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What Mnemonic Device Do You Use To Spell Tricky Words?

buzzfeed.com 2024/8/21

Dessert is the food because you want second helpings.

Some words are just so tricky to spell. Ask me to spell gaurantee and I'll defenitely get it wrong. OK, I was just kidding; I misspelled those on purpose. But, I was the champion of my second, sixth, and eighth-grade spelling bees, which means I learned a lot of mnemonic devices to remember how to spell words.

"And let the spelling begin."

For example, "dessert" is what you eat, and "desert" is a hot, dry place. You can remember that because "dessert" has two S's and you want second helpings.

Or to remember the difference between "their" and "there," "there" refers to the direction or place something is because the "r" is pointing over "there."

In eighth grade, when I was studying for the spelling bee and couldn't remember how to spell "brazen," my mom kept reminding me that "my bra puts me in a zen-like state." While bras don't put me in a zen-like state, I've sure never forgotten how to spell it.

Various bras are laid out on a flat surface. They include lace and patterned designs, ranging in colors such as white, black, gray, and navy

Now, I'm going to toss it to you. What is a little brain trick you use to remember to spell difficult words?

Three children, identified by numbers 1016, 1362, and 1444, stand in a line on stage for a spelling bee competition, with one child speaking into a microphone

Tell us, and your mnemonic device could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.

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