Different Types of Mnemonics

Let's explore the nine types of mnemonics that can be employed in your UPSC preparation:

• Music
• Name
• Word or Expression
• Model
• Rhyme or Ode
• Note Organization
• Image
• Connection
• Spelling

To demonstrate how mnemonics can simplify the process of memorizing facts and figures, let's look at some examples:

Remembering the Participants of the 1st Anglo-Mysore War

"MEN vs Hyder Ali"

• M - Marathas
• E - English
• N - Nizams

Remembering the Kings who Embraced Buddhism

"Father And Uncle Brought Kids Home"

• F - Faiyan
• A - Ashoka
• U - Udayin
• B - Bimbisara
• K - Kharavela
• H - Harsha

Remembering the Sessions of Lok Sabha

"BMW"

• B - Budget (February to May)
• M - Monsoon (June to September)
• W - Winter (November to December)

Remembering the Types of Writs

"CPM Head Quarters"

• ‘C’ for Certiorari
• ‘P’ for Prohibition
• ‘M’ for Mandamus
• ‘H’ for Habeus Corpus
• ‘Q’ for Quo Warranto

Remembering the Three Principles of Jainism

"KFC (Kentucky fried chicken)"

• Right Knowledge
• Right Faith
• Right Conduct

Remembering the Five Great Lakes

"HOMES"

HOMES, an acronym where each letter represents one of the Great Lakes, is a great mnemonic device to remember these lakes, which are home to a diverse range of birds and fish.

• H for Huron
• O for Ontario
• M for Michigan
• E for Erie
• S for Superior

Remembering the Flow of the Great Lakes from West to East

"Some Men Have Excellent Oranges"

The first letter of each word in "Some Men Have Excellent Oranges" stands for the lakes. This mnemonic lists the lakes according to their flow from West to East, which can be helpful for map-based questions.

• S is for Superior
• M is for Michigan
• H is for Huron
• E is for Erie
• O is for Ontario