Memory Trick for Cranial Nerves: Visual Guide & Easy Mnemonics

Struggling to memorize all 12 cranial nerves for your anatomy exam? I’ve been there. During my own forays into medical education, I briefly considered tattooing them on my forearm. A mnemonic is less painful and, as it turns out, more effective. Medical students and healthcare professionals often find these essential pathways challenging to recall, especially with their numbers, names, functions, and types all demanding brain space.

This guide combines proven visualization techniques with memorable hooks. These time-tested methods are still the gold standard for students in 2025, helping transform complex nerve pathways into information you won’t forget.

Sketch Your Visual Canvas

Starting with a clear diagram improves recall. Visual learners retain information better when they can map concepts spatially.

Gather these basic supplies:

• A blank brain/nerve outline (draw one or print from online sources)
• Colored pens or highlighters (different colors for sensory vs. motor)
• Optional: sticky notes or a digital drawing app if you prefer tech options

Map the Cranial Nerves on Your Diagram

Label each nerve I–XII on your sketch in numerical order. This creates the essential framework for your memory system:

• Olfactory (I)
• Optic (II)
• Oculomotor (III)
• Trochlear (IV)
• Trigeminal (V)
• Abducens (VI)
• Facial (VII)
• Vestibulocochlear (VIII)
• Glossopharyngeal (IX)
• Vagus (X)
• Accessory (XI)
• Hypoglossal (XII)

Keep your numbering and labeling neat and consistent. The physical act of writing helps solidify these connections in your brain.

Memorize Names with a Simple Phrase

Choose from these proven mnemonic phrases to remember the order and names of all cranial nerves:

Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH! (the classic cranial nerves mnemonic)

“On Occasion, Our Trusty Truck Acts Funny, Very Good Vehicle AnyHow”

“On, On, On, They Traveled And Found Voldemort Guarding Very Ancient Horcruxes” (Harry Potter-themed)

Medical students, a resourceful and often sleep-deprived group, have also created some risqué versions that are harder to forget:

“On Occasion Oliver Tries To Anally F* Various Guys. Vaginas Are History!”**

“Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH, Honey”

Each first letter corresponds to a cranial nerve in order.

For additional mnemonic resources, consider the following external guides:

Radiopaedia: Cranial Nerves Mnemonic

Cranial Nerves Mnemonic Video Tutorial

Easy Cranial Nerves Mnemonics Video

Additionally, check out The 12 cranial nerves and how to REMEMBER them! for an engaging video tutorial.

Lock in Sensory, Motor or Both Roles

To remember whether each nerve is Sensory (S), Motor (M), or Both (B), use this mnemonic:

“Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter Most”
For more mnemonic tips, see SimpleNursing’s guide.

The first letter of each word aligns with the function type:

Nerve	Number	Role	Function Type Word
Olfactory	I	Sensory	Some
Optic	II	Sensory	Say
Oculomotor	III	Motor	Marry
Trochlear	IV	Motor	Money
Trigeminal	V	Both	But
Abducens	VI	Motor	My
Facial	VII	Both	Brother
Vestibulocochlear	VIII	Sensory	Says
Glossopharyngeal	IX	Both	Big
Vagus	X	Both	Brains
Accessory	XI	Motor	Matter
Hypoglossal	XII	Motor	Most

Comprehensive Guide to Each Nerve

For more details on each nerve’s function and clinical implications, refer to the Cleveland Clinic overview of cranial nerves and Kenhub’s guide.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of each nerve, its functions, and clinical deficits when damaged:

1. Olfactory (I) – Sensory

• Function: Transmits smell sensations from nasal mucosa to the brain
• Clinical deficit: Anosmia (loss of smell)
• Memory hook: Picture yourself sniffing freshly ground coffee beans

2. Optic (II) – Sensory

• Function: Carries visual information from retina to the brain
• Clinical deficit: Vision loss, visual field abnormalities
• Memory hook: Imagine looking through a camera viewfinder

3. Oculomotor (III) – Motor

• Function: Controls most eye movements (superior, inferior, medial recti, inferior oblique), raises eyelids, constricts pupils, accommodates the lens
• Clinical deficit: Ptosis (drooping eyelid), “down and out” eye position, diplopia, dilated pupil
• Memory hook: Visualize puppet eyes opening and closing

4. Trochlear (IV) – Motor

• Function: Innervates superior oblique muscle for downward/inward eye movement
• Clinical deficit: Vertical diplopia, especially when looking down (difficulty reading or descending stairs)
• Memory hook: See yourself looking down to read

5. Trigeminal (V) – Both

Sensory function: Provides sensation to the face, scalp, nasal/oral mucosa, teeth, and anterior 2/3 of the tongue

• Motor function: Innervates muscles of mastication (chewing)
• Clinical deficit: Facial numbness, loss of corneal reflex, jaw weakness/deviation
• Memory hook: Picture chewing taffy with tingling cheeks

6. Abducens (VI) – Motor

• Function: Innervates lateral rectus muscle for lateral eye movement
• Clinical deficit: Inability to abduct the eye (eye stuck medially), horizontal diplopia
• Memory hook: Visualize eyes looking sideways at something surprising

7. Facial (VII) – Both

• Motor function: Controls facial expression muscles
• Sensory function: Taste from the anterior 2/3 of the tongue
• Parasympathetic function: Stimulates lacrimal and salivary glands
• Clinical deficit: Facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy), loss of taste, dry eyes
• Memory hook: Imagine making a sour face tasting a lemon

8. Vestibulocochlear (VIII) – Sensory

• Function: Hearing (cochlear branch) and balance/equilibrium (vestibular branch)
• Clinical deficit: Hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, balance problems
• Memory hook: Picture yourself walking a tightrope while bells ring

9. Glossopharyngeal (IX) – Both

• Sensory function: Taste and sensation from the posterior 1/3 of the tongue, upper pharynx
• Motor function: Innervates stylopharyngeus muscle for swallowing
• Parasympathetic function: Stimulates the parotid salivary gland
• Clinical deficit: Loss of taste/sensation, absent gag reflex, dysphagia
• Memory hook: Visualize savoring chocolate at the back of your tongue

10. Vagus (X) – Both

• Sensory function: Visceral sensation from the heart, lungs, abdominal organs, taste from the epiglottis
• Motor function: Controls muscles of the pharynx, larynx, and tongue base
• Parasympathetic function: Regulates heart rate, bronchial tone, and digestive tract activity
• Clinical deficit: Hoarseness, dysphagia, loss of gag reflex, deviated uvula
• Memory hook: Imagine talking while feeling your heartbeat

11. Accessory (XI) – Motor

• Function: Controls sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles for head/shoulder movement
• Clinical deficit: Weakness in turning the head and shrugging shoulders, shoulder droop
• Memory hook: Picture yourself shrugging with heavy weights

12. Hypoglossal (XII) – Motor

• Function: Controls tongue muscles for speech, chewing, and swallowing
• Clinical deficit: Tongue deviation (toward lesion side), atrophy, fasciculations
• Memory hook: Imagine licking an ice cream cone

Build a Memory Palace

Now for a technique that sounds like something from a Sherlock Holmes story but is surprisingly practical. Assign each nerve-image to a specific location in a familiar space:

• Choose a familiar room or path (your home, a walk on campus, etc.)
• Place the first three nerves at the entrance (smell coffee, look through a camera, puppet eyes)
• Position the next three along the left wall (reading a book, chewing taffy, a surprised look)
• Continue placing the remaining nerves around the room in order
• Mentally walk through this space, encountering each nerve in sequence
• This “memory palace” technique helps students recall complex systems far better than panicking during an exam.

Practice Active Recall

Implement these effective practice drills:

• Draw the nerves from memory on a blank page
• Create flashcards (number → name → function → clinical deficits)
• Explain the cranial nerves to someone else (teaching reinforces learning)
• Quiz yourself on type (S/M/B) without looking at notes
• Active recall strengthens neural pathways more effectively than passive review.

Schedule Spaced Repetition

Set up short, strategic review sessions:

Day 1: Initial learning (20-30 minutes)

Day 2: Quick review (10 minutes)

Day 4: Brief test (5 minutes)

Day 7: Comprehensive review (15 minutes)

Day 14: Final check (5 minutes)

Free apps like Anki can automate this spacing for optimal retention.

Integrated Reference Table

Mnemonic Word	Nerve Name	#	Function Type	S/M/B	Primary Function	Clinical Deficit
Oh	Olfactory	I	Some	S	Smell	Anosmia (loss of smell)
Oh	Optic	II	Say	S	Vision	Visual field defects, blindness
Oh	Oculomotor	III	Marry	M	Eye movement, pupil constriction	Ptosis, “down & out” eye, dilated pupil
To	Trochlear	IV	Money	M	Down/in eye movement	Vertical diplopia when reading/descending stairs
Touch	Trigeminal	V	But	B	Face sensation, chewing	Facial numbness, jaw weakness
And	Abducens	VI	My	M	Lateral eye movement	Eye stuck medially, horizontal diplopia
Feel	Facial	VII	Brother	B	Facial expression, taste (ant. 2/3 tongue)	Bell’s palsy, taste loss, dry eyes
Very	Vestibulocochlear	VIII	Says	S	Hearing, balance	Hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus
Good	Glossopharyngeal	IX	Big	B	Taste (post. 1/3 tongue), swallowing	Loss of taste, dysphagia, absent gag reflex
Velvet	Vagus	X	Brains	B	Heart rate, digestion, speech	Hoarseness, uvula deviation, GI dysfunction
A	Accessory	XI	Matter	M	Head/shoulder movement	Weak head turning, shoulder shrug
H	Hypoglossal	XII	Most	M	Tongue movement	Tongue deviation toward lesion side

FAQs

1. What is the easiest way to remember cranial nerves?

The most effective approach combines a mnemonic phrase like “Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH!” with vivid visual associations and a memory palace technique. This multi-sensory approach works for most learning styles.

2. What is the mnemonic for the cranial nerves in Harry Potter?

“On, On, On, They Traveled And Found Voldemort Guarding Very Ancient Horcruxes” is a Harry Potter-themed mnemonic where each word’s first letter corresponds to the cranial nerves in order (Olfactory through Hypoglossal).

3. What is the mnemonic for the nerves in the brain?

For cranial nerve types (Sensory/Motor/Both): “Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter Most” helps remember which nerves are sensory, motor, or both.

4. How to remember cranial nerves with Dr. Mike?

Dr. Mike (Mikhail Varshavski) recommends using the standard mnemonics combined with vivid imagery that connects nerve function to real-life scenarios. This approach helps medical students better understand the clinical implications of nerve damage.