Hangman rules
One player knows a word, the other tries to find it. The word starts as a row of blanks, one for each letter. The guesser names one letter at a time. If the letter is in the word, it appears in every place it occurs. If it is not, one more part of the drawing is added. The guesser wins by filling in every blank and loses when the drawing is complete.
In this version the frame is drawn from the start and the figure has six parts: the head, the body, two arms and two legs. That gives you six wrong guesses. Spaces and hyphens in a word, such as in New Zealand or table tennis, are shown from the start, so only letters need guessing. A letter you have tried cannot be guessed again and costs nothing extra.
Word list, hints and two players
With Word list, the game picks a word from a category: animals (66), food (56), countries (55), sports (48), school (49), science (48). The words were chosen by hand for players of all ages, and the countries use their short English names. Word length narrows the pick to short, medium or long words. Random word draws from the large word list the site's word tools use, the 12dicts list by Alan Beale, which its author released to the public domain. That list has tens of thousands of words, so expect some you have never seen.
The hint button reveals one hidden letter in every spot it appears and adds one part to the drawing, so it trades a guess for certainty. Give up shows the word and counts as a loss. With Two players, player 1 types a secret word and an optional clue, and player 2 guesses. The field hides the word as dots, and Show reveals it to check the spelling before the round starts.
Strategy: which letters to guess first
Start with vowels and the most common consonants. In running English text, E, T, A, O, I and N are the most frequent letters, as our guide to letter frequency in English shows with the counts. Nearly every word has a vowel, so E, A, O and I fill in the shape of the word quickly. Next in that count come S, R, H, L and D.
- Read the shape. Look for common endings: plurals end in S, many past tenses in ED, and many verbs in ING.
- Use the length. Short words leave fewer letters to find, but each wrong guess hurts more, because there are fewer chances for a letter to be in the word.
- Save the hint. A hint is worth most late in a long word, when you are stuck between a few rare letters, not at the start when a vowel would do the same job for free.
- Think of the category. In Countries, endings like -IA and -LAND are common. In Science, words often end in -ON, -ION or -SIS.
Hangman in the classroom
Hangman works well for spelling and vocabulary practice. Put the game on a projector, use two-player mode with this week's vocabulary words, and let the class suggest letters together. A clue such as a definition or the subject turns each round into a short review. For a calmer version, decide in advance that the class plays until the word is found and skip the score.
To pick who chooses the next letter or the next word, the random name picker draws a student fairly. For homework or a printed activity with the same words, the word search generator makes a puzzle sheet with an answer key.
How to play hangman online
- 1Pick a category and a word length, then press New word. For a game with a friend, pick Two players and let player 1 type the word.
- 2Guess a letter by tapping a key below the word or typing it on your keyboard. Correct letters appear in the word, wrong ones add a part to the drawing.
- 3Use the hint if you are stuck. It reveals a letter and costs one guess.
- 4Fill in every letter before the sixth wrong guess to win. Your score and streak update, and Play again starts the next word.
Sources
- 12dicts readme by Alan Beale, the public domain word list behind Random word
Related guides
- Letter Frequency in English and the Best Starting Words
- How Many Pages Is 1,000 Words? Words per Page, Measured
- How to Organize a Secret Santa: Rules, Budget, Remote Draws
Frequently asked questions
How many wrong guesses do I get?
Six. Each wrong letter adds one part to the drawing: the head, the body, two arms and two legs. When the sixth part is drawn, the game is over and the word is shown. A hint also counts as one wrong guess.
How does the hint work?
The hint reveals one hidden letter, every place it appears in the word, and adds one part to the drawing, just like a wrong guess. It is not offered when it would be your sixth wrong guess or when only one hidden letter is left, because then it would decide the game for you.
How do two players play on one device?
Pick Two players. Player 1 types a secret word while player 2 looks away. The word is hidden as dots, and the Show button lets player 1 check the spelling. After Start the game, the word disappears from the field and player 2 guesses on the keyboard below the drawing.
Where are my score and streak saved?
Only in this browser on this device, in its local storage. Nothing is sent to a server. Games from the word list count; two-player games do not, because the guesser may change from round to round. Reset score clears the numbers, and clearing your browser data does the same.
Can I use my physical keyboard?
Yes. Type a letter on your keyboard to guess it, as long as no text field has focus. The on-screen keys work with a mouse, a touch screen or the Tab and Enter keys, and each key shows whether its letter was in the word.
Are the words suitable for kids?
The 322 words in the six categories were picked by hand to be family-friendly. The large word list behind Random word is a general list of English words with slurs and the strongest swear words removed, so it can include rare or grown-up words. For a class, stay with the categories or use two-player mode.