by Amalie Peregrine

Created on: July 12, 2010   Last Updated: July 29, 2010

Here are a few mnemonic tricks for memorizing and spelling multiple and difficult words , particularly taxonomical terms:

1) Start by organizing the terms that you need to memorize. Use the learning style that works best for you. I prefer note cards, but have also used computer spreadsheets (such as excel) and  note book paper to accomplish this.

2) Lump words together based on similar characteristics. These words are being grouped based on the pre/suffix dendron:

• Dendron; greek for tree

• Dendrite; branched projections of a neuron

• Dendrochronology; tree ring dating

• Sequoiadendron giganteum: Redwood tree, gigantic

3)  In this situation, learning the root meaning of a word is a helpful tool. Try looking up your term using an online or printed root word dictionary if you have the time. When you know that dendron means (tree), you can attribute the term, or in other words, apply a characteristic to it. Whenever I think of the word dendron for example, I bring up a visual picture in my mind of a tree.  

 4) After you have organized your terms according to similarities and memorized the root spelling AKA  "dend", the next step is to look for the differences. Ignoring "dend," you have:  

1-ron 2-rite 3-chronology 4-sequoia  

5) Try imagining a phrase that  can be used to recall terms in a test situation, such as "Ron (w)rites chronological sequences."  You will be more likely to remember this group of terms when additional memory tricks are added to your list. For example, you might consider someone named Ron writing at a desk with a stack of  numbered papers in the redwoods.    

6) Test yourself as many times as you can.Highlight your errors. If time is an issue, fous on problem areas. For example, I sometimes forget that sequoia has an -oia at the end. I want to write -ioa. Sounding out each syllable individually - ioa sounds like Iowa, whereas oia sounds more like sequoia.This is an easy step to forget when trying to remember complicated terms, but can be very helpful.

7) What about a single, difficult word such as Methylchloroisothiazolinone?  .(This one you can do in the shower- as it is a common ingredient found in most shampoo's).Try breaking this word into  parts and memorize the spelling of each part as an individual term.

 For example:   • methyl • chloro • iso  • thia  • zolinone  

 8) Here is another mnemonic trick using the first letter of each word as an example:          

(m)ethyl- (c)hloro- (i)so- (t)hia- (z)olinone = (M)- Monkeys,       (C)- can        (I)- Irritate       (T)- the       ( Z)- Zookeeper?  or "Monkeys can irritate the Zookeeper?"     

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