HOW TO REMEMBER BIG NUMBERS

Most people struggle when trying to remember abstract things like numbers, mostly because no one taught them how to do it.

One of the best ways to memorize abstract things, is to transform them into funny, vulgar and distinctive visual mental images. But you need an easy system to keep up the motivation for training new mental skills.

A system with many names like:

• The major system.
• The phonetic number system.
• The phonetic mnemonic system.
• Herigone's mnemonic system.

It's a simple technique used to remember sequences of numbers, like PI. The system converts numbers to phonetic consonant sounds.

The number values are used to shape funny vulgar, grotesque, and easily memorable mental images, stories or verses based on phonetic sound of words.

• It is important to understand, that it is not the written word, but the phonetic sound of the letters, the way they are used in the specific word.
• Only phonetic consonant sounds carry a numerical value.
• Phonetically silent letters and vowels (a, e, i, o, u, y, h and w) have no value, so they are ignored. But the "Y" in "You" or the "U" in Unique, are not phonetically silent, because they sound like a "J", so in this situation, they will both carry the same value, the value of a "J" (6).
• When a word contains consecutive phonetic consonants, only the first one counts as a numeric value, the rest are ignored value-wise. (some choose to ignore this rule, but it is important to know, if others have to decipher it).

THE PHONETIC NUMBER AND LETTER LIST

CONVERTING NUMBERS TO WORDS

Lets say you need to remember your simple 4-digit pin-kode, which is:

1 2 3 4

[?] +  (T or D) + ? + N + ? + M + ? + R + [?].
The "?" represents at least one vowel or a space. [ ] means it is optional.

A funny mental image, of the number 1234, could be a tiny mower.

TiNy MoweR.
T = 1, N = 2, M = 3 og R = 4.

The silent letter "w" and vowels are ignored when converting back to numbers.

101 PEG WORDS

So now you know how to convert between numbers and words, but you don't want to waste your time generating words all the time, for all possible numbers.

Here is a list of 101 common and mentally visual symbols (peg words) from 0 - 100. Only the green bold letters have a numeric value, all others letters are void, they have no value and are ignored.

100 = DaiSieS

LETS PLAY A LITTLE

Deciphering a full sentence to numbers, parsing every word.

I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy...
61 647 91 11 21 61 2 191

Deciphering parts of a sentence to numbers, only parsing nouns.

I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot no deputy...
647 191

Defining a weird and memorable poem, for 55 digits of PI, parsing every word.

This is the 55 digit PI number you're trying to memorize.
3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209

Note:
It's important to imagine and visualize the weird sentences in the poem,
in a grotesque and funny way, to make them more memorable.

Mad rat loop nacho lamb
3.1 41 59 26 53

 Love book bomb fire shitty gym
58 97 93 23 84 62 64

Mummy foam nuke bull, soon Fifi rot up
33  83 27 95 02 88 41 9

Cat shop mop bomb called soul fun soup
71 69 39 93 751 05 82 09

Congratulations!
You've just taking your first step, in memorizing and dechiphering a PI poem.
Soon you will be able to create funny stories out of random numbers and memorize numbers in a whole new way, have fun.

RELATED VIDEOS

MEMORIZING PI WITH THE PHONETIC SYSTEM

Most people think that you have to be a savant to memorize a large number like PI, but everyone can do it, if they are motivated enough.

THE GREAT MATHMAGICIAN ARTHUR BENJAMIN

Arthur Benjamin demonstrates his amazing math and memory magic, using the phonetic system for his intermediate math results. Find his mental math books on our book list (at the bottom of the list).

HOW TO USE IT WITH THE KIDS

While driving the kids to school, you all compete in converting passing license plates or street signs, from numbers to words, and back, via the Phonetic- and Peg word System.