How to memorize numbers: the major system explained
Numbers are among the hardest things to remember: phone numbers, PINs, dates, formulas. They have no shape and no meaning, and working memory can only juggle a few digits at a time.
The major system (also called the phonetic system) solves the problem by turning digits into sounds, and sounds into words you can picture. Once you've learned it, a string of digits becomes a sequence of images to place in your memory palace.
The code: one consonant sound per digit
Each digit from 0 to 9 corresponds to one or more consonant sounds. Vowels and the letters w, h and y count for nothing: you use them freely to build words.
| Digit | Sounds | Memory hook |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | s, z, soft c | z is the first letter of zero |
| 1 | t, d | t has one downstroke |
| 2 | n | n has two downstrokes |
| 3 | m | m has three downstrokes |
| 4 | r | r is the last letter of four |
| 5 | l | L is 50 in Roman numerals |
| 6 | j, sh, ch, soft g | a mirrored J looks like a 6 |
| 7 | k, hard c, hard g, q | a K can be drawn with two 7s |
| 8 | f, v | a handwritten f has two loops, like an 8 |
| 9 | p, b | p is a mirrored 9 |
What counts is the sound, not the spelling: in “phone” the ph is an f (8), in “knee” the k is silent. Double letters count once when they make a single sound: “mummy” is m-m, 33.
From numbers to words
To encode a number, look for a word whose consonants match its digits in order, adding vowels as you like:
| Number | Consonants | Word |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | s-s | sauce |
| 07 | s-k | sock |
| 12 | t-n | tin |
| 21 | n-t | net |
| 25 | n-l | nail |
| 32 | m-n | moon |
| 41 | r-t | rat |
| 71 | k-t | cat |
| 86 | f-sh | fish |
| 94 | b-r | bear |
Choose concrete words you can picture: an object or an animal beats an adjective. Ideally you prepare, once and for all, a list with one image for every number from 00 to 99: from then on, any long number is split into pairs of digits and each pair becomes a ready-made image.
Building your 00–99 list
- Start with the numbers you use most (dates, years, area codes) and continue ten at a time.
- When several words fit, choose the most vivid one and the one least like the others.
- Avoid abstract words: “nail” (25) works, “null” doesn't.
- Test the list: read random numbers and check that the image appears in under a second.
Once the list is ready, you can go one step further and turn the images into people, actions and objects: that's the PAO system, which fits six digits in every location.
Using it with a memory palace
The major system gives you the images; the method of loci gives you the order. Split the number into pairs and place one or two images in each location of your route.
Example: 3 2 7 1 9 4
32 71 94 → moon, cat, bear. Front door: a huge moon blocks the doorway. Hallway: a cat scratches the walls. Living room: a bear is asleep on the sofa. Walk the route again and the images give you back 327194.
For short numbers (a PIN, a door code) you can skip the palace: turn them into one or two words and link them in a single scene. For long numbers the palace is essential, because it keeps the order.
What to use it for in everyday life
- Phone numbers, PINs and codes.
- Historical dates: 1492 becomes 14 (t-r, “tire”) and 92 (b-n, “bone”): a tire gnawing a bone on the deck of Columbus's ship.
- Numbers in formulas and physical constants, for students.
- Memory competitions, where speed numbers is one of the classic disciplines.
On Loci you can train with numbers on the Practice page: write your images in the PAO editor and memorize random sequences along your palace.
Turn your number list into images and train with random sequences.
Train with numbers →Frequently asked questions
Is the major system hard to learn?
The code has only ten rules and, thanks to the memory hooks in the table, you can learn it in an evening. What takes time is building and learning the list of 100 images: a couple of weeks, a few minutes a day.
What's the difference between the major system and PAO?
The major system turns numbers into words; PAO combines three elements into a single scene. They work very well together: the major system helps you choose the people, PAO makes them more compact.
Does the major system work in other languages?
Yes, it has been adapted to many languages. The idea is the same; only the sounds linked to some digits change. The Italian and Spanish versions of this article use the adaptations for those languages.
Is the major system the same as the phonetic number system?
Yes: major system, phonetic system and phonetic number system are names for the same technique, which dates back to the 17th century and was refined in the 19th.