Vocabulary: Strategies for Vocabulary Learning & Retention (B2) - Lesson 3: Unlocking Memory: Mnemonics & Memory Aids

Lesson 3: Unlocking Memory: Mnemonics & Memory Aids

Creative Tricks to Remember Anything

Some words are just difficult to remember, no matter how many times you review them. For these stubborn words, we need a special, creative tool. A mnemonic¹ (pronounced /nəˈmɒnɪk/) is a memory aid or trick that helps you remember information by creating a unique association² in your mind. Mnemonics can be funny, strange, or personal—the more memorable, the better!

Types of Mnemonic Devices

Let's explore some popular mnemonic techniques you can use.

1. Sound Association (The Keyword Method)

Connect the sound of a new English word to a word you already know. Then, create a funny mental image to link the keyword to the definition.

• Word to learn: Gargantuan (meaning: extremely large).
• Sounds like: "Car-Gan-Chew-An".
• Mnemonic Image: Picture a car so gargantuan that it can chew on a building. The crazy image of a car eating a building helps you remember the meaning "extremely large."

2. Acronyms

An acronym is a new word created from the first letters of a list of words you need to remember. This is one of the most common mnemonic types.

• List to learn: The coordinating conjunctions in English: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
• Acronym Mnemonic: FANBOYS. If you can remember FANBOYS, you can remember all seven coordinating conjunctions.

3. Visualization & Storytelling

To visualize³ is to create a strong picture or even a mini-story in your mind to connect a word to its meaning. The stranger or funnier the story, the more powerful the memory.

• Word to learn: Dilemma (meaning: a situation requiring a difficult choice between two undesirable options).
• Sounds like: "Di-Lemma".
• Mnemonic Story: Imagine a dinosaur named Emma ("lemma"). She is standing on a narrow bridge over a river in Kampot. In front of her is a tiger. Behind her is a giant crocodile. She can't go left or right. She has a difficult choice—a true dilemma.

In Practice: Learning the word "Ambiguous"

Lin keeps forgetting the word ambiguous (meaning: unclear; having more than one possible meaning). She decides to create a mnemonic.

1. The Word: ambiguous.
2. Sound Association: "Am-big-u-ous" sounds a bit like "I'm big on us."
3. The Story: Lin imagines her friend telling his girlfriend, "I'm big on us." The girlfriend is confused. Does he mean he really likes their relationship, or that he thinks they have both gained weight? His statement is unclear and has two possible meanings—it is ambiguous.

This funny, slightly embarrassing story creates a strong memory hook, and Lin never forgets the word again.

quiz Check Your Understanding

1. Remembering "FANBOYS" for conjunctions is an example of which type of mnemonic?

• a) Visualization
• b) Acronym
• c) Sound Association

Click to see the answer

Answer: b) Acronym

2. If you create a funny story in your head to remember a word's meaning, you are using...

• a) An acronym
• b) Spaced Repetition
• c) Visualization & Storytelling

Click to see the answer

Answer: c) Visualization & Storytelling

3. The main goal of a mnemonic is to...

• a) learn the correct pronunciation.
• b) create a strong, creative, and memorable connection to a word.
• c) find all the word's definitions.

Click to see the answer

Answer: b) create a strong, creative, and memorable connection to a word.

edit Your Mission

1. Become a Mnemonic Artist: Choose one English word that you find difficult to remember. Create your own mnemonic for it using Sound Association or Visualization. Write down your idea. Remember, the crazier, the better!
2. Find an Acronym: Many organizations are known by their acronyms (e.g., WHO - World Health Organization). Can you find out what the acronym UNESCO stands for?
3. Share Your Trick: The next time you study with a friend, teach them one of your mnemonics. Teaching someone else is a very powerful way to strengthen your own memory.

book Lesson Glossary

1. Mnemonic (noun) - Khmer: វិធីសាស្ត្រ​ចងចាំ - A trick, such as a special phrase or a short poem, that you use to help you remember something. ↩
2. Association (noun) - Khmer: ការផ្សារភ្ជាប់គំនិត - A connection or relationship between ideas, feelings, or objects. ↩
3. To Visualize (verb) - Khmer: ការបង្កើតរូបភាពក្នុងចិត្ត - To form a picture of something in your mind. ↩