100 Starter Words for the 2-Digit Major System

You’ve worked through the Major System — the mapping from digits to consonant sounds clicks, you’ve decoded a few examples, and you’re ready to memorize real numbers: phone numbers, dates, anniversaries.

Then you hit the wall. To use the system at speed you need a word ready for every number — 100 of them, from 0 to 99. Picking those words yourself takes weeks of tinkering, so most people stall right here.

Here’s a list to skip the slog. Every word is a concrete, picturable thing — a saw, a hippo, a phone — chosen for the strongest mental image at each slot. Tap any cell to see the word, its image, and how the consonant sounds give the digits back.

0saw1ET2honey3ham4arrow5loo6shoe7cow8ivy9hippo10DS11Dodo12dino13ATM14tree15Adele16DJ17dog18TV19tub20Nessie21ant22nun23anime24Nero25nail26Naja27ink28knife29honeybee30Messi31mate32money33mummy34hammer35mule36match37mic38mafia39Moby40horse41rat42Arnie43rum44aurora45rail46roach47orca48roof49harp50lassi51lute52lion53llama54lorry55lolly56Luigi57Hulk58lava59lip60cheese61cheetah62chain63jam64cherry65J.Lo66shisha67Shaq68chef69sheep70goose71cat72gun73comb74car75koala76couch77cake78coffee79cowboy80vase81vet82phone83foam84fire85fly86fish87vac88fife89fob90bus91boat92piano93Puma94beer95ball96beach97pig98beef99Popeye

The colored letters in each breakdown are the consonants that carry the number; everything else — vowels and the soft h, w, y sounds — is free filler that makes the word pronounceable. If you’re fuzzy on why s is 0 or n is 2, the Major System guide walks through the full mapping with interactive examples.

Make it yours

Treat this list as a draft, not scripture. The best peg is the one you picture instantly — if 32 says “moon” to you faster than “money,” swap it. A handful of personal pegs (say, a friend’s face for a name) will stick harder than any list a stranger handed you. The 90 you don’t have an opinion on, keep as-is and move on.

Three ways to take it further — build your own list in Capiu, sample the catalog in the lookup tool, or drill these 100 pegs in Anki:

Lookup tool

Look up numbers against a sample of the catalog, enough to get a feel, with no account or email. Runs offline once installed.

Look up numbers

Capiu app

Build and keep your own list, picking from the full catalog that keeps growing over time. Load this one as a starting point and swap only the pegs you don't love instead of retyping all 100, then go further with 3- and 4-digit lists.

Open Capiu →

Anki deck

Start drilling these 100 pegs today. Tweak your pegs in Capiu later and re-export anytime to keep the deck in sync.

Get the Anki deck