Online attention trainer

Stroop Test: pick the ink color, not the word

Also known as: Ink Color, Stroop effect test, color word test

You see a color word, usually printed in a different color of ink. Pick the ink color from four options as fast as you can; each round lasts one minute. You can play 10 minutes a day without signing up.

Go to the game ↓

1 minuteper round
8 colors4 answer options
No sign-up10 minutes a day
Progress30-day chart

What it trains

Why take the Stroop test

The exercise works on concentration and on not answering on autopilot. Reading a word is easier than naming a color, so every time you have to hold back your first reaction and look at the ink itself.

At the end of a round you see how many answers were right and how many were mistakes. Once you sign up, every round is saved, and your account shows a 30-day chart and your personal bests.

You answer before you’ve thought it throughYour first reaction beats the check
You lose track when people talk nearbyOther people’s words interrupt your task
You do the usual thing when something else is neededHabit is stronger than attention
You want a quick warm-up for your mindOne minute, one clear rule

Concentration

Stick to one rule for the whole minute and ignore what the word means.

Holding back habits

Reading kicks in on its own, and you have to put the brakes on it.

Reaction speed

Only correct answers score, so both speed and accuracy matter.

Tricky buttons

The button labels are mostly printed in the wrong colors too, but sometimes a button is in its own color. Read them carefully.

Rules

How to play

Start
Press the start button. The one-minute timer begins right away.
Look at the ink
A word appears in the center, for example BLUE printed in red ink.
Pick the color
Tap the button with the name of the ink color. There are four options.
Don’t trust the buttons
The button labels are mostly colored in other colors too, and only now and then in their own. Read the name itself.
Mistakes
A correct answer brings up the next word right away; after a mistake there’s a short pause. Your score is the number of correct answers.

Play online

Stroop test online

Press start and pick the ink color, not the word. Without an account you get 10 minutes of play a day.

Ink Color

A color word is printed in a different color of ink. Pick the ink color, not the word. Trains concentration.

Free play left today without signing up: 10 min

Method

What the exercise is based on

In 1935 the American psychologist John Ridley Stroop described the effect: naming the ink color is noticeably harder when the word means a different color. Since then the colored-words task has become one of the best-known tasks in the psychology of attention, known as the Stroop test.

Stop Signal (a Go/No-Go reaction test) works on a similar skill, holding back a habitual response. And if you want a trickier rule, try the Task Switcher: there the rule changes in the middle of the game.

8colors in the gamered, blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, black, pink

4answer optionspick the ink color from them

1 in 4words match the inkroughly every fourth one; the rest are tricky

Who it’s for

Which ages

Adults

A one-minute warm-up before work or study, when you need to get focused.

Kids

Part of the “Kids” collection. Your child needs to read color names confidently. Suitable from age 6. Kids set

60+

Part of the “60+” collection. One clear rule and a large word in the center. 60+ set

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Why is it so hard to answer?

The word reads itself, faster than you can register the color. That’s the Stroop effect, and the whole exercise is about putting the brakes on that habit.

What counts as a good result?

Compare yourself with yourself: the number of correct answers depends on your device and on practice. Your account shows how your score changes from your very first round.

What happens if I make a mistake?

A mistake doesn’t take points away, but it’s followed by a short pause, so you have less time left for answers. Mistakes are shown in the round summary.

Do I need to sign up?

No, you can play 10 minutes a day right away. Free sign-up lets you keep playing, save your results, track your progress and unlock the daily workout.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes, the trainer runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers. There’s nothing to install.

Save your results and track your progress

Free sign-up: round history, a chart by skill and a daily workout of 5 exercises. No credit card needed.

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Stroop Test: pick the ink color, not the word