Same word. Very different memory.
Tell people a man is a baker and they remember it. Tell them his name is Baker and they forget. A job comes with pictures — flour, bread, an apron. A name, on its own, comes with nothing to hold onto.
Turn every name into a baker
The fix is to give the name pictures of its own. Pick a name to see a memory hook built in three steps.
Hear it
“Rose” — like the flower.
Find a feature
Her rosy cheeks.
Link them
Picture a rose tucked behind her ear, matching her cheeks.
The first 30 seconds of meeting someone
Say it back
“Nice to meet you, Maya.” Saying it out loud gives the name a second copy.
Ask one question
“Is that short for anything?” Talking about the name makes you process it more deeply.
Build a hook
Link a sound in the name to something you can see on their face.
Use it once more
“Great talking, Maya.” Retrieving it at the end locks it in.
Faces and names live in different places
3 regions share the work in this game. Pick one to see its job.
Putting names to faces
Names are among the hardest things to remember because they're arbitrary: nothing about a face tells you it's a Sam. This game trains you to bind the two quickly.
Where you'll notice it in everyday life
More memory games
All 40 games →Twelve words, then write down all you can.
Repeat growing strings of digits.
Tap blocks back in order.
Recreate a grid you saw for a moment.