How many words can you keep in memory?
The Verbal Memory Test is a free online cognitive test that measures your ability to remember words. You see words one at a time and must identify whether each word is new or one you have already seen. The test continues until you lose all three lives, with your score being the number of words you correctly identified. Research shows that the average person can hold about 7 items in short-term memory at once, but verbal memory can be trained to hold significantly more.
Words appear one at a time in the center of the screen. Click "SEEN" if you have seen the word before in this session, or "NEW" if it is appearing for the first time. Correct answers increase your score. Incorrect answers cost a life. You start with 3 lives and the game ends when all lives are lost. As you progress, the pool of seen words grows, making it harder to distinguish new from previously shown words.
Verbal memory is the ability to remember words, language, and text-based information. It is a key component of short-term and working memory. This test measures how many words you can hold in memory by asking you to identify whether each word is new or one you have already seen.
A score of 40-60 is average for most people. Scores above 80 indicate strong verbal recall, and scores above 100 are considered exceptional. Your score depends on how many words you can correctly identify as new or previously seen before losing all three lives.
You can improve verbal memory by reading regularly, practicing word games and memory exercises, getting adequate sleep, and staying physically active. Techniques like chunking (grouping words into categories) and spaced repetition also help strengthen verbal recall over time.
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Last updated: March 2026 · whatifs.fun — Free interactive games, experiments & simulations