What's Your IQ

TRY IT SLOWLY FIRST

Hear a sample stream, then spot the matches

Press play to hear eight letters. Then pick a level: the matching turns light up. Saying the last n letters under your breath ("K, T… T, Q…") is the trick most people discover on their own.

turn 1

too early

turn 2

too early

turn 3

MATCH

turn 4

turn 5

turn 6

MATCH

turn 7

turn 8

At 2-back there are 2 matches here. Notice turn 7: at 1-back it matches turn 6 (both Q), but at 2-back it doesn't. The same letters, a different answer: that's the updating your inner voice has to do.

WHY SOUND IS DIFFERENT

Your memory has separate stores for sight and sound

In Baddeley and Hitch's model, working memory isn't one box. Click each part to see what it does and which games load it.

Phonological loopHolds about two seconds of speech, refreshed by silently repeating it. It's why phone numbers survive if you keep saying them. This game loads it heavily.GAMES THAT LOAD IT

Digit Span Letter–Number Sequencing

WHAT THIS GAME TRAINS

Working memory, by ear

Audio n-back uses the phonological loop: the inner voice that rehearses sounds. Because you can't glance back at a sound, it's often harder than the visual version.

corestrongsomelight

coreAuditory working memoryHolding a stream of spoken letters in mind.

coreWorking memory updatingSwapping in each new letter and dropping the oldest.

strongListening attentionCatching every sound without drifting.

strongInterference controlIgnoring near-match lures.

OUTSIDE THE GAME

Where you'll notice it in everyday life

01Remembering what you hearPhone numbers, directions and names said aloud.

02Language learningHolding new words and sounds long enough to repeat them.

03Lectures and meetingsFollowing spoken explanations without losing the thread.

INSIDE YOUR BRAIN

The brain areas doing the work

Step through each area, or tap one below. The matching marker grows on the brain; dashed markers sit deep inside.

Side view of the brain with the four lobes shaded in different colours

Based on Gray's Anatomy, fig. 728 (public domain)

AREA 1 OF 3

1Temporal lobeside, above the ear

Handles sound, language and recognising objects and faces. Its inner part links to the hippocampus to store new memories.

ITS JOB IN THIS GAMERecognises sounds, words and familiar objectsAuditory cortex in the temporal lobe processes each spoken letter.

DID YOU KNOWA small patch on its underside, the fusiform face area, responds strongly to faces.

ALL AREAS

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

The n-back family, by sense and load

All working-memory games →

ONE STREAMTWO STREAMS

SEE

N-BackVISUALOne square lights up each turn.3 min●●○Dual N-BackHARDESTSquares and spoken letters together, scored separately.5 min●●●

HEAR

Audio N-BackYOU ARE HERESpoken letters only. You are here.3 min●●○Letter–Number SequencingSORTINGHear a jumble, say it back sorted: a different auditory challenge.4 min●●○

Tip:Most people score higher on audio than on visual n-back at first. Try both at the same level and compare.Try visual N-Back

AudioN-Back