McClanahan? McClenahan? McClenehen? Very few truly know for certain.
Every August, when schedules are released, incoming juniors across Loyola fear seeing Mr. McClenahen assigned as their AP Language teacher. However, this fear does not always stem from the rigor of the course itself. Instead, many students panic over something far more intimidating: how to correctly spell his last name.
Fortunately, The Loyalist has arrived to calm your nerves with a complete instructional guide, including vowel placement and helpful mnemonic devices guaranteed to prevent embarrassing mistakes.
Mr. McClenahen’s last name is frequently misspelled because its pronunciation does not clearly indicate which vowels belong where. Confused underclassmen often default to spellings such as “McClanahan” or “McClenehen,” unknowingly placing themselves in dangerous academic territory.
To clarify once and for all, the correct spelling is:
“M – c – C – l – e – n – a – h – e – n”
The most important detail to remember is the vowel pattern within the name:
E → A → E
To help students memorize this sequence, one recommended mnemonic is:
“Elephants Ate Eggs.”
Each word corresponds directly to the vowels in the surname:
- E — Elephants
- A — Ate
- E — Eggs
Simply repeating this phrase before writing the name dramatically increases spelling accuracy and may help preserve the fragile student-teacher relationship.
For students who prefer alternative memorization techniques, another acceptable mnemonic follows the same E-A-E structure:
“Every Apple Eventually.”
Once again:
- E — Every
- A — Apple
- E — Eventually
Ultimately, it does not matter which mnemonic proves easier to remember, as both successfully reinforce the proper vowel order. Armed with this knowledge, students may now confidently walk into that Berendo classroom prepared for the year ahead.
At this point, spelling the name incorrectly becomes increasingly difficult to justify. Whether writing an essay heading, composing an email, or competing against classmates in spelling challenges, students now possess the tools necessary to spell “McClenahen” correctly.
The Loyalist wishes all future AP Lang students the best of luck and remains fully confident that, with these mnemonic devices, they will “guess nothing” throughout the year.
