How to Memorize Peg Words

2.2 • Pre-Memorizing Peg Words

Okay, you are now ready to use the peg word system except for one “little” problem… you don’t have any peg words yet!! So your first task is to memorize a list of peg words. There are two ways to do this. Take a look at both methods first, then decide which one you want to use (or you could even use both). The first way is so simple that a young child can take advantage of the system: we just take the numbers 0 to 10 and we associate a rhyming word with each of them, like this:

   0. Hero
   1. Bun
   2. Shoe
   3. Tree
   4. Door
   5. Hive
   6. Sticks
   7. Heaven
   8. Crate
   9. Vine
  10. Hen

Of course, after the number 12, there aren’t any easy rhymes. But there are still ways to extend the system. For example, you can “recycle” the words by imagining distorted versions of them. For 11-19, we can just use the words for 1-9, but imagine each word as burnt: so 10 would be a superhero wearing charred black clothes, so 11 would be an overly toasted bun, 12 would be a melted shoe, 13 would be a burnt tree, etc. For 20-29, we could imagine each word 0-9 as tiny. For 30-39, we could imagine each word as frozen in ice. Etc.

The more powerful method is to memorize words for all the numbers from 0 to 99 (and even 00 to 09) using the number alphabet as given in “How to Improve Your Memory”. This helps you form an association without having to memorize a tedious arbitrary association with a number like rhyming also does. (Also, if you think of the peg word, you are guaranteed to get the correct number by extracting the consonants and converting them to digits.) The much larger list is more powerful because you avoid recycling, therefore your brain is less likely to get confused. However, it does take quite a bit of time to memorize. But once you memorize the peg words, you have them for life and you never need to memorize them again! Below are the peg words I chose for my 110 numbers. You don’t have to use the same ones; for example, 13 could also be “Tom” (Sawyer, perhaps?), 47 could also be “rake” and 89 could also be “fob.” Use whatever word is the most comfortable/memorable to you. But once you make a choice, don’t ever change it!

0. Sea 10. Toes 20. Nose 30. Mouse 40. Rose 1. Hat 11. Dot 21. Net 31. Mat 41. Road 2. Hen 12. Town 22. Nun 32. Moon 42. Rain 3. Ham 13. Dime 23. Name 33. Mummy 43. Room 4. Rye 14. Tire 24. Nero 34. Mower 44. Aurora 5. Hill 15. Doll 25. Nail 35. Mule 45. Roll 6. Shoe 16. Tissue 26. Notch 36. Match 46. Rash 7. Cow 17. Duck 27. Neck 37. Mug 47. Rock 8. Ivy 18. Taffy 28. Knife 38. Movie 48. Roof 9. Bee 19. Tape 29. Knob 39. Map 49. Rope 50. Lace 60. Cheese 70. Gas 80. Fez 90. Bus 00. Susie 51. Light 61. Sheet 71. Cat 81. Fat 91. Bat 01. Seed 52. Lion 62. Chain 72. Can 82. Fan 92. Pen 02. Sun 53. Lime 63. Jam 73. Comb 83. Foam 93. Opium 03. Seam 54. Lure 64. Cherry 74. Car 84. Fire 94. Bear 04. Sarah 55. Lily 65. Jello 75. Coal 85. File 95. Bell 05. Seal 56. Leech 66. Judge 76. Cage 86. Fish 96. Beach 06. Sash 57. Log 67. Chalk 77. Coke 87. Fog 97. Book 07. Sack 58. Lava 68. Chef 78. Cave 88. Fife 98. Puff 08. Sofa 59. Lip 69. Ship 79. Cape 89. Fib 99. Pipe 09. Sap

At this point you can decide what system you want to use. If you want to try the more advanced system, you don’t have to memorize all 110 right away; you can work on 0-9 to start out with. You could also choose the easy rhyming system but expand it later using the advanced system. You’d have a hybrid system because the peg words for 0-10 are associated differently from those 11-99 and 00-09, but you shouldn’t have a problem knowing the difference… just make sure no peg word is used for two different numbers.