Rhyming Peg System

A Mnemonic System for Remembering Lists

peg number thinker

Richard Anton
March 08, 2024

Rhyming Peg Mnemonic System

The rhyming peg mnemonic system is a technique that uses rhymes to help remember lists of items.

It works by creating a set of rhyming words or phrases that correspond to the numbers 1 to 10 (or more).

You visualize each item on your list associated with one of the rhyming words or phrases. Creating these associations helps you recall the list by mentally going through the rhyming pegs. This technique can be especially useful when you need to remember items in a specific order.

Step by Step

  1. Create a set of rhyming words or phrases that correspond to the numbers 1 to 10. For example, 'one' could be associated with 'sun', 'two' with 'shoe'.
  2. Visualize each item on your list associated with one of the rhyming words or phrases.
  3. Practice the list recalling the images mentally to strengthen recall (testing effect) and using_ spaced repetition_.

Typical words used for 1 to 10.

  • Gun, Bun, Sun, Nun
  • Shoe, Zoo
  • Tree, Bee, Key
  • Door, Gore, Sore
  • Hive, Knives
  • Sticks, Chicks, Fix
  • Heaven
  • Gate, Weight, Bait, Plate
  • Wine, Brine
  • Pen, Hen

Example: Memorizing the Eight Terrain Features

There are eight terrain features that are important to be able to recognize on a topographical map. The first five are the major features, and the last three are the minor features.

The five major terrain features are: Hill, Ridge, Valley, Saddle, and Depression.

The three minor terrain features are: Draw, Spur, and Cliff.

  • Begin riding, over a hill of buns
  • Behind a ridge of shoes
  • Into a valley of trees
  • On saddles covered in gore
  • Into a hive in a deep depression (pun intended)
  • Drawing a map with sticks
  • Spurring the horses towards heaven
  • Through a gate & over a cliff (the end)

Other Ways to Create Pegs

There are other ways to create pegs besides rhymes. You can use the shapes of the numbers (shape system), words for each letter of the alphabet, or link sounds with numbers to make words out of them. You can also visualize fence posts or markers along a path.

Tips for Improving Recall

  1. Imagine the imagery as vividly as possible.
  2. Link items to the next peg in a story or sequence.
  3. Create a story or narrative to help remember the items on each peg.
  4. Make the actors and actions in the story as memorable as possible (funny, obscene, bizarre).

References

Army, H. D. O. (2020, October 11).TC 3-25.26 Map Reading and Land Navigation. https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUB_ID=103749

Army Study Guide. "Identify Terrain Features On A Map". https://www.armystudyguide.com/content/Prep_For_Basic_Training/prep_for_basic_common_tasks/identify-terrain-features.shtml

Mnemonic major system. (2024, January 11). Wikipedia._ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic_major_syste_m

Mnemonic peg system. (2024, January 3). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic_peg_system

Foer, J. (2011, April 7). Moonwalking with Einstein. Penguin UK. https://joshuafoer.com/moonwalking-with-einstein/

Memory, A. O. (2023, February 24). How to Use the Number Shape System. Art of Memory. https://artofmemory.com/blog/number-shape-system/

Spaced repetition. (2024, February 9). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition

Testing effect. (2024, February 13). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testing_effect