Mnemonic Devices

On the 1980s and ’90s television show Full House, fourth-grader Stephanie learns mnemonic devices to remember how to spell certain words. Then, during the spelling bee—a.k.a. THE MOMENT SHE’S BEEN WAITING FOR—Stephanie is sitcom-tragically stumped when she must spell the word “mnemonic,” which, ironically, she didn’t learn.

“Mnemonic device” comes from the Greek word mnemonikos, which means “memory aid.” Well-known examples include “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos” to remember the order of the planets (RIP, Pluto), or “The ABC Song” set to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to help children learn the alphabet.

Here’s a greatest-hits mnemonic device collection you can apply to future CDC writing, to help you remember which word to use:

• Affect or effect? RAVEN can help you with the difference between “affect” (a verb meaning “to influence”) and “effect” (a noun meaning “result”). Remember Affect Verb Effect N
• Compliment or complement? The opposite of a compliment is an insult. “Insult” starts with an i, and “compliment” has an “i” in the middle. “Complement” means to enhance, which begins with an e.
• Which or that? Use “that” in front of defining clauses (clauses essential for the sentence to make sense) and “which” in front of non-defining clauses (clauses that are not essential to the sentence). Use the mnemonic “Sandwich crusts aren’t essential” to remember that “which” and non-defining clauses go together, as seen in this example:
  • My bag that has a hole in it is in the closet. (The sentence needs the clause after “that,” so the sentence doesn’t fall apart.)
  • My bag, which has a hole in it, is in the closet. (The sentence doesn’t need the clause after “which” to make sense.)
• It’s or its? “It’s” is a contraction that means “it is.” The possessive pronoun “its” shows that “it” owns something. Use the mnemonic device “It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s an apostrophe between ‘it is!’” to help you remember which word to use.