English can be a challenging language, and we all have words we struggle to spell correctly. Mnemonics (memory aids) can help by providing easy-to-remember phrases, patterns, or tricks.
I’m 47 and I still quote Naughty Elephants Squirt Water and righty tighty, loosey lefty. And I hope I am not the only one to quotes Ace Ventura with BEA-Utiful.
Below, we’ve categorised common tricky words and provided mnemonics to help you remember their spellings.
Commonly Misspelled Words & Simple Mnemonics
These are everyday words that many people struggle to spell.
| Word | Mnemonic |
|---|---|
| Would / Should / Could | “O U Lucky Duck” (to remember O-U-L-D) |
| Necessary | It is Necessary to have 1 Collar and 2 Sleeves |
| Because | Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants |
| Beautiful | Big Elephants Are Under Trees In Forests Until Light To be beautiful is to be yourself – Be Authentic. “Be-A-Utiful,” or “Being Evil is Always Ugly – tiful.” |
| Separate | There is a rat in separate |
| Accommodation | Two Cots Need Two Mattresses in any accommodation |
| Business | You take the bus to business |
| Success | Success is served with two Cups and two Sugars |
| Said | Sally Ann Is Dancing |
| Secretary | A secretary has a secret. |
| Difficulty | Mrs D, Mrs I, Mrs FFI, Mrs C, Mrs U, Mrs L, Mrs TY |
| What | Wonky Hats Always Topple |
Homophones: Words That Sound the Same but Have Different Spellings
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
| Homophones | Mnemonic to Remember the Difference |
|---|---|
| There / Their | “There” has “here” inside it, meaning a place. “Their” means belonging to them. |
| Two / Too / To | Two = a number, Too = “also” or “very”, To = a direction or action. |
| Your / You’re | You’re = You are (expand it to check if it makes sense). |
| Stationary / Stationery | StationAry = A as in “At a standstill”. StationEry = “Envelopes & paper”. |
| Principle / Principal | The principal is your “pal” (school head), a principle is a belief. |
Tricky Word Endings & Confusing Spellings
Certain words have unexpected endings, making them difficult to spell correctly.
| Word | Mnemonic |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | A Rat In The House Might Eat The Ice Cream |
| Occasion | On occasion, you might travel over two seas |
| Occasionally | Same as occasion, but remember an extra L for “ally”. |
| Jealousy | Jealousy is a lousy feeling. |
| Police | PO-LICE. |
| Manoeuvre | Old Elephants Usually Manoeuvre Poorly. |
Science & Technical Terms
Some technical and scientific words have tricky spelling, especially in biology, geology, and chemistry.
| Word | Mnemonic |
|---|---|
| Stalactite / Stalagmite | StalaCtites hold on tight to the Ceiling. StalaGmites grow mighty from the Ground. or “Mites go up, tights come down! |
| Waft / Weft | Weft goes Left to Right, while Warp runs vertically. |
| Port/Starboard | Left = Port (both 4 letters) |
Mnemonics for Names & Places
Some proper nouns and place names can be challenging to remember.
| Word / Place | Mnemonic |
|---|---|
| Britain | It is raining in Britain again |
| Gymnasium | Give Your Mum Nuts And Strawberry Icecream Until Monday. |
| Knaresborough | Kings Not Always Read Easy Story Books Or Ride Old Ugly Green Horses. |
Fun Mnemonics & Phrases
These are fun and creative memory aids that make learning spellings easier.
| Word | Mnemonic |
|---|---|
| Believe / Belief | There is a LIE in believe and belief. |
| Dear | Deers Eat Apples Rotten. |
| Equal | Eat Quickly U (as in “you”) Are Late. |
| NESW (Compass Points) | Never East Shredded Wheat |
| What | Wonky Hats Always Topple. |
| Accidents | A Cut Causes Infectious Dents. |
Commonly Confused Words with Mnemonics
Weather vs. Whether
- Heather likes the weather hot (heather grows on a heath).
- Whether it is here or there, whether is not quite “where” nor “there.”
Than vs. Then
- Than is used for comparison → Is my book better than yours?
- Then is used for time → Read this book first, then answer the questions.
- The Trick: THEN = THE NEXT
Hear vs. Here
- You use your EAR to hEAR.
- On a journey, we go HERE and THERE.
Lose vs. Loose
- Lose means to misplace something.
- Loose means not tight.
- Trick: LOSE an ‘O’! (Loose has an extra “O”).
Meet vs. Meat
- Meet = socialise.
- Meat = food.
- Trick: EAT is in MEAT.
Definitely
Smile polITELY and write definITELY.
Too / Two / To
- Too has too many O’s, and this sentence does too.
- Trick: What’s the owl’s telephone number? Two eight – two eight – “two”.
- To remember to, match it with “go” or “do” → go to / to do.
Commonly Miswritten Letters
This is helpful for any dyslexic children
b and d
Write the word bed → The “b” forms the headboard, the “d” forms the footboard.
This trick helps young learners avoid reversing letters.
S (Backwards)
Write the word So.
Picture it as a snake about to eat an egg. If the “S” is backwards, the egg will eat the snake!
Other Mnemonics, Palindromes, and Word-Related Items
Here’s some other mnemonics, clever phrases or sentences, from my childhood:
Henry VIII’s Six Wives (In Order)
A Boy Said Come Here Please
- A = Catherine of Aragon
- B = Anne Boleyn
- S = Jane Seymour
- C = Anne of Cleves
- H = Catherine Howard
- P = Catherine Parr
How they met their fate:
Divorced – Beheaded – Died – Divorced – Beheaded – Survived
Order of the Planets
Most Vegetarians Eat Mouldy Jam Sandwiches Under No Pressure
- MERCURY
- VENUS
- EARTH
- MARS
- JUPITER
- SATURN
- URANUS
- NEPTUNE
- PLUTO (No longer classified as a planet)
Alternative Mnemonics:
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets!!
My Very Energetic Mum Just Swam Under North Pier
Colours of the Rainbow
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
- RED
- ORANGE
- YELLOW
- GREEN
- BLUE
- INDIGO
- VIOLET
How to Create Your Own Mnemonics
Creating your own mnemonic devices can make learning personal and enjoyable:
- Make it funny or quirky: Humour helps the brain remember.
- Use vivid imagery: The stranger the image, the easier it is to remember.
- Rhyme or rhythm: Rhyming patterns aid memory retention.
Mnemonics are a powerful way to remember difficult spellings. These tricks help make learning fun, interactive, and effective.
Do you have a favourite mnemonic that helps you remember tricky words? Share it with us by commenting below, and we’ll add it to this list to help others!
