How mnemonics can help you to remember difficult spellings

Do you use any mnemonics to remind you how to spell difficult words?

A mnemonic is a system such as a pattern of letters, ideas or associations that helps you to remember something. One of the most famous examples is the phrase “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” – its initial letters corresponding to the order of colours in a rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

Here’s a good one for remembering how to spell NECESSARY: Never Eat Chips. Eat Salad Sandwiches And Remain Young. And if you forget how to spell MNEMONIC itself, try this: Memorising New Expressions Means One Never Indulges Confusion.

Which mnemonics do you use? Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.

PS – Here's one for your next pub quiz: the rainbow mnemonic refers to Richard III, the last king in the House of York, who was defeated by Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch, at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.