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Is there a nice mnemonic for the spelling of the word

parallel

I just can't remember how many "l" there are and where.

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    @Josh61, two "ll" at the end would be parallel, too. And two pairs of "l" would be even more paralleler. But thanks, at least that helps remember that there is at least one pair of "l". And thanks for the link!
    – Emanuel
    Nov 20, 2014 at 10:55
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    The best way to remember, is the old way. Hand write the word fifty times on a piece of paper, guaranteed. You'll probably want to stop after the tenth but keep going! :)
    – Mari-Lou A
    Nov 20, 2014 at 12:08
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    I go by "Do not put the double l where I think it should be".
    – painfulenglish
    Nov 20, 2014 at 14:57
  • @painfulenglish... oddly enough that is actually very helpful :)
    – Emanuel
    Nov 21, 2014 at 11:57

5 Answers 5

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I'm not sure whether this question is opinion-based or not, so I'll provide an answer anyway.

Associate the word parallel with the number 121. If you can do that because of that number's pattern, you don't need to remember how to find which number to use, but double L looks like eleven. 11 × 11 = 121.

Use the digits in order to help with common misspellings: one R, two Ls then one L: parallel.

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  • You didn't explicitly mention it, but parallel = corresponding = "one-to-one" (one R, to/two Ls then one L). That works for me without needing to remember my 11 times table!
    – FumbleFingers
    Jun 3, 2022 at 11:07
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Parallel mnemonic:

  • Par all elephants

You don't need to remember the par bit because it's in the original word. All elephants should do the trick for the end.

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How about:

The parallel train tracks go through the middle of my town.

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Perhaps the information on etymonline can help.
Parallel Greek para meaning "beside" and Greek allos meaning "other".

As a mnemonic aid you could say the double l in the middle consists of two parallel lines.

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Imagine building a railway track (surely one of the easiest sets of parallel lines to picture).

Pick A Route And Lay Lines ELegantly

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