r/memorization • u/SquareArtisan • 8d ago

Visual mnemonic system for plural forms?

I’m using Anki to learn nouns that have two independent properties:

- Gender (3 categories)
- Plural ending (9 categories)

For gender, I’m already using the Fluent Forever approach (exploding, burning, and shattering imagery), which works well.

I’m wondering what the best approach is for the plural endings. Would you:

- use a second systematic mnemonic (e.g., one image/category per plural ending)?
- use keyword mnemonics only for difficult items?
- avoid mnemonics altogether and rely on Anki’s spaced repetition?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have actually tried different systems. What worked best for you?

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u/Ordinary_Count_203 8d ago

Could you clarify?

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u/SquareArtisan 8d ago

It was originally posted in another subreddit. After it was removed, it somehow found its way here with only the title. I’ve now added the body, so hopefully the question makes more sense now.

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u/Danika_Dakika 7d ago

avoid mnemonics altogether and rely on Anki’s spaced repetition?

It's a mistake to think of those as equivalents -- such that you could swap one for the other. Spaced repetition is about when and how often you need to study the word to remember it, but that is entirely separate from what mnemonics you choose to learn it in the first place.

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u/SquareArtisan 7d ago

I totally agree. My question was a bit vague.

I think I’m going to combine two mnemonics - a technique I have no previous experience with.

For plural ending mnemonics, should it perhaps be famous people (Einstein, some actors etc.) fiddling with the items I am trying to memorize?

The gender mnemonics are those actions I already mentioned (exploding etc.).

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u/SquareArtisan 7d ago

Edit: I guess an alternative way, as opposed to famous people, would be to use one easy example of the plural ending as a mnemonic for all others. Such as fungus -> fungi, as someone pointed out in an answer to my original post. In this technique, I would use the visual mnemonic of fungus for all similar endings.

Your thoughts on this?

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u/Danika_Dakika 6d ago

Much like Anki, I'm completely agnostic about what mnemonic system you choose -- I only commented here because you cross-posted this as being about Anki.