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what is the term for the memory technique of using the first letter of each word in a list to make a new word

by Dr. Stanford Purdy Sr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letter from each word that you want to remember and making a new word from all those letters. For example, if you want to remember the names of the Great Lakes of North America, you could learn the acronym HOMES — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

Full Answer

How do you memorize acronyms?

You go through a list of words or concepts needing memorization, and associate each word with one of your locations. You should go in order so that you will be able to retrieve all of the information in the future. An acronym is a word formed from the first letters or groups of letters in a name or phrase.

How do you use the first letter of each word?

Use first letter of each word: Never Eat Crisps, Eat Salad Sandwiches, And Remain Young! Remember one tea, two sugars. Your princiPAL is your PAL; A ruLE can be called a principLE (both end in -le). There was a farmer named Sep and one day his wife saw a rat.

What are some examples of memory techniques?

Commonly used examples of these memory techniques include acronyms, acrostics, or chunking. There is a myth that some people have fantastic memories and some cannot remember anything.

How do you move a concept from temporary to long term memory?

For a concept to move from your temporary working memory to your long-term memory, two things need to happen: the concept should be memorable and it should be repeated. Use repetition to firmly lodge information in your memory. Repetition techniques can involve things like flash cards, using the simple tips in this section, and self-testing.

What is it called when you use first letter of each word?

An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word. An initialism is an abbreviation that uses the first letter of each word in the phrase (thus, some but not all initialisms are acronyms).

What is first letter technique psychology?

First-letter mnemonics are memory strategies that use the initial letters of words as aids to remembering. This can be an effective technique because initial letters are helpful retrieval cues, as anyone who has endeavored to remember something by mentally running through the letters of the alphabet can attest to.

What is acrostic mnemonic?

An acrostic is a mnemonic device that takes the first letter of each item you want to remember and uses those letters to make a new, memorable sentence or phrase. Some popular acrostics are: Order of operations in algebra: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

What is keyword technique?

The keyword method , a valuable technique used to memorize the meaning behind vocabulary words, is when a person uses what a word sounds like to visualize something memorable that will help them later recall the definition.

How many items can you remember in short term?

A common rule is that a person can remember 7 (plus or minus 2) “items” in short-term memory. If you try to remember groups of items in chunks of more than 9, your brain gets confused. Chunking decreases the number of items you are holding in memory by increasing the size of each item.

How to learn vocabulary words?

When you have to learn vocabulary words, just write the new words, write the definitions next to them, and then write a person, thing, event, movie, or any strong association to help you remember the meaning of each word. For example, “My altruistic Aunt Alice gives great gifts.”.

What are some random things you can remember?

If you need to remember random items such as bread, eggs, cornflakes, tomatoes, and maple syrup. Picture; cracking an egg on a slice of bread, then placing a tomato on it then pouring maple syrup on the tomato, and finally sprinkling cornflakes on top. Use positive, pleasant images.

What is an acrostic?

Acrostics. Similar to acronyms, an acrostic is a sequence of letters that helps you remember a poem or other text. As a substitute of making new word, even if, you use the letters to make a sentence. My Dear Aunt Sally (mathematical order of operation: multiply and divide before you add and subtract).

How can storytelling help you remember?

Storytelling is a great way to help you remember information in any subject. Create a story where each word or idea you have to remember cues the next idea you need to recall .

What are some examples of mnemonics?

Commonly used examples of these memory techniques include acronyms, acrostics, or chunking. There is a myth that some people have fantastic memories and some cannot remember anything. In fact, our memories are probably much more similar in capacity ...

What is the method of loci?

The method of loci is a great technique for kinesthetic learners. It is a mnemonic technique commonly called the mental walk. It is a method which uses visualization to organize and recall information. First, select a location that you know well.

What is an acronym in a word?

An acronym is a word formed from the first letters or groups of letters in a name or phrase. An acrostic is a series of lines from which particular letters (such as the first letters of all lines) from a word or phrase. These can be used as mnemonic devices by taking the first letters of words or names that need to be remembered ...

How does visual imagery help us remember?

The Method of Loci, mentioned above, is a form of using imagery for memorization. By recalling specific imagery, it can help us recall information we associated with that imagery .

Why do we use mnemonics?

In other words, it’s a memory technique to help your brain better encode and recall important information. It’s a simple shortcut that helps us associate the information we want to remember with an image, a sentence, or a word. Mnemonic devices are very old, with some dating back to ancient Greek times. Virtually everybody uses them, even ...

Why is it important to divide a list of items into fewer categories?

This can also be useful because it breaks down the amount of information to learn . If you can divide a list of items into a fewer number of categories, then all you have to remember is the categories (fewer items), which will serve as memory cues in the future.

Why are rhymes easier to remember?

Rhymes are easier to remember because they can be stored by acoustic encoding in our brains. For example:

What is the method of loci?

The Method of Loci. The Method of Loci is a mnemonic device that dates back to Ancient Greek times, making it one of the oldest ways of memorizing we know of. Using the Method of Loci is easy. First, imagine a place with which you are familiar.

What is the first letter of each word in a sentence?

One common type is when the first letter of each word in a sentence is also the first letter of each word in a list that needs to be memorized.

How to move a concept from temporary working memory to long term memory?

For a concept to move from your temporary working memory to your long-term memory, two things need to happen: the concept should be memorable and it should be repeated. Use repetition to firmly lodge information in your memory.

Why do competitive memorizers use memory tricks?

Competitive memorizers claim that practicing visualization techniques and using memory tricks enable them to remember large chunks of information quickly. Research shows that students who use memory tricks perform better than those who do not. Memory tricks help you expand your working memory and access long term memory.

How to remember the number of days in a month?

The common practice of using your knuckles to remember the number of days in each month is a great example of an easy visual spatial technique to help you remember details. Memorable visual images. The next time you have a key item you need to remember, try making a memorable visual image to represent that item.

What is metaphor in science?

A metaphor is a way of realizing that one thing is somehow similar to another. For example, think about the country of Syria as shaped like a bowl of cereal and the country Jordan as a Nike Air Jordan sneaker.

How can I improve my memory?

Try speaking aloud instead of simply highlighting or rereading information. Exercise ! Seriously! Studies show that exercise can improve our memory and learning capabilities because it helps create neurons in areas that relate to memory.

Do college students have to memorize?

Many college courses require you to memorize mass amounts of information. Memorizing for one class can be difficult, but it can be even more frustrating when you have multiple classes. Many students feel like they simply do not have strong memory skills. Fortunately, though, memorizing is not just for an elite group of people born with ...

What is the method used to memorize speeches?

It became so much a part of the study of rhetoric that the most venerable of the Roman orators used the method of loci for memorizing their speeches. Their procedure was as follows: First, a series of locations (loci), such as those in a public building, were memorized.

What is an acronym for a word?

An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letter from each word that you want to remember and making a new word from all those letters. For example, if you want to remember the names of the Great Lakes of North America, you could learn the acronym HOMES — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

Why do we use mnemonics in the cemetery?

Spelling mnemonics are intended to help us remember the spelling of words. In order to remember that the word “cemetery” is spelled with three e’s, for example, one can picture a lady screaming ‘e-e-e’ as she walks past the cemetery. Below are several more examples.

What is the purpose of number sound mnemonics?

The purpose of number-sound mnemonics is to recall strings of numbers, such as telephone numbers , addresses, locker combinations or historical dates. To use them, learners must first learn the number-sound relationships:

What is a mnemonic?

Defined in broad terms, a mnemonic is a device, procedure, or operation that is used to improve memory. Defined in narrow terms — and what is usually meant by the word — a mnemonic is a specific reconstruction of target content intended to tie new information more closely to the learner’s existing knowledge base and, therefore, facilitate retrieval.

How do acrostics support recall?

Acrostics support recall by creating an entire sentence with the first letter of each word being the prompt for the to-be-recalled information. For example, the planets in the order from the sun correspond to the first letter of each word in the sentence “my very educated mother just sent us nine pizzas.” Below are several more examples.

Can loci be used to memorize speech?

After a few days, the images from the speech would fade from memory, but the more highly learned loci could be used to memorize a new speech. There are a variety of mnemonic techniques, including keywords, pegwords, acronyms, loci methods, spelling mnemonics, phonetic mnemonics, number-sound mnemonics, and Japanese “Yodai” methods.

What is an acronym in a phrase?

Acronyms are short words formed by a series of letters. Typically, they’re the first letter of each word in a phrase. If you think it seems like they’d work hand in hand with mnemonics, you’re right! Take a look at this list of list of mnemonics containing acronyms.

How to remember the order of the Great Lakes?

To remember the order of the Great Lakes from west to east, try: Super Man helps every one. Technically, “Superman” and “everyone” should be one word each. But, mnemonics enjoy a little bit of wiggle room if the shoe fits. This device will help you remember the order of the lakes: Superior. Michigan.

What are some examples of mnemonics?

Examples of Mnemonics: 4 Tools to Help Your Memory. A mnemonic is a tool that helps us remember certain facts or large amounts of information. They can come in the form of a song, rhyme, acronym, image, phrase, or sentence. Mnemonics help us remember facts and are particularly useful when the order of things is important.

Why are mnemonics important?

Mnemonics help us remember facts and are particularly useful when the order of things is important. Below, we’ll explore several examples of mnemonics that’ll help us remember everything from tricky spelling words to U.S. presidents. In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

What are the notes on the staff with a treble clef?

When reading music, the notes on the staff (the lines) with a treble clef are: E, G, B, D, F. To help new students of music remember the order of the notes, the following sentence can be memorized:

What is the order of taxonomy?

The Order of Taxonomy. In science, species are organized under a number of categories. Think of them like Russian nesting dolls. The order, from largest to most specific, is as follows: To help students remember the order of taxonomy, the following sentence is often used: Kids prefer cheese over fried green spinach.

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Acronyms

Acrostics

  • Similar to acronyms, an acrostic is a sequence of letters that helps you remember a poem or other text. As a substitute of making new word, even if, you use the letters to make a sentence. Example: My Dear Aunt Sally(mathematical order of operation: multiply and divide before you add and subtract). You can remember the order of the planets by the s...
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Association

  • Associate new material with things you already know. You can also associate facts to images. This helps to make the information meaningful and aids in the organization and structure of the material. The more organized the information, the more successful your brainwill be in locating the information. By recalling something you already know and making a mental link to what you …
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Chunking

  • Chunking is a memory technique of breaking information down into groups or units. It is based on the idea that short-term memoryis limited in the number of things that can be retained. A common rule is that a person can remember 7 (plus or minus 2) “items” in short-term memory. If you try to remember groups of items in chunks of more than 9, your brain gets confused. Chunking decrea…
See more on thepeakperformancecenter.com

Flash Cards

  • Flash cards can be used to break the information down into smaller parts and focus on the key points. You can use a single side of the flash cards to list key points. You also can use both sides of the flash card to practice such things as math and vocabulary words. One side will contain the question and the other side the answer. Flash cards can be used by reciting out loud. Lots of pe…
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Imagery / Visualization

  • Imagery can help you remember groups of words through visualization. If you can imagine certain objects interacting, you may be able to remember them better. If you need to remember random items such as bread, eggs, cornflakes, tomatoes, and maple syrup. Picture; cracking an egg on a slice of bread, then placing a tomato on it then pouring maple syrup on the tomato, and finally sp…
See more on thepeakperformancecenter.com

Drawing

  • Remember the old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. There’s a lot of truth in this. If you have trouble visualizing material, try drawing maps, charts, graphs, or pictures. if you can turn the information to be remembered into some kind of picture or pattern or diagram, you are much more likely to remember it.
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Linking Or Chaining / Storytelling

  • Storytelling is a great way to help you remember information in any subject. Create a story where each word or idea you have to remember cues the next idea you need to recall. If you had to remember the words cup, table, cat, butter, and camera, you may create a chain that had a cup falling off a table and onto a cat who was standing in butter and you took a picture of it with a ca…
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Method of Loci

  • The method of loci is a great technique for kinesthetic learners. It is a mnemonic technique commonly called the mental walk. It is a method which uses visualization to organize and recall information. First, select a location that you know well. You need a customary direct path through the location as well as clearly defined locations along the path (i.e. on top of the table, next to th…
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Simple Memory Tips and Tricks

  • In addition to visual and spatial memory techniques, there are many others tricks you can use to help your brain remember information. Here are some simple tips to try. Check out this videofrom the Learning Center for a quick explanation of many of these tips. Try to understand the information first.Information that is organized and makes sense to you is easier to memorize. If …
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Visual and Spatial Techniques

  • Visual and spatial techniques are memory tricks that involve your five senses. They utilize images, songs, feelings, and our bodies to help information stick. Humans have outstanding visual and spatial memory systems. When you use visual and spatial memory techniques, you use fun, memorable, and creative approaches rather than boring, rote memoriza...
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Final Thoughts

  • Some of these techniques can feel strange at first or take some time to develop. The more you practice them, the easier and more natural they become, and the more information you can commit to memory. Also, remember that you do not need to do every tip on this list. Experiment with a few and find which ones work for you. Remember that you can make an appointment wit…
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Works Consulted

  • Brown, P., Roediger, H., and McDaniel, M. (2014). Make it stick.Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Foer, J. (2011). Moonwalking with Einstein: The art and science of remembering everything.New York: The Penguin Group. Oakley, B. (2014). A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra). New York: Penguin Group. Rob…
See more on learningcenter.unc.edu

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