Peg System
Peg System. Learn how to memorize any string of numbers quickly. How to associate consonant sounds using the mnemonic system.
Here’s a quick rundown of how I have applied this mnemonic system in my life, as taught by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas. For a much more thorough explanation, do order their excellent book ‘The Memory Book’ directly.
Mnemonic Peg System
- 1 – Associate with the sound of t or d. Memorize this by noting that the letter t has just one downstroke.
- 2 – Associate with the sound of n. Memorize by noting that the letter n has two downstrokes.
- 3 – Associate with the sound of m. Memorize by noting that the letter m has three downstrokes.
- 4 – Associate with the sound of r. Memorize by noting that ‘four’ is the only number that ends with ‘r’.
- 5 – Associate with the sound of l. Memorize by spreading your five fingers out; your thumb and forefinger will form the letter l.
- 6 – Associate with the sounds of j, sh, ch or the gentle g (as in gentle). Memorize by noting that the number 6 and the letter j make mirror images. For me, this was easy because I recalled my class in elementary school, ‘6J!’
- 7 – Associate with the sounds of k, the hard c (as in cap) or the hard g (as in gig). Memorize by noting that the letter k is formed with two 7s, one the right side up and one inverted.
- 8 – Associate with the sounds of f, v, or ph. I often had difficulty with this one. One way to memorize is to note that the loops of the letter f and the inverted f form the shape of the numeral ‘8’.
- 9 – Associate with the sounds of p or b. This one’s easy: b can be rotated to form a ‘9’. Just make sure you do not confuse 9 with 6.
- 0 – Associate with the hissing sounds: z, s or the soft c. Memorize by recalling that zero starts with ‘z’.
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