How do you play Hangman?

A hidden word is shown as a row of blanks, one per letter. You guess letters one at a time. A correct letter is revealed in every place it appears; a wrong letter adds one part to the figure. You win by revealing the whole word, and you lose if six wrong guesses complete the figure before you do.

What is a good first guess?

Start with the most common letters in English, the vowels A, E, I, O and then frequent consonants like R, S, T, L and N. These appear in a large share of words, so they are likely to reveal letters and give you the shape of the word without costing a wrong guess. Save rarer letters for when the pattern points to them.

Can I choose the topic?

Yes. You can pick a category such as animals, food, places, everyday things or nature, which narrows the kind of word you are guessing and makes it easier to reason from the letters you reveal. Leaving it on all categories mixes them for a tougher game.

How many wrong guesses do you get in Hangman?

Six. Each wrong letter adds one part to the figure, in the order head, body, then two arms and two legs, and the round ends when all six parts are drawn. So if you have already used four wrong letters, you have two guesses left and should only try a letter you are fairly sure about, based on the blanks you have filled so far.

Hangman

Play the classic Hangman game online free. Pick a category, then guess the hidden word one letter at a time. Every correct letter fills in its blanks; every wrong one adds a piece to the figure. Six wrong guesses and the round is over, so spend your guesses wisely. Win rounds back to back to build a streak, saved on your own device.

Play the classic Hangman word game online free, the guess-the-word game people scribble on paper. Choose a category such as animals, food or places, then guess the hidden word one letter at a time. Right letters fill in the blanks and wrong ones add a piece to the figure, and you have six wrong guesses before the round ends. There is no download and no sign-up, and winning rounds back to back builds a streak saved on your device.

Free, with no ads in the way
No sign-up, no app
Plays instantly in your browser
Scores stay on your device
Works offline after first load

Read the guide: Hangman Strategy and Best First Letters

How to use it

1
Choose a category

Pick a theme such as animals, food or places, or leave it on all categories for a mixed bag, then a hidden word appears as blanks.
2
Guess letters

Tap a letter on the on-screen keys or press it on your keyboard. Right guesses fill in the blanks; wrong ones add to the figure.
3
Solve before it is complete

Reveal the whole word before six wrong guesses finish the figure. Start with common vowels and frequent letters to open it up.

When it comes in handy

A word game for any age

Simple rules and clear categories make Hangman an easy game to play with children or in a group.

A spelling and vocabulary nudge

Working out a word from a few letters is a gentle way to practise spelling and stretch vocabulary.

A quick streak chase

Short rounds and a saved best streak make it easy to keep going for one more win.

Free, private & 100% in your browser

The game runs right here in your browser. There is no sign-up and no limit on how many rounds you play, your scores stay on your own device, and once the page has loaded it keeps working even with no connection.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Hangman?: A hidden word is shown as a row of blanks, one per letter. You guess letters one at a time. A correct letter is revealed in every place it appears; a wrong letter adds one part to the figure. You win by revealing the whole word, and you lose if six wrong guesses complete the figure before you do.
What is a good first guess?: Start with the most common letters in English, the vowels A, E, I, O and then frequent consonants like R, S, T, L and N. These appear in a large share of words, so they are likely to reveal letters and give you the shape of the word without costing a wrong guess. Save rarer letters for when the pattern points to them.
Can I choose the topic?: Yes. You can pick a category such as animals, food, places, everyday things or nature, which narrows the kind of word you are guessing and makes it easier to reason from the letters you reveal. Leaving it on all categories mixes them for a tougher game.
How many wrong guesses do you get in Hangman?: Six. Each wrong letter adds one part to the figure, in the order head, body, then two arms and two legs, and the round ends when all six parts are drawn. So if you have already used four wrong letters, you have two guesses left and should only try a letter you are fairly sure about, based on the blanks you have filled so far.

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How to use it

Choose a category

Guess letters

Solve before it is complete