Mnemonic-Verse

Mnemonic Verse

“Thirty Days Hath September” is an example of a mnemonic device using verse

to remember the number of days each month:

Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest have thirty-one

Excepting February alone:

Which hath but twenty-eight, in fine,

Till leap year gives it twenty-nine.

Mnemonic for Formulas

Create mnemonics for formulas by creating a short rhythmic phrase for the

problem solving steps.

For example, for integer subtraction use “Keep, Change, Change, and then

follow the steps for addition.”

So, for the problem (-5) - (-7) = ___ perform the following steps:

Keep, Change, Change (Keep -5, change -, change -7)

-5 - -7 becomes -5 + 7

Then follow the rules for addition, (different signs subtract).

So rewrite and solve the problem:

7 - 5 = 2

The sign of the higher number (7) is positive, so the answer is positive 2.

Mnemonic Acronym

Two well-known examples of using an acronym to remember a list of things

are:

1. HOMES—Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior (to remember the

five great lakes)

2. ROY G. BIV—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet (to

remember the order of colors in a rainbow)

Mnemonic Expression

Examples of mnemonic devices using an expression or nonsense phrase as a

substitute for other words include:

 Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally—a phrase to remember the ‘Order of

Operations’ in algebra:

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and

Subtraction

Notice the phrase and the list both begin with the same letters.

 Dear King Philip Could Only Find Green Socks—a phrase used to

remember the ‘Order of Taxonomy’ for biology:

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

 Every Good Boy Does Fine—a phrase to represent the treble clef music

notes on the lines

E, G, B, D, F.