Hangman
Guess the hidden word one letter at a time before the drawing is complete. Choose from eight categories and three difficulty levels, use a hint when you are stuck and build a winning streak.
· Tip: type letters on your keyboard to guess.
How to use the Hangman
- Choose a category and difficulty. Easy uses short words and 10 lives, Hard uses words of 8 letters or more and 6 lives.
- Guess a letter by tapping it or typing it on your keyboard.
- Correct letters fill in every matching blank. Wrong letters add a piece to the drawing and cost a life.
- Stuck? Press Use a hint to reveal a letter. It costs one life and you get one hint per word (two on Easy).
- Solve the word before you run out of lives to score points and grow your streak, then press Play again.
Difficulty levels compared
| Level | Word length | Lives | Hints | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 3 to 5 letters | 10 | 2 per word | Younger children and warm-ups |
| Medium | 6 to 7 letters | 8 | 1 per word | Most players |
| Hard | 8 letters or more | 6 | 1 per word | Word game fans and spelling practice |
Letter frequency: guess smarter
In English, some letters appear far more often than others. Guessing in roughly this order wins more games than going alphabetically.
| Group | Letters | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Most common | E, T, A, O, I, N, S, R | Start here; E alone appears in more than half of all words. |
| Common | H, L, D, C, U, M | Good second-round guesses once you see the word's shape. |
| Less common | F, P, G, W, Y, B, V, K | Use when the pattern points to them, such as -LY or -NG. |
| Rare | X, Q, J, Z | Save these for last unless the category suggests them (ZEBRA, QATAR). |
Using hangman in the classroom
- Spelling practice: pick a category that matches the week's topic, such as Science or Countries.
- Team play: project the game and let two teams take turns guessing letters; the team that completes the word scores.
- Vocabulary building: after each round, ask students to use the word in a sentence or find it on a map.
- Phonics: on Easy, discuss which vowels and blends make sense before each guess.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play hangman?
One player thinks of a word and shows a blank for each letter; here the game picks the word for you. You guess one letter at a time. Correct letters are filled in wherever they appear. Every wrong guess adds a part to the drawing. You win if you complete the word before the drawing is finished.
How many wrong guesses do I get?
Easy gives 10 lives, Medium gives 8 and Hard gives 6. On Medium and Hard part of the gallows is already drawn when the game starts, so the figure is completed in fewer wrong guesses.
How is the score calculated?
When you solve a word you earn 10 points for every life you have left, plus 1 point per letter in the word, plus a 5-point bonus if you did not use a hint. Losing a word resets your current win streak but keeps your score.
What is the best first letter to guess in hangman?
Start with common vowels such as E and A, then try frequent consonants like R, T, N, S and L. In longer words, look for common endings such as -ING, -ER and -TION once a few letters are showing.
Is this hangman game suitable for kids and classrooms?
Yes. All words are everyday, family-friendly vocabulary, the drawing is a cheerful cartoon figure, and there are no ads or sign-ups inside the game. Easy mode with short words is a good choice for younger players.
Does the game repeat words?
Words you have played recently are skipped until most of the matching words have been used, so you can play many rounds in a row without repeats.