What is Mnemonic?

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What is Mnemonic?
From the Greek word mnemon, which means mindfulness, the word mnemonic was derived. Mnemonic is also the same as mnemonic device. It pertains to any instrument or any learning technique that aids memory. A mnemonic is often verbal, which may be a special word or sometimes a very short poem. The special word and short poem used to help a person remember something are examples of mnemonics.

The concept of mnemonics is to capture information or details in a way that is easy to remember. This will help a person recall something that is important. Most people do not realize that they are using mnemonics in their daily lives. Mnemonics are useful for students especially during examinations.

There are several types of mnemonics being used by people. It really depends on what type of mnemonic a person feels that is easier for them to recall something. This is because every person has their own way of remembering things. What really matters is that a person must use the type of mnemonic that works well for him or her.

The most common types of mnemonics are acronyms, phrases, associations, rhymes and sentences. One good example of mnemonic using acronyms is the sequence of the rainbow color. The classic ROYGBIV is an acronym used for the rainbow colors. It stands for the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. It depends on a person how he or she uses the acronym. Some use it in reverse order (VIBGYOR).

Most people make a spelling mistake especially with the words receive, deceive, relieve etc. The most common problem is that the ‘i’ and the ‘e’ are often placed incorrectly when spelling the mentioned words. Several people associate the name ‘ALICE’ as a mnemonic device in spelling words. You will see that the ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ in the name ALICE. It is applicable when you are spelling the word relieve. You may also notice the sequence of the letter ‘c’ and ‘e’. This one is applicable when you are spelling the words receive and deceive etc.

In a sentence mnemonic, students use the first letter of each word in a sentence to recall a subject or a topic. In Mathematics, the famous sentence being used by students to recall the order of operations is ‘Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally’. The order of operations is parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. Some students prefer to use the acronym ‘PEMDAS’ to make it easier to remember.

In the ancient times, mnemonic assumes two types of memory: the natural and artificial memory. The natural memory is the one that is considered inborn. On the other hand, the artificial memory is the one that people use in their daily lives. Artificial memory can be trained of mnemonic techniques. The artificial memory is so powerful that it can perform extraordinary feats.

Mnemonics are truly useful memory aids. The human mind is so powerful that it can process retrieval of memory and do other things that may seem unthinkable. No machine can replace the human mind due to its extraordinary capabilities in storing and retrieving data.

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