you remember new information. The idea behind it is that it’s easier to remember new information when you link it to something you already know well.

For example, if you have a new co-worker named Todd and an uncle with the same name, you could imagine your co-worker with glasses, a mustache, and a pencil behind his ear — like your uncle Todd — to help you remember your co-worker’s name.

Similarly, suppose you’re trying to remember that the scientist who invented calculus and discovered the laws of gravity was Isaac Newton. In that case, you could imagine your friend Isaac eating (and dropping) a Fig Newton while doing math.

The stranger and sillier the scenario, the more likely you’ll remember it.

Chunking

Chunking is a mnemonic device in which you break down information into bite-sized “chunks.” Two common examples of chunking are phone numbers and Social Security numbers. Most people divide both of these long numbers into three sections.

Chunking allows the brain to memorize more information than usual. According to the late psychologist George A. Miller, the average short-term memory capacity is about seven items, plus or minus two, depending on the person. Miller also suggested that verbal short-term memory capacity is determined by the number of chunks stored in memory.

Chunking comes in handy when memorizing random items, such as a password. For instance, trying to memorize P3850tf21 would be quite difficult. But if you break it down: P38-50-tf21, it becomes a lot easier.

So why does chunking allow more items to be stored in the brain? Research from 2021 suggests that chunking may be a long-term memory function. Therefore, chunking allows people to tap into their long-term memory function to extend the capability of their short-term memory.

Method of loci

The method of loci — sometimes called the “memory palace technique” — involves remembering items based on their locations.

According to legend, the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos temporarily excused himself from a large banquet to speak with someone outside. Soon after he left, a disaster ensued, and the entire structure collapsed on everyone inside. The scene was chaotic, and even family members could not identify the bodies.

However, once the debris was cleared, Simonides was able to help identify the dead correctly because he remembered exactly where each person had been sitting. This story is commonly retold as an example of how to recall large groups of items.

For example, your grandmother has asked you to stop at the store to pick up five random items:

a scented candle
flip-flops
paper towels
honey
a purple flower pot

You don’t have any way to write down the list and need to memorize it.

To use the method of loci, try the following:

Imagine an area you know very well, such as your home.
Imagine each item’s exaggerated or silly form placed somewhere in your home.

In practice, this may look something like this:

Imagine arriving at your front door and seeing a large flickering candle there.
As you mentally walk inside your house, you “see” a pair of flip-flops hanging from the air conditioning vent.
Then you imagine your brother holding a paper towel roll in the family photo on the wall in the entryway.
You enter the kitchen and see a large honeycomb dripping with honey and swarming bees on the kitchen countertop.
The honey is dripping into a purple flowerpot below.

Songs and rhymes

Songs and rhymes are very effective mnemonic devices. Most young children are taught to remember the entire alphabet — 26 random letters in a row — by reciting it in a simple rhyming tune.

Songs and rhymes work for adults as well. Just think of how easily you sing along when an old song comes on the radio.

Singing can help with many types of learning. Research from 2013 shows that a foreign language can be more easily memorized when put into a song. A 2021 study also indicates that singing may improve memory and well-being in people with dementia.

Research from 2019 shows that learning is more efficient when people use mnemonic devices. These memory tools work by tapping into how your brain naturally stores data.

Below are some of the advantages of using mnemonic devices:

You become an active learner when you sort the information in a way you can remember.
Mnemonic tools allow you to recall large amounts of information that would be incredibly difficult to remember.
You’re able to quickly retrieve information from your long-term memory.

Mnemonic devices are useful learning aids when memorizing large amounts of information.

Using memory-boosting tools, such as loci, chunking, or rhyming, can make learning much easier and even fun. So you don’t have to despair if you’re being tested on the state capitals or the periodic table.

Mnemonic: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

I. What is a Mnemonic?

A mnemonic, also known as a memory aid, is a tool that helps you remember an idea or phrase with a pattern of letters, numbers, or relatable associations. Mnemonic devices include special rhymes and poems, acronyms, images, songs, outlines, and other tools. Mnemonic (pronounced ni-mon-ik) is derived from the Greek phrase mimnēskesthai meaning to “remember.”

II. Examples of Mnemonics

Example 1

PEMDAS – Please excuse my dear Aunt Susie.

PEMDAS is a common mnemonic for remembering order of operations in pre-algebra meaning: Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, adding, and subtraction.

Example 2

EADGBE – Elephants and Donkeys Grow Big Ears

This mnemonic is useful for remembering the strings of a guitar in proper order from left to right.

Example 3

I before e except after c

This phrase is a mnemonic which reminds spellers that typically the letter i comes before e and after c. For example, the words “lie,” “belief,” and “pie” all have i before e. Words like “deceive” and “ceiling,” on the other hand, have e before i, following the letter c.

III. Types of Mnemonics

Types of mnemonics range from simple catchphrases to the creation of abbreviations and phrases. Here are a few types of mnemonics commonly used:

a. Connection Mnemonics

Connection mnemonics are used when one can make a connection between something already known and the new thing to memorize. For example, imagine you meet a new boy named Brian who has a bowl cut. You can remember his name by saying Bowl Cut Brian in your head—the connection of his haircut with his name and the “B” alliteration is a helpful memory aid!

b. Image / Model Mnemonics

Sometimes, actual images and models are useful for visual learners, or learners who memorize well with graphs, charts, pictures, and similar devices. For example, parts of a plot are often memorized more easily when arranged on a pyramid shape:

c.

Music Mnemonics

This type of mnemonic is self-explanatory: many of us simply remember better when music goes along with the phrase or concept we are learning. A simple example of this is using the “ABC” song to learn the alphabet.

d. Name Mnemonics

With this type of mnemonics, the first letters of the words within a phrase are used to form a name. Memorization of the name allows for memorization of the associated idea. For example, Roy G. Biv is a name used to remember the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

e. Name of Expression Mnemonics

In this common type of mnemonic, the first letter of each word in the phrase is used to create new words with a memorable phrase. One example of this is the 7 coordinating conjunctions For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So which create FANBOY.

f. Note Organization / Outline Mnemonics

One simple way of remembering things better is simply organizing information. Ways of organization include creating notecards to practice studying terms and definitions and to create outlines of one’s notes. For example, see this outline of plot:

1.Exposition

Definition:
Example:

2.Rising action

Definition:
Example:

3.Climax

Definition:
Example:

4.Falling action

Definition:
Example:

5.Denouement

Definition:
Example:

g. Spelling Mnemonics

Spelling mnemonics are rules, patterns, or phrases used to remember certain difficult spellings. Here are a few common examples:

Never believe a lie.
There’s a rat in separate.
Because: Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants

IV. The Importance of Using Mnemonics

Mnemonics are cheat codes for those who struggle with memorizing a certain complicated subject, list, or concept. They allow us to use more memorable phrases that tie the concepts we want to memorize to our minds. They allow us to quickly and successfully learn, and remember key concepts in a variety of subjects from English to math. They work because our minds tend to remember information to which we can relate or experience.

Mnemonics have been proven to work as tools of memory-forming for a variety of tasks. They aid doctors, scientists, geologists, artists, and students. If you’re struggling to remember something, consider making yourself a mnemonic.

V. Examples of Mnemonics in Literature

Just as mnemonics are used in other subjects, they are often found in literary studies. Here are a few examples of literary mnemonics:

Example 1

Wherever there is a Q there is a U too.

This literary mnemonic reminds us with rhyme that Q’s are followed by U’s in spelling.

Example 2

We hear with our ear.

If you can spell “ear,” you can spell “hear” correctly, rather than “here.”

Example 3

Rhythm helps your two hips move.

This phrase helps the struggling speller: each first letter of the phrase spells out “rhythm.”

VI. Examples of Mnemonics in Pop Culture

Mnemonics can use pop culture references to help you memorize complicated lists or even facts about pop culture! Here are a few pop cultural examples of mnemonics:

Example 1

How to punish bad Daleks before many million earthlings truly see c

For those who are Who-obsessed, the actors who have played the doctor in the show “Dr. Who” can be remembered in chronological order with this phrase.

They are: Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker, Davison, Baker, McCoy, McGann, Eccleston, Tennant, Smith, Capaldi.

Example 2

Does McDonald’s Sell CheeseBurgers?

This mnemonic uses pop culture to help children remember steps to complete division problems: divide, multiply, subtract, compare, and bring down.

VII. Related terms

Acronyms

Acronyms refer to words formed from abbreviations of certain phrases. For example, NASA is an acronym for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Acronyms are often used as mnemonic devices. For example, the acronym HOMES can be used to remember the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

6 mnemonic techniques that will help you remember everything at once

October 22, 2018 Life

These simple tricks are useful for people of all ages.

With age, it becomes more difficult to store large amounts of information in the head, so it is important to train your memory and accustom it to store information that the brain will quickly reproduce on request. These proven mnemonic techniques will allow you to easily remember everything you need for work and life.

1. Rhyme

At school we were taught not to remember long complex rules, but short rhythmic rhymes. This also works in adulthood. If you can’t rhyme the information you need, you can pick up lines and phrases rhythmically, as well as combine them with the motive of your favorite song.

The technique is suitable if you need to remember a sequence of numbers that are not related to each other (for example, the number of a bank card or a friend's car, a phone number or a combination for an intercom).

Example:

We need to remember the phone number 151-46-63. The last number is three, so you need to pick up a rhyme for her, for example, "speak." You get the following rhyme:

“One, five, one, four, six, six, three.
Don't tell anyone."

2. Use abbreviations

In life, we often use various letter abbreviations that we associate with the full name. The method, when only the first letter or part of each word remains, is suitable for memorizing long phrases, names, terms, the components of which are not logically connected.

Example:

We need to memorize a list of foods to buy on the way home: apples, mayonnaise, oranges, tomatoes, bleach, arugula. To do this, you can group words into several abbreviations that are easy to remember. For example, it might look like this: MOUTH and PIT.

If the list is a little shorter, parts of words can be used instead of letters to form a catchy word. So, if you need to remember the words "pasta" and "lemon", you can add the first syllables of words and remember as LIMA. The association with the capital of Peru will allow you to quickly remember what exactly you need to take in the store.

3. Think of associations

If you have well-developed imaginative thinking, this technique will be the most effective and interesting. It consists in coming up with an association between several words, objects or facts that, at first glance, have nothing in common with each other. Use your imagination, because the association can and should be unusual and even absurd - this way you will better remember the necessary information.

Here you can use the images of relatives, singers, actors, artists, directors and all those who are firmly entrenched in our minds.

Example:

You can't remember the name of your new dacha neighbor. Outwardly, he reminds you of your cousin and bears the same name. Come up with and remember the following association: "This neighbor is like a brother to me." The next time your brain will give you the right name by association, it will be enough just to think about your brother when you meet your neighbor.

4. Use the Cicero method

This method continues the technique of creating associations and is suitable when you need to remember the daily routine, a passage of text, a list of phone calls - any sequence.

The Roman orator Cicero, who is famous for his speeches, did not use notes when speaking to the public. He reproduced historical dates, names and quotations from memory. The following method helped him in this: the speaker mentally arranged those units that needed to be remembered in a well-known room in a certain order. During the speech, Cicero imagined the room and easily remembered the necessary names and dates.

The method is also called the place method or the Roman room method.

Example:

You need to memorize the sequence of words: puppy, cheese, ruler, plasticine, puddle. Mentally, you imagine your room in which you know every detail, and walk through it, sorting through the objects one by one:

“In front of the entrance to the room sits puppy . I go inside and to the left of the door I see a chest of drawers on which lies a sandwich with cheese . I pass by a chest of drawers and see a desk, and on it is a yellow ruler , she immediately catches the eye. I go further, approach the window and see a figurine from plasticine on the windowsill. Turning it in my hands, I head to the exit of the room and pass by the sofa, the wooden legs of which are swollen with water, as it stands in puddle .

5.

Use the Aivazovsky method

With this method, which is attributed to a famous marine painter, you can connect photographic memory. She will come to the rescue when you need to remember in the smallest detail any kind, picture or image of a loved one.

Look at an object, landscape or person for three to five seconds, trying to remember the details. Then close your eyes and mentally imagine the object in great detail. Ask yourself questions about the details of this image and mentally answer. Then open your eyes for one second, look at the object again and complete the image. Close your eyes and try to achieve the brightest possible image of the subject. Repeat the last two steps several times.

6. Visualize

The technique will allow you to remember numbers and names well. To do this, you need to figuratively, in detail, imagine the memorized information.

Example:

You need to remember the name. Imagine each of his letters: they are twined with ivy, some grow flowers, and so on. How many letters are there? Recount. What is the first? What does the second one look like, what does it look like? As a result, you can break the information into components and remember each one. And when the brain receives a request on this topic, it will simply assemble the puzzle.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic device ( / n ɪ ˈ m ɒ n ɪ k / nih- MONik - ), ^[1] or memory device , is any teaching method which is helps to retain or retrieve (remember) information in a person's memory for better understanding.

Mnemonics uses verbose coding, search hints, and images as special tools to encode information in such a way as to enable efficient storage and retrieval. Mnemonics helps the initial information to be associated with something more accessible or meaningful, which, in turn, contributes to a better memorization of information.

Commonly encountered mnemonics are often used for lists and in auditory form, such as short poems, acronyms, initialisms, or catchphrases, but mnemonics can also be used for other types of information and in visual or kinesthetic forms. Their use is based on the observation that the human mind remembers spatial, personal, surprising, physical, sexual, humorous, or other "relevant" information more easily than more abstract or impersonal forms of information.

The word "mnemonics" comes from the ancient Greek word μνημονικός (mnēmonikos ) , meaning "of memory" or "pertaining to memory" ^[2] and is associated with Mnemosyne ("remembrance"), the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. Both of these words come from μνήμη ( mnēmē ), "remembrance, remembrance".

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