How To Use Mnemonics & Acronyms in Revision

Ever walked into an exam and completely blanked on something you knew perfectly yesterday? We've all been there. Your brain's playing hide and seek with the information you need most.

That's where mnemonics and acronyms come to the rescue. They're memory weapons that can transform how you revise and recall information under pressure.

In this guide, I will show you exactly how to use mnemonics and acronyms in revision across all your subjects. No complicated theory or fancy psychology - just practical methods you can start using today to make your revision stick.

Key Takeaways

• Mnemonics and acronyms turn boring lists into memorable phrases, stories, or words that your brain actually wants to remember.

• The best memory aids are personal, visual, and slightly ridiculous - your brain loves things that stand out from the ordinary.

• These techniques work brilliantly for facts, sequences, and formulas, but they're just one part of effective revision alongside deeper understanding.

• Creating your own mnemonics is more powerful than using someone else's because your brain connects better with things that make sense to you personally.

What Are Mnemonics and Acronyms?

Mnemonics are memory aids that use associations, stories, or patterns to help you remember information. Think of them as mental shortcuts that turn abstract facts into something your brain can grab onto easily.

The classic example is "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain" for remembering the colours of the rainbow - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Your brain finds it much easier to remember a story about Richard than a random sequence of colours.

Acronyms work slightly differently. They create new words from the first letters of what you need to remember. "BODMAS" for the mathematical order of operations (Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction) is a perfect example.

Both techniques work on the same principle: they give your brain something familiar and structured to hook new information onto.

The beauty is that you don't need to be particularly creative. Even simple, silly phrases work better than trying to memorise raw information.

Why Do Mnemonics Work?

Using mnemonics and acronyms in revision takes advantage of how your mind works (opens in a new tab). Your brain has three main memory processes: encoding (taking in information), storage (keeping it), and retrieval (getting it back when you need it). Mnemonics supercharge all three stages.

When you encode information using a mnemonic, you're creating multiple pathways to the same fact. Instead of just trying to remember "potassium," you remember the story, the image, and the word association all at once.

Storage becomes more efficient because mnemonics reduce cognitive load (opens in a new tab). Your brain doesn't have to work as hard to keep track of organised, meaningful information compared to random facts.

Retrieval gets a massive boost because mnemonics provide built-in cues. When you need to remember the Great Lakes, the word "HOMES" instantly triggers the full list. 

This isn't just theory. Neuroscience shows that memory techniques literally change how your brain processes information, making recall faster and more reliable. Even memory athletes (opens in a new tab) use them. 

I can attest that it works. I still remember some mnemonics from when I was at school, many, many years ago!

How To Create Your Own Mnemonics When Revising

• Start by identifying exactly what you need to remember. Is it a sequence, a list of facts, or a set of related concepts? Different content needs different approaches.

• Pick out the key words or first letters from your content. If you're memorising the planets in order, you'd extract: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

• Now turn these into a memorable phrase or story. "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos" gives you all the planets in the right order.

• The secret ingredient is making it personal and slightly absurd. Your brain remembers unusual things much better than sensible ones. "My Very Evil Monkey Just Stole Uncle's Newspaper" might work better for you if you find it funnier.

• Test your mnemonic by trying to work backwards from the phrase to the original information. If it doesn't flow naturally, adjust until it does.

• For biological classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species), you might use "King Philip Came Over For Good Soup" - easy to remember and logical enough to stick.

How To Use Acronyms in Revision

• Acronyms work best for lists, formulas, and step-by-step processes. They're particularly powerful when the order matters or when you need to recall everything quickly. 

• Take the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior become "HOMES." In an exam, you just need to remember one word to unlock all five lakes.

• Medical students love "SOAP" for patient notes - Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan. It's simple, relevant to their field, and covers all the essential elements.

• The key is making sure your acronym is actually memorable. "QXZRT" might be technically correct, but it won't help you in an exam. Look for acronyms that form real words or at least pronounceable combinations.

• Test your acronyms regularly by writing down the letters and seeing if you can recall what each one represents. This active recall strengthens the connection between the acronym and the full information.

Subject-Specific Examples

Science

Chemistry students swear by "OIL RIG" for oxidation and reduction - Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain (of electrons). For the reactivity series, try "Please Send Lions, Cats And Zebras In Tall Cages Securely Guarded" (Potassium, Sodium, Lithium, Calcium, Aluminium, Zinc, Iron, Tin, Copper, Silver, Gold).

Biology processes work well with story-based mnemonics. For photosynthesis stages, you might use "Light Dependent Reactions Create ATP" becoming "Larry's Dog Really Came Around Today."

Maths

"BODMAS" and "SOHCAHTOA" are classics for good reason. SOHCAHTOA (Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse, Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse, Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent) often becomes "Some Old Hippie Caught Another Hippie Tripping On Acid" for students who prefer memorable phrases.

Languages

French verb endings can use "I Ate Some Onions" for future tense endings: -ai, -as, -a, -ons. Spanish irregular verbs might group into acronyms like "DISH" for Decir, Ir, Ser, Hacer.

History

Causes of World War I become "MAIN" - Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism. For remembering dates, create stories. For example, "In 1066, William the Conqueror won wonderfully" links the date to the Norman Conquest through alliteration.

Tips for Making Mnemonics More Effective

• Keep your mnemonics short and snappy. If you can't remember the memory aid itself, it's not going to help you remember the content.

• Embrace humour and exaggeration. The sillier and more outrageous your mnemonic, the more likely you are to remember it. Your brain loves novelty.

• Add visual elements wherever possible. Draw little pictures next to your mnemonics, or create mental images that incorporate the story. Visual memory is incredibly powerful.

• Make it personal to your interests and experiences. If you love football, create mnemonics using team names. If you're into music, use song titles or band names.

• Most importantly, practice retrieval regularly. Don't just read your mnemonics - actively test yourself by starting with the mnemonic and working back to the original information.

Limitations of Mnemonics and Acronyms

Mnemonics work well for small chunks of factual information. They're not magic bullets for everything though. They're most effective for lists, sequences, formulas, and specific facts. They are less effective for complex concepts.

They can't replace deep understanding of your subjects. Knowing that "HOMES" represents the Great Lakes is useful. You still need to understand their geographical significance, economic importance, and environmental challenges.

Sometimes, students become too dependent on mnemonics. They can struggle when the exact wording doesn't come to mind in high-pressure situations. They work best as one tool in a broader revision toolkit. You can find out more in Save My Exams Revision Tips. 

For complex information, mnemonics can become more complicated than learning the original content. Use them strategically for the most challenging or important facts.

Combining Mnemonics With Other Revision Techniques

• Spaced repetition, such as the Leitner System, transforms mnemonics from short-term tricks into long-term memory assets. Review your mnemonics at increasing intervals - after one day, three days, one week, then monthly.

• Active recall testing strengthens the pathways your mnemonics create. Instead of just reading "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain," test yourself by writing down the rainbow colours from memory.

• Flashcards work perfectly with mnemonics. Put the mnemonic on one side and the full information on the other. This combines the memory aid with active testing.

• Mind maps let you integrate mnemonics into broader topic overviews. Include your memory aids as part of visual summaries that show how different facts connect to larger concepts. Mnemonics and Acronyms are useful when using the Blurting Method or the Second Brain Method, for example. 

The most effective use of mnemonics is for the tricky details. They do this while building understanding through methods such as practice problems, essay writing, and concept mapping.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between mnemonics and acronyms?

Mnemonics are the broader category: any memory aid that uses associations, patterns, or stories. Acronyms are a specific type of mnemonic that creates words from first letters. So all acronyms are mnemonics, but not all mnemonics are acronyms.

Can I use mnemonics for essay subjects?

Absolutely! Mnemonics can't help you write entire essays. They are brilliant for remembering essay structures, key theories, important dates, or key points to cover. History students often use mnemonics to remember causes of events or factors in historical change.

Are there apps to create mnemonics and acronyms?

There are some mnemonic generators online. The most effective mnemonics, however, are ones you create yourself. They connect to your personal experiences and sense of humour. Apps can give you inspiration, but your brain will remember your own creations much better than generic phrases.

Ready to Transform Your Memory?

Mnemonics and acronyms aren't just study tricks. They're genuine memory upgrades that can make revision more effective and way more enjoyable. 

Remember, the most powerful mnemonics are the ones you create yourself. Don't worry about making them perfect or sensible - focus on making them memorable and personal to you.

Start small with just one or two mnemonics for your most challenging topics. Once you see how much easier recall becomes, you'll find yourself naturally creating memory aids for more and more content.

Your brain is already amazing at remembering stories, jokes, and personal experiences. Mnemonics simply harness that natural ability for academic success. Give them a try - your future self will thank you when you're confidently recalling information in your exams!

References 

• Mnemonic training reshapes brain networks to support memory (Dresler et al., 2017) (opens in a new tab)

• Assessing Effectiveness of Mnemonics for Tertiary Students (Mocko, 2017) (opens in a new tab)

• PsychCentral: Mnemonic Devices: Types, Examples, and Benefits  (opens in a new tab)

• Spaced Repetition for Efficient Learning (opens in a new tab)