10 Mnemonics That Can Help You Remember Anything

Keyword Mnemonics

Using keyword mnemonics can boost both your learning and recall, especially when it comes to foreign languages.

Here’s how the keyword method works:

1. Choose a keyword that reminds you of the foreign word.
2. Visualize that keyword and link it to the meaning of the word you want to learn.

This mental connection helps trigger the recall of the correct word.

For example, to remember the Spanish word for "cat" (gato), imagine a gate with a cat sitting on top. The sound of “gate” is similar enough to “gato” to create a mental link, making it easier to recall the Spanish word for cat.

Chunking as a Mnemonic Strategy

Chunking or grouping information is a mnemonic strategy that works by organizing information into more easily learned groups, phrases, words, or numbers. Phone, Social Security, and credit card numbers are organized using chunking.

For example, memorizing the following number: 47895328463 will likely take a fair amount of effort. However, if it is chunked like 4789 532 8463, it becomes easier to remember.

Chunking is also important when it comes to language processing, especially for people with memory problems.

People who have trouble with memory often speak in shorter, simpler chunks, and researchers are studying how using mnemonics can help improve their memory and speaking skills.

Musical Mnemonics

One effective way to help your brain remember information is by using music. A well-known example is the ABCs, but there are endless possibilities for what you can learn when set to music—whether it’s the countries of Africa or even math equations.

You’ll find that some songs are already available online to help teach specific information, but you can also create your own. And don’t worry—you don’t need to be a great singer or a music expert for this method to work.

Music can also be a useful tool for people with dementia. Research shows that music therapy may help improve memory and overall quality of life, though more studies are needed to fully understand its benefits.

Acronyms

Acronyms are typically the most familiar type of mnemonic strategies.

Acronyms use a simple formula of a letter to represent each word or phrase that needs to be remembered. For example, if you’re trying to memorize four different types of dementia, you might use the acronym FLAV, to represent:

• Frontotemporal
• Lewy body
• Alzheimer’s
• Vascular

Many commonly used words are acronyms, too:

• NBA (National Basketball Association)
• LOL (Laugh Out Loud)
• SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging)
• RADAR (radio detection and ranging)

Acrostics

An acrostic is a kind of mnemonic that uses the letters of a word to help you remember something. Each letter in the word starts a new line or sentence, and those lines usually relate to the meaning of the word. It’s different from an acronym, which just makes a new word from the first letters.

For example, here’s an acrostic using the word HOPE:

Holding on through tough times
Overcoming every fear
Pushing forward with courage
Embracing brighter days ahead

Each line starts with a letter from the word HOPE, and the lines themselves reflect the meaning of the word, making it both memorable and meaningful.

Rhymes as Mnemonic Strategies

Rhyming can be a helpful tool for remembering things because it makes information easier to repeat and more fun to say. That’s why we often remember nursery rhymes so easily—our brains like patterns and sounds that flow.

Rhyming mnemonics work the same way. For example, you might’ve heard this catchy phrase to help with spelling:

“I before E, except after C, or when sounding like A, as in neighbor and weigh.”

It sticks in your head not just because you've heard it a lot, but because the words rhyme and follow a rhythm.

Making Connections as a Mnemonic Method

Making connections is a memory trick where you link new information to something you already know. This helps your brain hang onto it better because it’s not just random—it’s connected to something that already makes sense to you.

For example, if you’re learning that the element sodium has the symbol Na, you might remember it by thinking, “Naah, I don’t need more salt.”

These kinds of simple, personal connections make facts easier to recall because they relate to stuff you already understand or use every day.

Method of Loci Mnemonic Strategy

The method of loci is often considered one of the oldest known mnemonics, first discussed by Cicero in De Oratore and attributed to the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos.

Here’s how it works:

1. Visualize a familiar space—a room or a path through a building.
2. Associate facts or information with specific locations or objects along that path.
3. To recall the information, mentally walk through the space, with each stop triggering another piece of information.

This method is also known as the journey method, memory palace, or mental walk strategy.

For example, if you’re trying to remember a grocery list, you could visualize the store layout and place each item in a specific location. When you mentally walk through the store, each item will come to mind as you "pass" it.

Peg Method Mnemonics

The peg method is a helpful mnemonic for remembering information in a specific order. To use this method, you first need to memorize a list of "peg words" that act as mental hooks to help you organize the facts:

1 = Bun
2 = Shoe
3 = Tree
4 = Door
5 = Hive
6 = Sticks
7 = Heaven
8 = Gate
9 = Vine
10 = Hen

Once you’ve memorized this list, you can connect each piece of new information to a peg word. The goal is to create a memorable mental image linking the new information to each peg.

For example, let’s say you need to learn the scientific classification system: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Using the peg method:

• Imagine a kingdom placed on a bun.
• Picture the mathematical division sign inside a shoe.
• Visualize a classroom perched on a tree branch, and so on.

By making these connections, you’ll be able to recall both the information and the correct order in which it needs to be placed.

The Mnemonic Linking System (Stories or Images)

The mnemonic linking method (also known as chaining) involves creating a story or image that connects the pieces of information you need to remember. Each item in the story leads you to recall the next one.

For example, let’s say you need to remember to bring the following things to school: homework papers, glasses, gym shoes, wallet, lunch money, and keys.

Using the linking method, you can make up a short story or sentence to connect them. Here’s one possible example: Jack’s homework papers put on their glasses and gym shoes, then ran over to his wallet, where his hungry keys were eating his lunch money.

Adding personal details or humor to the story can make it even easier to remember, as the more vivid and unique the connection, the more likely it is to stick in your mind.