In everyday life, language is encoded either visually, in a written format, or auditorily, through phonological systems. This study investigated how the modality of word presentation affects memorability, defined as the likelihood that a word will be recalled. Using a between-subjects design, 42 participants were exposed to 90 words either visually or auditorily, and completed a series of free recall tasks, both before and after a review phase. Memorability scores were calculated for each word, based on the proportion of participants who recalled it. Hypothesis 1, that visual words would show an advantage in memorability at the initial exposure, was not supported, suggesting that modality alone may not affect recall performance under controlled exposure conditions. Hypothesis 2 examined whether semantic features, such as word size, arousal and animacy, interact with modality to influence memorability. Although animacy was a significant predictor of recall, no interactions with modality were found, indicating that semantic effects generalize across format. Hypothesis 3, which proposed a persistent advantage for visual words after review, received partial support: while recall improved overall following review, the visual advantage was not statistically significant following post-hoc tests. These findings challenge previous assumptions about the inherent superiority of visual learning and highlight the importance of semantic richness in shaping memory. The results have implications for educational and communication strategies, emphasising that content and repetition may be more important to consider when it comes to memorability, than sensory format alone.