fun mnemonics to help you memorize 4 key words from right speech

Right speech has never been more fun. 

👑8☸ → 3💬 Sammā-vācā

STED right speech

“katamā ca, bhikkhave, sammā-vācā? yā kho, bhikkhave,	What **, *********, is right speech? ** *** *********
musāvādā veramaṇī,	lying; abstaining (from it)
pisuṇāya vācāya veramaṇī,	Divisive-speech; abstaining (from it)
pharusāya vācāya veramaṇī,	Abusive-speech; abstaining (from it)
samphappalāpā veramaṇī —	Idle-chatter; abstaining (from it)
ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammā-vācā.	This is called, *********, right speech.

0. veramani = abstaining (from that)

That's an important word. Memorize it. 

1. musā-vādā (false-sayings)

Musā (adv.) [Vedic mṛṣā, fr. mṛṣ, lit. "neglectfully"] falsely, wrongly; uṣually with verbs vadati, bhanati bhāsati & brūti; to speak falsely, to tell a lie.

Vāda [fr. vad: see vadati; Vedic vāda (not in RV!), in meaning of "theory, disputation" only in Class. Sk. <-> The relation of roots vac: vad is like E. speak: say but vāda as t. t. has developed quite distinctly the specified meaning of an emphatic or formulated speech assertion or doctrine]

Vāda  is closely related to the vācā (vocalization, speech, latin vox, vocal).

Bonus word: 

Thera = elders

Thera-Vāda  = sayings of the elders

Mnemonic for musā:

musa (lying, falsehood) is evil, and evil laughter is "muahahahahah".

musa looks like english slang "muahahaha".

1. pisuṇāya vācāya (divisive vocalization)

Pisāca [cp. Sk. piśāca & Vedic piśāci; to same root as pisuna=Vedic piśuna, & Lat. piget, Ohg. fēhida enmity=Ags. faehp ("feud"), connected with root of Goth. fijan to hate; thus pisāca=fiend] 1. a demon goblin, sprite

Pisuṇa (adj.) [Vedic piśuṇa, see etym. under pisāca] backbiting, calumnious, malicious 

Mnemonic for pisuṇāya

pisuṇāya looks like English slang, "piss".

So picture two friends talking,

and you take a "piss" (urinate) right between them, causing them both to jump away from each other, effectively dividing them from their pleasant conversation.

3. pharusāya vācāya (abusive vocalization)

Pharusa (adj.) [cp. Vedic paruṣa, on ph.>p see pharasu, on attempt at etym. cp. Walde, Lat. Wtb. s. v. fario 1. (lit.) rough Pv ii.4¹.

2. (fig.) harsh, unkind, rough (of speech)

Mnemonic

Pharusa looks like English word "pharoah", so visualize a pharoah abusing and yelling at his slaves

4. samphappalāpā  (idle chatter)

This word is probably an

on·o·mat·o·poe·ia

/ˌänəˌmadəˈpēə,ˌänəˌmädəˈpēə/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle ).

"samphappalāpā" is the sound people make when they're chattering.

An English version of that, would be "yada yada yada", or "blah blah blah".

Practically free new vocabulary word: vuccati

ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, sammā-vācā.

This is called, *********, right speech.

Vuccati [Pass. of vac] to be called D i.168, 245; Sn 436, 759, 848, 861, 946; Nd¹ 431; Nd² s. v. katheti; SnA 204 DhA ii.35. See also vatti. -- pp. vutta. 

You can see 'vuccati' is just a version of 'vāca', which itself is basically a free word from the common indo euro root, such as English "vocal", latin "vox". 

Vāda (from musā vāda) also closely related to that vāca, vox.