Stroop Test: The Color and Word Game
This Stroop test shows color words printed in colored ink. Your job is to name the ink color and ignore the word. It sounds easy until the word says one color and the ink shows another.
- A color word appears, printed in colored ink.
- Choose the color of the ink. Ignore what the word says.
- There are 24 words, with 2.5 seconds for each. Be quick, but try not to make mistakes.
Keys: 1 red, 2 blue, 3 green, 4 yellow
This game needs normal color vision. With color blindness the score does not mean much.
How does the Stroop test work?
You see 24 words, one at a time. Each is “red”, “blue”, “green” or “yellow”, printed in one of those colors. Choose the ink color with a button, or press 1 to 4.
Half the words match their ink, such as “blue” in blue. The other half do not, such as “blue” in red. The game times each answer and compares the two kinds.
What is the Stroop effect?
The Stroop effect is the delay you feel when a word names a different color from its ink. The task is named after J. R. Stroop, who first described it. In his test, people named the ink of color words printed in the wrong color.
Reading is so automatic for adults that it runs even when you do not want it to. Naming the ink means holding that reading back. That extra step takes time, and it can cause mistakes.
What does my Stroop score mean?
Your score is your average time for right answers, in milliseconds. The result also shows your own Stroop effect: how much longer the mismatched words took.
A personal best is saved only when most of your answers are correct. That way, speed cannot win by guessing. Your screen and your touch or mouse add a little delay, so compare scores on the same device.
Who should not rely on this test?
The Stroop test depends on seeing colors. With color blindness, the result says little about attention. Reading problems such as dyslexia also change how the test works, since it relies on fast reading.
How can I get faster at the Stroop test?
- Look at the color, not the letters.
- Keep your fingers on the four buttons or keys.
- Aim for no mistakes first, then speed up.
Practice will make you faster at this game. A large review of brain training found little proof that such gains spread to other tasks. So treat your best as a game score, not a measure of focus in daily life.
Curious how reasoning is tested instead? Try our free IQ test. You can also look at sample IQ test questions first. Our guide to how accurate IQ tests are explains the limits of any online test.
FAQ
Why is the Stroop test hard?
Reading happens almost by itself. When the word names another color, your brain has to hold back the reading to name the ink. That takes a moment.
Is this the same as the clinical Stroop test?
No. Psychologists use standardized versions with their own rules and norms. This game is a short version for fun, with no norms.
Is my score saved?
Your best and your last few results are saved in this browser. When a game ends, its score is also counted anonymously: one number, with no name, account or device details, so the site can show how plays compare once a game has enough of them. The cookie policy lists the storage item.