List of visual mnemonics

Visual mnemonics are a type of mnemonic that work by associating an image with characters or objects whose name sounds like the item that has to be memorized.

Examples

Biochemistry

*A visual mnemonic for the drug hydralazine could be represented as "lazy hydra" that is on strike holding a sign "NO more work". "NO" in the above case symbolizes Nitrous oxide, which is related to the drug's mechanism of action. For examples of this technique, see [http://www.mediglyphics.com/public/Pharmacology/] . [It should be noted that NO is actually the symbol for Nitric Oxide, which has a markedly different effect on the body...]

Zoology

*A Bactrian Camel's back is shaped like the letter B. A Dromedary's back is shaped like the letter D.

Calendar

* A mnemonic for the days of the months is not a rhyme or a jingle, but a gestalt. Whereas the traditional mnemonic simply associates the "name" of the month with the number of days, this one emphasizes the "sequence." The 31 and less-than-31-day months would be easy to remember if they simply alternated, but the pattern of month lengths is not that simple. They alternate until the fourth 31-day month, July, which is immediately followed by another 31-day month. Since the human hand has four fingers, one can, given an appropriate mind-set, perceive this pattern in a view of the knuckles of two fists, held together. The raised knuckles can be seen as the 31-day months, the dips between them as the 30-day-months-and-February, and the gap between the hands ignored. (Thus: left-hand-pinky-knuckle = January, dip = February, left-hand-ring-knuckle = March, dip = April, and so on to left-hand-index-knuckle = July; then continue with right-hand-index-knuckle = August, dip = September, etc).:

Phases of the Moon

*"DOC" represents phases of the Moon by shape: "D" is the waxing moon; "O" the full moon; and "C" the waning moon.
*A Lithuanian mnemonic is that the waxing moon at its first (lith:"priešpilnis") quarter phase looks like a 'p', and the waning moon at its last (lith:"delčia") quarter looks like a 'd'.
*A French mnemonic is that the waxing moon at its first (fr:"premier") quarter phase looks like a 'p', and the waning moon at its last (fr:"dernier") quarter looks like a 'd'.
* In Germany, the curve of the Moon was traditionally compared to the beginning stroke of the handwritten small letters "a" ("Abnehmen" = waning) and "z" ("Zunehmen" = waxing), but since this really makes sense only when thinking of the obsolete German handwriting it is rapidly falling into disuse.
* A more modern German version compares the Moon to a pair of round brackets (German: "Klammern"):: ( = "Klammer auf" –> "Abnehmen" = waning: ) = "Klammer zu" –> "Zunehmen" = waxing
* Another northern hemisphere mnemonic, which works for most Romance languages, says that the Moon is a liar: it spells "C", as in crescere (Italian for "to grow") when it wanes, and "D" as in decrescere ("decrease") when it waxes.:On the southern hemisphere, in spanish-speaking countries, the C represents "Creciente" (waxing) and D "Decreciente" (waning).
*In Polish language and in Czech language, the D and C can be interpreted as verbs describing the Moon's action: "Księżyc się ..." (The moon is ...) "Dopełnia" (waxing) and "Cofa" (waning), in Czech "Měsíc ..." (The moon is ...) "dorůstá" (waxing) and "couvá" (waning)
*A Russian mnemonic is that the waxing moon is right part of letter 'Р', which is the first letter of word "растущая" (growing) and wanning moon looks like 'C' which is first letter of the word "старая" (old).
*An at least Norwegian mnemonic is "When it looks like a comma, it's coming!" (nor.: "Når han ser ut som et komma, så kom'an / kom'ern!").
* In Hebrew the shape of the letter is also correlated to what the rising and waining moon. It is rising when it looks like the cursive ז which is also the first word in זורח (to rise) and the moon is waining when it looks like the cursice ג which is also the first work of גורע (to take away).