When you set out to memorize pi, start looking at groups of three or four digits. Larger groups of numbers will make memorizing more difficult and frustrating. Look at the first three digits of pi, and pay attention to any patterns that you may find. For example: 3.14 can remind you of March 14, which is the birthday of Albert Einstein. The next two digits of pi are 15. Since 14 comes before 15, this makes 3.1415 easy to memorize.
Using sentence mnemonics is another easy way to memorize pi. Sentence mnemonics refers to memorizing the length of each word in a sentence in relation to pi. A famous sentence mnemonic for pi is "Can I have a small container of coffee?" The number of letters in each word is the first eight digits of pi. Together, the sentence helps you memorize 3.1415926.
To memorize the first 15 digits of pi the same way, memorize the following classic mnemonic: "How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics."
Some learners have a difficult time analyzing patterns or using sentence mnemonics. For these individuals, it's easier to memorize pi by reciting the numbers out loud. It's easier to memorize only three or four digits at a time before moving on. Make sure that you can recite the digits without stumbling before you move onward.
Another trick to memorizing pi is to think of it as a phone number. Most people can easily memorize their phone number, which is 10 digits long, as well as the phone numbers of other important people. So, if you think that the first 50 digits of pi are simply five phone numbers to memorize, this will make your task easier. Break the first 10 digits of pi into phone number format: 314-159-2653.