Stroop Color-Word Test

A classic brain exercise measuring focus and impulse control

How It Works

You will see a color word printed in a different ink color. Your job is to click the color of the ink — not the word you read.

BLUE
RED
YELLOW

Example: "BLUE" written in red ink → click Red

Why this matters for ADHD: This test measures inhibitory control — the brain's ability to stop an automatic response (reading the word) and choose a deliberate one (naming the ink color). People with ADHD often find the conflicting trials especially challenging. This is not a weakness — it is a window into how your brain works.

20 trials · takes about 90 seconds · no sign-in required

Trial 1 of 20
—
Click the ink color of the word above

Your Results

Overall Accuracy
—
% correct
Avg Response Time
—
milliseconds
Easy Trials (same)
—
ms avg
Hard Trials (conflict)
—
ms avg
Easy (word = color) — ms
Hard (word ≠ color) — ms
Correct (easy) Correct (hard) Incorrect

What the Stroop Effect Tells Us

The gap between your easy-trial and hard-trial times is called the Stroop Effect. A larger gap is completely normal — it simply means your brain is an efficient reading machine. The word-reading pathway runs on autopilot, while naming the ink color requires deliberate attention.

For people with ADHD, the conflict condition can be especially challenging because it requires holding two competing responses in mind and suppressing the faster one. This is a core executive function skill — and it can be strengthened with practice.

Based on the original Stroop (1935) paradigm · Public domain · No data is stored or sent anywhere.