The Quick and Dirty

(Photo via woody1778a/Flickr)

by Math Dude |

Have you ever wished you could quickly and easily memorize phone numbers as soon as people tell them to you? And what about your credit card, bank account, and license plate numbers—wouldn’t it be nice if you could save yourself the trouble of looking them up?

Of course it would! Which is exactly why we are starting to learn how to memorize numbers in this week’s Math Dude episode. This is a big topic, so we’re going to be learning it over the course of the next few weeks. In the first part of the series we outline a method that you can use to turn the digits in a number into a series of consonants (which is the first step in memorizing the numbers). Here’s the key to doing the conversion:

• 0 becomes “z” or “s” since “z” is the first letter of “zero” and “s” kind of sounds like “z”
• 1 becomes “d” or “t” since they’re both written with 1 vertical line (just like the numeral 1) and they have a similar consonant sound
• 2 becomes “n” since it’s written with 2 vertical lines
• 3 becomes “m” since it’s written with 3 vertical lines and actually looks like a sideways “3”
• 4 becomes “r” since it’s the last letter of “four” and since “4” and “R” are almost mirror images of each other
• 5 becomes “L” since “L” is the Roman numeral for 50 (which at least has a 5 in it)
• 6 becomes “j,” “sh,” “ch,” or soft “g” since a script “j” has a lower loop like a 6, “sh” and “ch” sound kind of like a “j,” and a “g” looks like an upside-down 6
• 7 becomes “k,” hard “g,” or “q” since a capital “K” looks like two mirror-image number “7s” back-to-back, and because hard “g” and “q” kind of sound like “k”
• 8 becomes “f” or “v” since a fancy cursive “f” looks a bit like an “8” and because “v” sound a lot like “f”
• 9 becomes “b” or “p” since “p” is a mirror-image of 9 and “b” sounds a lot like “p”

For example, to memorize the number 75—or maybe some larger number that has the number 75 in it—start by turning 75 into the letters “KL” or “GL” or maybe “QL.” At the end of the article I gave you a few problems to help you practice converting numbers into a series of consonants. Here are my solutions:

• 2,914 → This could be “n-b-d-r”
• 831,305 → This could be “f-m-t-m-s-l”
• 555-302-6137 → This could “l-l-l-m-s-n-g-t-m-k”

Why is that useful? How will it help you memorize anything? Be sure to check out the next Math Dude article to find out!