Topic 3: Substitute Words and Phrases - Additional Exercises
The 50-County Challenge
Try applying the Substitute Word and Link systems to the complete list of 50 English counties, in order of size. You have already memorised the first twelve, so start by associating the thirteenth largest county - Shropshire to the twelfth largest - Cornwall.
Effective Learning Strategy
Break It Down
If you find this too large a task to handle in one go, memorise say ten or twelve at a time. This makes the challenge more manageable and builds your confidence gradually.
Build on Previous Success
You've already mastered the first 12 counties. Use this foundation and continue building your memory chain from Cornwall to Shropshire and beyond.
Review and Reinforce
Regularly review the counties you've already memorized before adding new ones. This strengthens your memory chain and prevents forgetting.
Your Learning Progress
Complete List of English Counties by Area
Note: This list reflects the county boundaries as of October 2024
| Rank | County | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Yorkshire | 8,654 |
| 2 | Lincolnshire | 6,975 |
| 3 | Cumbria | 6,767 |
| 4 | Devon | 6,707 |
| 5 | Norfolk | 5,380 |
| 6 | Northumberland | 5,013 |
| 7 | Somerset | 4,170 |
| 8 | Suffolk | 3,801 |
| 9 | Hampshire | 3,772 |
| 10 | Kent | 3,738 |
| 11 | Essex | 3,670 |
| 12 | Cornwall | 3,546 |
| 13 | Shropshire | 3,488 |
| 14 | Wiltshire | 3,485 |
| 15 | Cambridgeshire | 3,390 |
| 16 | Gloucestershire | 3,150 |
| 17 | Lancashire | 3,150 |
| 18 | Staffordshire | 2,714 |
| 19 | County Durham | 2,721 |
| 20 | Dorset | 2,653 |
| 21 | Derbyshire | 2,625 |
| 22 | Oxfordshire | 2,605 |
| 23 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 2,479 |
| 24 | Northamptonshire | 2,364 |
| 25 | Cheshire | 2,343 |
| 26 | Hertfordshire | 2,180 |
| 27 | Nottinghamshire | 2,364 |
| 28 | Leicestershire | 2,156 |
| 29 | West Yorkshire | 2,029 |
| 30 | West Sussex | 1,991 |
| 31 | Warwickshire | 1,975 |
| 32 | Buckinghamshire | 1,874 |
| 33 | East Sussex | 1,791 |
| 34 | Worcestershire | 1,741 |
| 35 | Surrey | 1,663 |
| 36 | Hertfordshire | 1,643 |
| 37 | Greater London | 1,569 |
| 38 | South Yorkshire | 1,552 |
| 39 | Greater Manchester | 1,276 |
| 40 | Berkshire | 1,262 |
| 41 | Bedfordshire | 1,235 |
| 42 | West Midlands | 902 |
| 43 | Merseyside | 647 |
| 44 | Tyne & Wear | 540 |
| 45 | Isle of Wight | 384 |
| 46 | Rutland | 382 |
| 47 | Bristol | 110 |
| 48 | City of London | 567 |
| 49 | Avon | 1,338 |
| 50 | Cleveland | 583 |
Reflect on Your Achievement
When you have memorised the list, and can call out the complete list both forwards and backwards, you will be amazed at your new 'powers' of memory.
Also, when you have memorised the list, you might like to reflect on how difficult it would be to memorise a list of 50 abstract names without using the systems. Most people would find this extremely taxing, if not completely impossible.