Vocabulary

Winning Strategies for Memorization

Memorizing Definitions

Mnemonics

What is a mnemonic device?

A technique one can use to help improve his ability to remember something. In other words, it's a memory technique to help one’s brain better encode and recall important information.

How does it work?

TRIGGER

points to

MNEMONIC

points to

INTENDED RESULT

Wait– what?

TRIGGER (vocab term)

points to

MNEMONIC (funny story about word)

points to

INTENDED RESULT (recall of definition)

The secret?

Always base your mnemonic on the stressed syllable of the vocab term.

Using only a portion of the word makes it easier to create a mnemonic.

Every time you hear or see the word, you’ll know which part of the word your story relates to. It’s always the stressed syllable– no guesswork.

This method significantly improves your ability to pronounce unfamiliar words, too, which helps you avoid looking like a dork. Word great for foreign languages, too.

Example #1

Ameliorate is a verb. It means (in short) “to make better. In this word, “mēl” is the stressed syllable. I’ll show you how to figure this out for unfamiliar words in a minute.

Mnemonic: Eating that meal sure made me feel better!

The stressed syllable is the key to my mnemonic. Remember the mnemonic, remember the definition!

Example #2

Appall is a verb meaning (in short) to horrify. The stressed syllable is –pôl.

Mnemonic: Paul’s Halloween costume was horrifying!

Paul->horrifying->APPALL=horrifying!

You try!

Pick one:

• Epitome (English III, a noun, def. a high point)

OR

• Esteem (English I Honors, here a verb, def. to value highly

How do I?

Add your short mnemonic sentences to your notecards and read them repeatedly.

Not sure how to pronounce a word? Don’t know which syllable takes the stress?

In the Word Wealth book, there will always be an apostrophe after the stressed syllable in the phonetic pronunciation.

For English III vocabulary, check the Weebly site’s “English III Materials” tab.

The Sentences

Analyze the sentence to see which part of speech makes sense, then…

Hunt for context clues– neighboring words that might indicate the definition of the missing term.

Parts of Speech

Noun

Verb

Adjective

Adverb

For Example:

ENG III, Unit 1: It may be necessary for an outside mediator to ________ in a legal standoff in which the two sides cannot find any common ground.

Part of speech needed?

Context clues?

Analogies

If you can identify the relationship between the given words, AND you know your definitions, you’ll be fine!

See handouts