Mnemonic major system
Encyclopedia
The Major System is a mnemonic
technique used to aid in memorizing numbers.
The system works by converting numbers into consonant
sounds, then into words by adding vowels. The system works on the principle that images can be remembered more easily than numbers.
|-
|Numeral>Associated Consonants
Mnemonic
>-
|0
s, z, soft c
|1d, t
|2n
|3m
|4r
|5l
|6j, sh, soft "ch", dg, zh, soft "g"
|7k, hard c, hard g, hard "ch", q, qu
|8f, v
|9b, p
|Unassigned Vowel sounds, w,h,y
The groups of similar sounds and the rules for applying the mappings are almost always fixed, but other hooks and mappings can be used as long as the person using the system can remember them and apply them consistently. The magician Derren Brown
, for instance, chooses the number 5 to map to the f and v sounds because the word 'five' uses both of those sounds.
Each numeral maps to a set of similar sounds with similar mouth and tongue positions. The link is phonetic, that is to say, it is the consonant sounds that matter, not the spelling. Therefore a word like action would encode the number 762 (k-ch-n), not 712 (k-t-n); and ghost would be 701 (g-z-t), while, because the gh in enough is pronounced like an f, the word enough encodes the number 28 (n-f). Similarly, double letters are disregarded. The word missile is mapped to 305 (m-z-l), not 3005 (m-z-z-l). To encode 3005 one would use something like mossy sail. Often the mapping is compact. Hindquarters, for example, translates unambiguously to 2174140 (n-d-qu-r-t-r-z), which amounts to 7 digits encoded by 8 letters, and can be easily visualized.
For most people it would be easier to remember 3.1415927 (the number known as pi
) as:
|-
|MeTeoR (314) TaiL (15) PiNK (927)
|}>
Short term visual memory of imagined scenes allows large numbers of digits to be memorized with ease, though usually only for a short time.
Whilst this is unwieldy at first, with practice it can become a very effective technique. Longer-term memory may require the formulation of more object-related mnemonics with greater logical connection, perhaps forming grammatical sentences that apply to the matter rather than just strings of images.
The system can be employed with phone numbers. One would typically make up multiple words, preferably a sentence, or an ordered sequence of images featuring the owner of the number.
The Major System can be combined with a peg system
for remembering lists, and is sometimes used also as a method of generating the pegs. It can also be combined with other memory techniques such as rhyming, substitute words, or the method of loci
. Repetition and concentration using the ordinary memory is still required.
An advantage of the major system is that it is possible to use a computer to automatically translate the number into a set of words. One can then pick the best of several alternatives. Such programs include "Rememberg" or the freeware
"2Know".
was taught to schoolchildren for centuries, at least until 1584, "when Puritan
reformers declared it unholy for encouraging bizarre and irreverent images." The same objection can be made over the major system, with or without the method of loci. Mental images may be easier to remember if they are insulting, violent, or obscene (see Von Restorff effect
) .
Pierre Hérigone
(1580–1643) was a French mathematician
and astronomer
and devised the earliest version of the major system. The major system was further developed by Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein
300 years ago. It was later elaborated upon by other users. In 1730, Richard Grey set forth a complicated system that used both consonants and vowels to represent the digits. In 1808 Gregor von Feinaigle
introduced the improvement of representing the digits by consonant sounds (but reversed the values of 8 and 9 compared to those listed above). In 1844 Francis Fauvel Gouraud (1808-1847) delivered a series of lectures introducing his system which would eventually become the dominant phonetic mnemonic system which is the version listed above. The lectures drew some of the largest crowds ever assembled to hear lectures of a "scientific" nature up to that time. This series of lectures was later published as Phreno-Mnemotechny or The Art of Memory in 1845 and his system received wide acclaim. The system described in this article would again be popularized by Harry Lorayne
, a best selling contemporary author on memory.
For basic proficiency a large vocabulary of image words isn't really necessary since, when the table above is reliably learned, it is easy to form your own words ad hoc.
A good example would be in recalling what is the 53rd element of the periodic table
. It might be possible for some people to construct and then learn a string of 53 or more items which you have substituted for the elements and then to recall them one by one, counting them off as you go, but it would be a great deal easier and less laborious/tedious to directly associate element 53 with, for example, a lime (a suitable mnemonic for 53) recalling some prior imagining of yours regarding a mishap where lime juice gets into one's eye - "eye" sounding like "I", the symbol for Iodine
.
If you were remembering element 53 in the process of recalling the periodic table you could then recall an image for 54, for instance thinking of a friend called "Laura" (54) in the lotus position looking very Zen-like in order to remind yourself that element 54 is Xenon
.
This is an example of combining the Major System with the peg system
.
Mnemonic
A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
technique used to aid in memorizing numbers.
The system works by converting numbers into consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
sounds, then into words by adding vowels. The system works on the principle that images can be remembered more easily than numbers.
The system
Each numeral is associated with one or more consonants. Vowels and the consonants w, h and y are ignored. These can be used as "fillers" to make sensible words from the resulting consonant sequences. The most popular mapping is:|Numeral>
>-
|0
|1
|2
|3
|4
|5
|6
|7
|8
|9
|Unassigned
The groups of similar sounds and the rules for applying the mappings are almost always fixed, but other hooks and mappings can be used as long as the person using the system can remember them and apply them consistently. The magician Derren Brown
Derren Brown
Derren Victor Brown is a British illusionist, mentalist, painter, writer and sceptic. He is known for his appearances in television specials, stage productions and British television series such as Trick of the Mind and Trick or Treat...
, for instance, chooses the number 5 to map to the f and v sounds because the word 'five' uses both of those sounds.
Each numeral maps to a set of similar sounds with similar mouth and tongue positions. The link is phonetic, that is to say, it is the consonant sounds that matter, not the spelling. Therefore a word like action would encode the number 762 (k-ch-n), not 712 (k-t-n); and ghost would be 701 (g-z-t), while, because the gh in enough is pronounced like an f, the word enough encodes the number 28 (n-f). Similarly, double letters are disregarded. The word missile is mapped to 305 (m-z-l), not 3005 (m-z-z-l). To encode 3005 one would use something like mossy sail. Often the mapping is compact. Hindquarters, for example, translates unambiguously to 2174140 (n-d-qu-r-t-r-z), which amounts to 7 digits encoded by 8 letters, and can be easily visualized.
For most people it would be easier to remember 3.1415927 (the number known as pi
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
) as:
|MeTeoR (314) TaiL (15) PiNK (927)
|}>
Short term visual memory of imagined scenes allows large numbers of digits to be memorized with ease, though usually only for a short time.
Whilst this is unwieldy at first, with practice it can become a very effective technique. Longer-term memory may require the formulation of more object-related mnemonics with greater logical connection, perhaps forming grammatical sentences that apply to the matter rather than just strings of images.
The system can be employed with phone numbers. One would typically make up multiple words, preferably a sentence, or an ordered sequence of images featuring the owner of the number.
The Major System can be combined with a peg system
Mnemonic peg system
A peg system is a technique for memorizing lists. It works by pre-memorizing a list of words that are easy to associate with the numbers they represent . Those objects form the "pegs" of the system. Then in the future, to rapidly memorize a list of arbitrary objects, each one is associated with...
for remembering lists, and is sometimes used also as a method of generating the pegs. It can also be combined with other memory techniques such as rhyming, substitute words, or the method of loci
Method of loci
The method of loci , also called the memory palace, is a mnemonic device introduced in ancient Roman rhetorical treatises . It relies on memorized spatial relationships to establish, order and recollect memorial content...
. Repetition and concentration using the ordinary memory is still required.
An advantage of the major system is that it is possible to use a computer to automatically translate the number into a set of words. One can then pick the best of several alternatives. Such programs include "Rememberg" or the freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
"2Know".
History
A different memory system, the method of lociMethod of loci
The method of loci , also called the memory palace, is a mnemonic device introduced in ancient Roman rhetorical treatises . It relies on memorized spatial relationships to establish, order and recollect memorial content...
was taught to schoolchildren for centuries, at least until 1584, "when Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
reformers declared it unholy for encouraging bizarre and irreverent images." The same objection can be made over the major system, with or without the method of loci. Mental images may be easier to remember if they are insulting, violent, or obscene (see Von Restorff effect
Von Restorff effect
The Von Restorff effect , also called the isolation effect, predicts that an item that "stands out like a sore thumb" is more likely to be remembered than other items....
) .
Pierre Hérigone
Pierre Hérigone
Pierre Hérigone was a French mathematician and astronomer.Of Basque origin, Hérigone taught in Paris for most of his life.-Works:...
(1580–1643) was a French mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and devised the earliest version of the major system. The major system was further developed by Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein
Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein
Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein was the pseudonym of Johann Just Winkelmann , under which he introduced a famous mnemonic system known as the major system , which is over 300 years old and is used for memorizing numbers.- External links :* - original publication in German...
300 years ago. It was later elaborated upon by other users. In 1730, Richard Grey set forth a complicated system that used both consonants and vowels to represent the digits. In 1808 Gregor von Feinaigle
Gregor von Feinaigle
Gregor von Feinaigle , was a German mnemonist and Roman Catholic monk.-Life:Feinaigle was born at Baden about 1765.Very little other is known of his early life except that he entered the Cistercian monastery at Salem located along Lake Constance...
introduced the improvement of representing the digits by consonant sounds (but reversed the values of 8 and 9 compared to those listed above). In 1844 Francis Fauvel Gouraud (1808-1847) delivered a series of lectures introducing his system which would eventually become the dominant phonetic mnemonic system which is the version listed above. The lectures drew some of the largest crowds ever assembled to hear lectures of a "scientific" nature up to that time. This series of lectures was later published as Phreno-Mnemotechny or The Art of Memory in 1845 and his system received wide acclaim. The system described in this article would again be popularized by Harry Lorayne
Harry Lorayne
Harry Lorayne is an American magician and a memory-training specialist and writer who was once called "The Yoda of Memory Training" by Time magazine. He is well known for his mnemonic demonstrations and has appeared on numerous television shown including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson...
, a best selling contemporary author on memory.
Practice
Memory feats centred around numbers can be performed by experts who have learned a 'vocabulary' of at least 1 image for every 1 and 2 digit words which can be combined to form narratives. To learn a vocabulary of 3 digit numbers is harder because for each extra digit 10 times more images need to be learned, but many mnemonists use a set of 1000 images. Combination of images into a narrative is easier to do rapidly than is forming a coherent, grammatical sentence. This pre-memorisation and practice at forming images reduces the time required to think up a good imaginary object and create a strong memorable impression of it. The best words for this purpose are usually nouns, especially those for distinctive objects which make a strong impression on a variety of senses (e.g. a "Lime" for 53, its taste, its smell, its colour and even its texture are distinctive) or which move (like an "arrow" for 4).For basic proficiency a large vocabulary of image words isn't really necessary since, when the table above is reliably learned, it is easy to form your own words ad hoc.
Indexing Sequences
Mnemonics often centre around learning a complete sequence where all objects in that sequence that come before the one you are trying to recall must be recalled first. For instance, if you were using the mnemonic "Richard of York gave battle in vain" for the colours of the rainbow; (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) to remember what colour comes after indigo you would have to recall the whole sequence. For a short sequence this may be trivial; for longer lists, it can become complicated and error-prone.A good example would be in recalling what is the 53rd element of the periodic table
Periodic table
The periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
. It might be possible for some people to construct and then learn a string of 53 or more items which you have substituted for the elements and then to recall them one by one, counting them off as you go, but it would be a great deal easier and less laborious/tedious to directly associate element 53 with, for example, a lime (a suitable mnemonic for 53) recalling some prior imagining of yours regarding a mishap where lime juice gets into one's eye - "eye" sounding like "I", the symbol for Iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
.
If you were remembering element 53 in the process of recalling the periodic table you could then recall an image for 54, for instance thinking of a friend called "Laura" (54) in the lotus position looking very Zen-like in order to remind yourself that element 54 is Xenon
Xenon
Xenon is a chemical element with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. The element name is pronounced or . A colorless, heavy, odorless noble gas, xenon occurs in the Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts...
.
This is an example of combining the Major System with the peg system
Mnemonic peg system
A peg system is a technique for memorizing lists. It works by pre-memorizing a list of words that are easy to associate with the numbers they represent . Those objects form the "pegs" of the system. Then in the future, to rapidly memorize a list of arbitrary objects, each one is associated with...
.
External links
Software
- 2Know is free Windows software for converting numbers to words (English, German, French).
- Mnemisis Another free mnemonic program - runs on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows
- Rememberg Free web application for converting numbers to words
- Major System Tool Free web application for converting numbers to words using Derren Brown's encoding.
- pinfruit.com Web application for the mnemonic major system
- iCue Memory iPhone application for the mnemonic major system
- Major System Trainer Free personalisable web application for learning the digit mappings, and encodings for all 1 and 2 digit words
- http://drupal.org/project/mnemonic_major_system A free module for the drupal content management system by rolf vreijdenberger - web based
- http://vreijdenberger.nl/content/mnemonic-major-system online demo to practice all aspects of the mnemonic major system
Other
- Online mnemonic directory for remembering numbers with the major system
- Memory Improvement and Learning Information
- MEMORIAD - Official Website of World Memory Olympiad
- Homepage of World Memory Championships
- Online keyword search Find phonetic major system keywords for 13,000 numbers with this simple database search tool