# Mnemonic devices you use for spelling? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121 "2015-02-19T19:44:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loch\_Raven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Loch\_Raven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loch_Raven)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/1 "2015-02-19T19:44:11Z")
They don’t have to make sense, they just have to work. Here are a couple of mine: where does the\* u \*go in _restaurant_ = “Do not **RANT** in the restaurant.” where are the double consonants in _Caribbean_ = “my **CAR** is a\*\* B\*\*aked **B** ean.” Just curious if others do likewise. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/2 "2015-02-19T19:50:23Z")
One I read in a snarky column in The Stranger in the late nineties, for “millennium”: Two Ns and two Ls, you spelled it quite well. One L or one N, you’re a big fat stupid hen. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted\_Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/3 "2015-02-19T19:51:41Z")
“My Neighbor Enjoys Making Odd Noises In Church” ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/4 "2015-02-20T00:06:37Z")
The business man takes the bus. I always mentally pronouce Wednesday as Wed-ness-day. One I got from the 5th grade teacher: friends to the end. From the Oatmeal: if you put an a in definitely, you’re definitely an a-hole. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/5 "2015-02-20T00:36:58Z")
Regarding the i before e rule, weird is weird. The principal is your PAL. Diarrhea, gonorrhea, etc. are Really Really Horrible. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/6 "2015-02-20T00:45:05Z")
Things I have to say to myself every time to spell these words correctly: There’s a rat in separate. Be - a - u - tiful Tom or row I also have to say Wed - ness - day. Also Feb - brew - ary (its Feb - you - ary in my Northern California accent). ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/7 "2015-02-20T00:50:22Z")
When I was little we had a few for school. A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream = arithmetic George Earl’s Oldest Girl Rode A Pig Home Yesterday = geography Also for dessert/desert: the two s’s in dessert stand for strawberry shortcake ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/8 "2015-02-20T03:26:00Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > Diarrhea, gonorrhea, etc. are Really Really Horrible. Yes, but myrrh is really really awesome (though gold is probably better). ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/9 "2015-02-20T03:32:12Z")
Not sure if this counts… I still have trouble with separate… My method of memorizing the spelling of words is to over and/or mispronounce: sep AR ate Yeah, that’s how it’s spelled, but I pronounce it completely differently with different emPHASes on different sylLABles. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/10 "2015-02-20T04:18:02Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > I always mentally pronouce Wednesday as Wed-ness-day. I remind myself the day was named of Odin, so d before n. > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > There’s a rat in separate. For me, it’s remembering para is in the middle of the word. I also have to remind myself of the “i before e” rule every time I spell believe. For some reason, beleive looks more correct to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/11 "2015-02-20T05:10:02Z")
I have the box-set of _TV Funhouse,_ so I should probably sit this one out. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/12 "2015-02-20T05:20:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I also have to remind myself of the “i before e” rule every time I spell believe. For some reason, beleive looks more correct to me. For me, over-pronouncing (sounding out silent letters, replacing schwas with their stressed vowel counterparts, etc) is the usual method I use to memorize spellings, but every time I write “weird,” a mental asterisk leads me to the note that weird is weird when it comes to the “i before e…” rule. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/13 "2015-02-20T13:19:55Z")
Two C’s, one E, two S, and-that’s-how-you-spell-success Also when I needed it for spelling assistant was always ass is tant-t. ---
**Author:** ![maisoui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@maisoui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maisoui)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/14 "2015-02-20T16:04:15Z")
Separate seems to be a toughie. My mnemonic for it is “two A’s separate two E’s.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/15 "2015-02-20T20:40:32Z")
Another vote for “a rat” - separate. No a’s are buried in a cemetery. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/16 "2015-02-20T20:49:43Z")
A horse has reins. (Free rein) A kinG reiGns. (Both king and reign have a G in them, so those two are together.) ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/17 "2015-02-20T22:57:02Z")
Phosphorus: who is the phos phor? Us! (ninth-graders always want to put “ou” in each syllable!) There is no flour in fluorine!! ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/18 "2015-02-20T23:53:31Z")
Weird is not wired. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/19 "2015-02-21T18:29:30Z")
I live in North Carolina and work in the sports biz, so correctly spelling the name of Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is a needed skill. I like to rehearse by pronouncing his name exactly as it looks: “ker-zy-zoo-ski.” Even though, as a Kentucky graduate, I find him loathsome (and sometimes indulge in daydreams where he wakes up one day and discovers that he wants to give up coaching basketball to become, oh, a chef or whatever), he still deserves to have his name spelled properly. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121/20 "2015-02-21T21:43:44Z")
LIU: Look it up. No other simple mnemonic is remotely useful. English spelling is capricious. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mnemonic-devices-you-use-for-spelling/713121.md?page=2)