photo by Shahram Sharif
The System
What I am about to teach you takes a bit of time to learn and become proficient, but is arguably the most useful of all the techniques discussed in this series. The Phonetic Alphabet is a method for converting numbers into objects that can be easily visualized. The system can be used to memorize long-digit numbers, dates, addresses, phone numbers, playing cards, and the like.
I’m going to give you 10 consonant sounds for each of the digits 0 - 9. Along with each I’ll give you a helpful way to remember the sound. With time you won’t need the hints, but they will assist you initially in quickly memorizing the code. Here it is:
| Digit | Consonant Sound | Hint |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Z or S | First sound of the word zero |
| 1 | T or D | The letter T has 1 down-stroke |
| 2 | N | The letter N has 2 down-strokes |
| 3 | M | The letter M has 3 down-strokes |
| 4 | R | The final sound of the word four is R |
| 5 | L | Roman numeral for 50 is L |
| 6 | J, SH, CH, or soft G (”gel”) | The letter J turned around looks a bit like a 6. [J 6] |
| 7 | K, hard C (”cat”), or hard G (”golf”) | The letter K looks like two horizontal 7s put together |
| 8 | F or V | A cursive f has two loops like an 8 |
| 9 | P or B | The number 9 turned around looks like a P |
None of the vowels have any meaning at all, nor do the letters W, H, or Y (think of the word WHY). Memorize this list, keeping in mind that it isn’t the letters that are important; it’s the sounds. For example, ‘kn’ in the word knife would translate to a 2 because it has the N sound.
Why is this Useful?
The Phonetic Alphabet Code is useful because it allows you to convert numbers into words, representing physical objects which can be visualized
Combined with linking, this system allows you to take a string of digits and convert them into one or more images linked together in order. These images can then be converted back into numbers when you want to recall it later. For most people, remembering images of things linked together in an imaginative story is far, far easier than remembering a string of digits. The first 6 digits of PI can be remembered as “matter, tall ape.” If you’re having trouble seeing this, let me write it formatted a bit differently:
MaTteR TaLl aPe 3 1 4 1 5 9
I imagine matter flying outward in a big explosion after the Big Bang and then forming into a tall ape. This simple linking of two images gives me the first 6 digits of PI.
Method of Perfecting
The best way to learn this system is to practice over and over. A good exercise to do throughout the day is to take numbers you see and convert them into their respective sounds. Then take it a step further and make words out of those sounds. You can do the reverse process with any word that pops into your head. Break apart the sounds of the word and convert into digits. If you do this over and over, you’ll get to the point where it’s a very speedy process.
If you use this method to memorize a number, what’s the easiest way to remember the beginning of your “story?” I like to associate the first object in my story with the thing the number represents. So if I had a crush on a girl named Jenny and finally got her phone number, which happened to be 867-5309 (fish, gale, mishap), I’d have to first associate the beginning of my story (fish) with Jenny. So I might picture us out on the lake in a boat catching a fish. Suddenly a mighty gale sweeps in, causing a major mishap as we tumble into the water.
Ready to try it?
Let me know if you have any difficulties. I find this system to be an unbelievably powerful way of recalling numbers, and it’s actually kind of fun. 
If you take nothing else away from Memory Month, master this!
Memory Month Introduction & Table of Contents
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