Words / B2

MEM-uh-ryz/ˈmeməraɪz/

To memorise is to learn something so you can recall it exactly (British -ise): memorise a formula; memorise a quote. Learn is wider; revise is exam preparation. Show the working; the mark is not for the chant. Noun: memory (already in the dictionary). Mix-up: memorial is a monument (already elsewhere); memorable means worth remembering (already elsewhere). Do not write memorize in UK exams unless the paper does.

Meaning

To learn something so you can remember it exactly (British spelling).

Examples

• “Memorise the formula, then show the working; the mark is not for the chant.”
• “She had to memorise the cue lines, which is the script sense.”

Good to know

memorise + noun; memorisation. Wider: learn. Trap: memorial / memorable. UK -ise. Sciences, languages, and drama. Learn by heart, not a war monument.

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