Major System
The Major System, also known as the phonetic number system, is a mnemonic technique used to aid in memorizing numbers.
Developed before the 14th century and refined over and over until the 17th century, it translates numbers into consonant sounds, followed by the addition of vowels to form meaningful words or images. This system leverages the brain's ability to remember familiar words and images better than numerical sequences.
How the Major System Works:
- Assigning Sounds to Numbers:
Each digit from 0 to 9 is assigned specific consonant sounds:
| Number | Major system consonant as mini-mnemonic |
|---|---|
| 1 | T, D (T has one downstroke) |
| 2 | N (N has two downstrokes) |
| 3 | M (M has three downstrokes) |
| 4 | R ("four" end with R) |
| 5 | L (the Roman numeral for 50 is L) |
| 6 | J, SH, soft G, CH (a script J has a lower loop like 6) |
| 7 | K, hard G (captical K "contains" two sevens) |
| 8 | F, V (script F resemble 8) |
| 9 | P, B (P is the mirror of 9) |
| 0 | S, Z, soft C (as in "cease") |
- Creating Words:
Numbers are converted into sounds using these associations, and vowels are added to form words. For example, the number 3251 could be translated to M-N-L-T (3-2-5-1), and by adding vowels, it could become “moonlit”. With modern LLMs, it becomes a simple task to convert large numbers into words using the major system; you can just ask your computer to do it:Can you generate words using the Major System for the number 3251? Explain your phonetic breakdown with your answer. Please provide five different words, considering the usual phonetic substitutions and vowel additions. - Forming Images and Associations:
These words are then used to create vivid images or scenarios in the mind. The more unique and sensory-rich these images are, the easier it is to recall the original number.
The Major system used to be taught to school children along with other mnemonics. This education was removed from the curriculum when Puritan reformers declared it unholy for encouraging bizarre and irreverent images (1584) [1]. There is some validity to this complaint, in that mental images that are insulting, violent, or obscene stand out, and are easier to remember do to the Von Restorff Effect.
The Major system can be used to build a pegging system, an example of such a system can be seen on wikipedia.
Brown, Derren (2006), Tricks of the Mind, Transworld Publishers, ISBN 978-1-905026-26-5 ↩︎