Every serious number memorizer ends up choosing between two ideas: turn digits into words (the Major System) or turn digits into characters (PAO). The internet mostly describes each system on its own. This page puts them side by side with the arithmetic: what each costs to learn, how many images a real event needs, and how many seconds each image gets at record pace.
Quick Answer
| Major System | PAO | |
|---|---|---|
| Idea | Digits → consonant sounds → a word | Each 2-digit number → a person, action and object |
| Digits per image | 2 (a word per pair) | 6 (a person-action-object scene) |
| Entries to learn for numbers | 100 words (00-99) | 300 images (100 people, actions, objects) |
| Entries to learn for cards | — | 156 images (52 x 3) |
| Learning curve | Rules in an hour; list in days | Weeks to build and automate |
| Best for | Beginners, dates, PINs, any number | Speed in long events |
How Each System Works
The Major System
Each digit is given a consonant sound (for example 1 = t/d, 2 = n, 3 = m, 4 = r). You read a number as sounds, add vowels, and get a word. 47 is R-K, which can be "rake"; 21 is N-T, which can be "net". A rule, not a list, gives you the word, and you choose the word yourself.
The PAO System
You assign every two-digit number a Person, an Action and an Object. A six-digit chunk such as 47 21 83 becomes one scene: the person for 47 performing the action for 21 with the object for 83. For cards the same idea uses 52 entries.
The Cost to Learn
| Major System | PAO (numbers) | PAO (cards) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Items to create | 100 | 300 | 156 |
| Items to learn by heart | 100 words, linked to their sounds | 300 images, one set per number | 156 images |
| What you can reuse | The sound rule gives every word a logic | A Major-System word for each number can seed the person | Card faces suggest people (kings, queens) |
PAO is three times the vocabulary, which is why it is slower to set up. The Major System generator and the PAO builder let you create and drill each list.
The Cost to Use: Images per Event
Here is where PAO pays back. Using the record benchmarks as a target, this is how many images an attempt needs:
| Target | Digits | Major images (2 per image) | PAO scenes (6 per image) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Numbers record (5 min) | 642 | 321 | 107 |
| Hour Numbers record (60 min) | 4,620 | 2,310 | 770 |
And the time each image gets at that pace:
| Target | Seconds per Major image | Seconds per PAO scene |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Numbers record (300 s) | 0.93 | 2.80 |
| Hour Numbers record (3,600 s) | 1.56 | 4.68 |
At the five-minute record pace, a Major-System athlete has under a second per image; a PAO athlete has about three. That extra time is what makes record pace plausible: forming a scene from three well-known images takes longer than recalling one word, but you do it a third as often. In an hour the gap in seconds per image is wider, but the demand on locations is the real issue (below).
The Cost to Store: Locations
Every image needs a home. Using one image per locus:
| Target | Loci with Major | Loci with PAO |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Numbers record | 321 | 107 |
| Hour Numbers record | 2,310 | 770 |
The hour record needs 2,310 loci with pairs and 770 with PAO scenes, which is the main practical argument for PAO in the long events. See how many digits can you memorize for the full workings.
Recall and Errors
- Major System: each image decodes to exactly two digits, so errors are small and local. The risk is ambiguity: several words can match a number if you choose them carelessly.
- PAO: one scene decodes to six digits, so a single misremembered element can spoil six at once. Scoring that punishes a row with two mistakes (rows score 40, 20 or 0) makes this matter.
- Order inside the scene: PAO scenes depend on which entry is the person, which the action and which the object. A fixed order, always, is essential.
The Hybrid Most People End Up With
You do not have to choose. A popular path builds PAO on top of the Major System:
- Learn the Major System rules and build 00-99.
- Use each Major word as the object (or person) for that number.
- Add an action and a person that you can link to the same number by sound or association.
- Use pairs (Major) for short events and scenes (PAO) for long ones.
Which Should You Learn First?
| Your situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| New to memory techniques | A memory palace, then the Major System |
| Need PINs, dates and phone numbers | Major System |
| Training for Speed Numbers or Hour Numbers | Major System first, then PAO when speed is the limit |
| Training for Speed Cards or Hour Cards | PAO for cards |
| Short on setup time | Major System |
This is also the order most learners find easiest: build the Major System for numbers first, and bring in PAO when you start on cards or very long number events.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Major System and PAO?
The Major System turns each digit into a consonant sound, so a two-digit number becomes a word and an image. PAO (Person-Action-Object) gives every two-digit number a person, an action and an object, so six digits become a single scene. The Major System is a rule you can apply to any number; PAO is a list you memorize.
Which is better for memorizing numbers?
Neither is better for everyone. The Major System is quicker to learn and flexible, and PAO packs more digits into each image, which matters for speed. Many people learn the Major System first and build a PAO list on top of it.
Can I use the Major System and PAO together?
Yes. A common hybrid is to use the Major System to generate the word for each two-digit number, then use those words as the person, action and object of a PAO list. That makes the list easier to remember because every image has a logical link to its number.
How long does it take to learn each system?
The Major System rules can be understood in an hour, and a 00-99 list built over a few days to weeks. A full PAO list for 100 numbers means 300 images and typically takes longer. Both need daily practice until the images come instantly.
Which system do memory champions use?
Many number specialists use a system with several digits per image, such as PAO or a similar scheme, because it reduces the number of images. The exact systems are personal and vary between athletes.
Is PAO only for numbers?
No. PAO is also the standard system for playing cards: 52 cards each get a person, action and object, and three cards combine into one scene. Numbers use 100 entries instead of 52.
Should a beginner learn PAO first?
Usually not. Start with a memory palace and the Major System, since they give results quickly. Add PAO once you are doing events where speed per digit is the limit.
Core Takeaways
- The Major System gives a word per two digits; PAO gives a scene per six.
- PAO needs three times as many entries but a third as many images.
- At record pace the Major System leaves under a second per image; PAO about three.
- Start with the Major System; add PAO when speed or locus count is the limit.
Related Guides
- Major System — the full guide.
- PAO System — the full guide.
- How to Memorize Numbers — the whole method.
- Memory Sport World Records — what the targets are.
- Memory Pace Calculator — test your own digits-per-image choice.
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