Objective To explore the features of verbal working memory in elderly patients with anmestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).Methods Thirty patients with aMCI and 30 normal controls (NC), whose age were over 65 years old, were examined with verbal working memory software and the other neuropsychological tests, such as verbal fluency test (VFT) and digit span test.Results The correct rate of visual semantic verbal working memory test was significantly lower in aMCI patients (79.83% ± 3.22% )than in NC ( 87.00% ±: 1.93 % , t = - 1.03, P = 0.002).There was no significant difference of correct rate of the visual phonological verbal working memory test between the aMCI (78.92% ± 8.60% ) and NC (86.80% ±2.14%, t = - 2.34, P = 0.060).Also, aMCI cases achieved significantly lower scores than NC on VFT (22.96 ±2.31 vs 31.53 ±3.72, t = - 1.08, P =0.004) and BDS ( 1.53 ±0.86 vs 3.63 ±0.56, t = - 1.23, P = 0.027).Conclusion The visual semantic verbal working memory is impaired and visual phonetic working memory is saved in aMCI patients.Both scores of verbal fluency test and digit span test are significantly decreased in aMCI patients, too.