How to play hangman
A secret word is shown as a row of blanks, one for each letter. Guess one letter at a time by tapping it on the keyboard above or typing it. If the letter is in the word, every copy of it is filled in. If it is not, another part of the figure is drawn. Find the whole word before the sixth miss to win.
- Difficulty sets how tricky the words are. Easy words use few different letters; Hard words use more of them, plus rare ones.
- Word length picks short (3 to 5 letters), medium (6 to 8) or long words (9 or more).
- Category limits the words to one theme, such as Animals, Food or Space.
- Show category displays the theme of the current word as a hint. Turn it off for a harder game.
Your wins, losses, current streak and best streak are saved in this browser, so you can try to beat your record next time.
Strategy tips
Start with vowels and common consonants
Almost every English word has at least one vowel, and E is the most common letter in English writing. A good opening is E, A, O or I, followed by common consonants like T, N, S, R and L. Each of these is likely to fill in at least one blank.
Use the shape of the word
Once a few letters are showing, think about patterns. A word ending in a blank after an E might end in ED or ER. Two blanks at the end after an N often mean NG. Double letters such as LL, SS, EE and OO are common, so a single reveal can fill two blanks at once.
Save rare letters for last
J, Q, X and Z are uncommon. Guess them only when the pattern points to them, for example a Q is almost always followed by U. Y often shows up at the end of a word, so it is worth trying when the last blank is still open.
Short words are sneaky
Short words give you less to work with. A three-letter word with one vowel can match dozens of possibilities, which is why short words with rare letters can be some of the hardest in the game.
Variants and ideas
Hangman began as a pencil-and-paper game and is still a favorite in classrooms for practicing spelling and vocabulary. Some players allow more misses for younger children by adding extra details to the drawing, such as hands, feet or a face. Others play with whole phrases, movie titles or a single theme chosen in advance. Teachers often use a category like Jobs or Animals to match the week's lesson. For two players, take turns choosing words for each other on paper and compare streaks at the end.
If you like word and memory challenges, try the Memory Game next, or relax with a quick round of Tic Tac Toe.
Questions
How many wrong guesses do I get?
Six. Each wrong letter adds one part to the figure: head, body, two arms and two legs. On the sixth miss the round is over and the word is shown.
Can I use my keyboard?
Yes. Type any letter to guess it, and press Enter to start a new word when a round ends. The on-screen keyboard works the same way on phones and tablets.
What makes a word hard?
Here difficulty depends on how many different letters a word has and whether it uses rare letters such as J, Q, X, Z, K, V, W or Y. A short word like "jazz" can be harder than a long one built from common letters.
Does skipping a word count?
If you press New word before you have guessed anything, nothing is recorded. Once you have made a guess, skipping counts as a loss and resets your streak.
Are the words safe for kids?
Yes. The list has over 1,500 everyday words in themes like animals, food, places, jobs, sports and space, chosen to be family-friendly.