Tips for improving memory: Acronyms

The use of acronyms can be helpful when a list of facts or sequence of items must be remembered.

An acronym is a word or phrase made from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term.

Of course, acronyms can be created for a specific item, such as the eight planets in our solar system in sequence (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). Taking the first letter of each word, you would have m, v e, m, j, s, u, n, and p. Make up a nonsensical phrase to help you remember the exact order, such as, "My very elegant mother just served us noodles."

Another popular acronym to remember the sequence of the natural classification or taxonomy system (kingdom. phylum, class, order, class, family, order, genus, species) might be "King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti." No one said you couldn't be silly and have fun studying.

Or the notes of the lines and spaces on the musical G-clef:

For the lines, starting with the line at the bottom and going up, E, G, B, D F becomes Every Good Boy Deserves Fun.

Make up a similar acronym to use to remember the sequence of the colors in a rainbow: