What verbal memory is
Verbal memory is memory for language: words, names, sentences, and things you have read or heard. When you hold a phone number by repeating it under your breath, or remember what someone said at the start of a conversation, you are using it.
In the working memory model proposed by Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch in 1974, one part deals with speech-based information and a separate part deals with visual and spatial information. Verbal memory relies on the first. That is why it can be strong while your visual memory is average, or the other way around.
Recognition vs recall
Verbal memory is tested in two main ways.
| Question | Recognition | Recall |
|---|---|---|
| What do you do? | Decide whether you have met an item before | Produce the item with no prompt |
| Everyday example | Spotting a familiar name on a list | Writing a shopping list from memory |
| How hard is it? | Easier | Harder |
The test on this page is a recognition test.
Everyday examples
You use verbal memory when you follow spoken instructions, keep the start of a long sentence in mind until you reach the end, or realize that a word in a language you are learning has come up before. Remembering a name a few minutes after an introduction is the same skill.
How the test works
Words appear one at a time. If the word has already come up in this run, choose Seen. If not, choose New. You get one point for each correct answer and you have three lives. Most people score 25 to 45.
How to improve verbal memory
- Make a picture. Imagine the thing the word names. Images are easier to recognize later than the bare sound of a word.
- Build a story. Tie each new word to the ones before it, so that one brings back the next.
- Rehearse. Say the word once in your head to add a second trace.
- Slow down. There is no time limit, and a fast answer on a word that only feels familiar is how lives are lost.
The full score guide is on the verbal memory test page. For digits instead of words, try the number memory test.
This is a game, not an assessment. If you are worried about your memory, see a doctor.