Memory techniques · lesson 11 of 24 · free

Choosing the right mnemonic — Memory techniques for students

A mnemonic is any memory trick. Each kind suits a different job. Long numbers → chunking. An ordered list whose first letters make a word → an acronym. Letters that make no word → a first-letter sentence. One fact, like a times-table answer → a short rhyme. Picking the right tool saves time and makes the trick easy to keep.

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Memory tip

The right trick for the job — “match the mnemonic to what you must remember”

  1. Acronym: VIBGYOR for the rainbow colours. First-letter sentence: “Raju Sees Little Frogs” for root, stem, leaf, flower.
  2. Rhyme: “Nine nines are eighty-one, now this table’s nearly done”. Chunking: 9876543210 as 987 654 3210.
  3. Ask: is it a number, a list or one fact? Then choose chunking, an acronym or sentence, or a rhyme.

Use it for: Planning how to learn any list, number or fact before a test.

Worked example: 🧰 Which kind of mnemonic is this: “Nine nines are eighty-one, now this table’s nearly done”? → a rhyme

  1. “One” and “done” rhyme, and the line carries a times-table fact.
  2. So it is a rhyme.

Check: Try it: pick three things to learn this week — a number, a list and a fact — and choose a different mnemonic for each ✓

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✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

Right: 0 · Tried: 0

🏁 Lesson 11 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the 🧰 Mnemonic Picker badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 6 lessons of Part 2 · Mnemonics. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Mnemonics Worksheet: Choosing a Mnemonic

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