Listen & Recall
A voice reads a string of letters that could end at any moment. When it stops, say back the part the rule asks for. A practice tool, not an assessment.
Presets (free)
Settings dialsPro
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A voice reads a string like this, one letter at a time
SFXYRUFK
Then the person says back the last three letters
Preview: strings are 4 to 8 letters long; the answer is tapped in
About Listen & Recall
Listen & Recall is a cognitive stimulation exercise adapted from the Auditory Working Memory pack in the worksheet library. A voice reads a string of letters or numbers, one per second, and the string can be short or long with no warning of when it will end. When it stops, the person says back the part the rule asks for: the last three, the first and last two, and so on up the pack's five levels. Because the length is unpredictable, the listener has to keep updating what counts as "the last few" the whole time. That constant updating is working memory, not just a span.
The screen keeps the pace steady and the voice consistent, and it lets the person answer by tapping when speaking is hard. It is the same voice as the Medication Management simulator: the most natural one your device has installed. Results show strings correct, the share of items placed correctly, and accuracy by string length, which is where the breaking point shows. Captions, a clear-sounding letter set, large print, and the therapist-marks response mode are always free.
It is built for occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, caregivers, and anyone practicing auditory attention and working memory, and it runs in any browser with built-in voices. Listen & Recall is a practice and cognitive stimulation tool, not a standardized assessment, and no patient information is collected or stored.
About the Listen & Recall exercise
A phone menu reads out an option list, a receptionist gives a reference number, someone at the counter says a total, a friend rattles off directions. Holding the last few things heard while more keep arriving is auditory working memory. After a stroke, a brain injury, or with attention changes, the tail end of what was just said can be gone before it is needed.
Listen & Recall is a free online auditory working memory exercise adapted from the Auditory Working Memory worksheet pack. A voice reads a string of letters or numbers at a steady pace, the string can stop at any moment, and when it does the person gives back the part the rule asks for: the last three, the first and last two, and so on.
What Listen & Recall practices
- Working memory updating
- Because the string length is unknown, what counts as the last three keeps changing with every item. The listener has to drop old items and keep the newest ones, right up until the tone.
- Auditory attention
- Every item arrives once, by ear, at a pace of 0.6 to 1.5 seconds. There is nothing to look back at unless captions are on, so attention has to stay on the voice for the whole string.
- Holding two parts of a rule
- Rules that combine first and last items, such as the first two and last three, mean holding the opening of the string steady while still updating the end of it.
How the tool works and what it records
Five rules match the printed pack's five levels: last three, first and last two, last four, first two and last two, first two and last three, plus a custom rule. Pro unlocks the dials: letters or numbers, string length from 3 to 10, pace from 0.6 to 1.5 seconds per item, 5 to 20 strings per round, and a 0 to 10 second delay before answering. Always free: tap or therapist-marks response, a clear-sounding letter set, captions, large print, and a test-the-voice button.
A tone marks the end of each string; the person taps the answer into slots or says it while a partner marks it. Results show strings correct, items in place, and accuracy by string length: short 3 to 5, medium 6 to 7, long 8 to 10. Signed-in users get 5 free rounds per tool per day; Pro removes the cap, adds a PDF therapist sheet of 20 strings, and saves rounds to a session log.
Screen or paper?
The screen suits a steady, repeatable voice: the pace never drifts, the string ends with a tone, answers can be tapped when speaking is hard, and accuracy is split by string length automatically. Paper suits a partner reading from the therapist sheet at a natural pace, sessions without a device or speakers, people who find a live voice easier to follow, and a record of marked sheets to keep.
The printable version is the Auditory Working Memory worksheet set on rehabworksheets.com, and there is a free auditory working memory worksheet to try first, with no email required.
Is this a test?
Listen & Recall borrows from digit span and letter span tasks (forward, backward, sequencing) such as the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler scales, and from n-back style working memory tasks. It borrows the format only. Strings are generated fresh, there are no norms, and it is not an assessment or a substitute for evaluation by a qualified professional.
Using it well
- Test the voice before the first round. The test-the-voice button plays a short sample at the chosen pace and ends with the tone. Check that letters sound distinct through the device's speaker, and switch to numbers or the clear-sounding letter set if any blur.
- Start on last three with short strings. The first preset uses strings of 4 to 8 items. Move up the rules in the pack's order, last three, then first and last two, then last four, only when the medium bucket in the results is mostly correct.
- Read the length buckets, not just the total. Strings correct can look fine while every miss sits in the long bucket. That pattern shows where the load tips over; shortening the longest string dial by one or two items keeps practice at the edge instead of past it.
- Choose the response mode for the person. Tap mode suits practicing alone or when speech is effortful; the keyboard works too. Therapist-marks mode shows the answer on screen for a partner, so keep the device turned away from the person while they say it.
Common questions
Is this auditory working memory exercise free online?
Yes. A free account gives 5 rounds per tool per day, reset at midnight UTC, with three rule presets and every administration option: response mode, letter set, captions, large print, and the voice test. Pro opens the dials, removes the cap, and adds the therapist sheet PDF.
How is it scored?
A string is correct only when every target item is in the right slot. Items in place gives partial credit for each item in the correct position. Results also group strings by length (short, medium, long), and per-string feedback underlines the targets in the full string.
How is this different from digit span?
Digit span asks for the whole string, forward or backward, and the standardized test is given under set conditions with norms. Listen & Recall asks for a slice of a string of unknown length, which is closer to an n-back updating task. For whole-string practice, the Digit Span tool runs forward and backward strings. Both are practice only, with no norms.
What if there is no sound?
The voice comes from the browser's built-in speech, so Safari, Chrome, and Edge all work without installing anything. If the browser has no voices, captions switch on automatically and the string shows on screen instead. Otherwise check the device volume and use the test-the-voice button.
Why does the voice leave out some letters?
The clear-sounding set drops B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, and Z, which rhyme, and the M and N pair, because they blur through a speaker or with hearing loss. Switch to all letters, which matches the printed pack, once the voice and the room are known to be clear.
This exercise supports cognitive stimulation and structured practice. It is not medical treatment or an assessment, and no specific therapeutic outcomes are claimed.