Hangman (also spelled hang man) is a classic word-guessing game. A secret word is shown as a row of blanks, and you guess one letter at a time. Right letters fill the blanks, while each wrong letter adds a part to a stick figure. Spell the whole word before six misses and you win.
Playing Hangman online on this site
Tap a letter on the keyboard above, or type it on a real keyboard. If the letter is in the word, it drops into every blank where it belongs. If it is not, the letter turns red and one more piece of the drawing appears. You get six misses: head, body, two arms and two legs.
Pick a topic from the Words menu to change the pool. You can play mixed topics, a single theme like animals, or a school grade list. Easy mode lets wrong vowels slide for free. Hard mode hands you short words and words with rare letters, which leave far fewer clues.
Stuck? The hint button fills in one letter, but it costs a guess, so use it wisely. When the round ends you see the answer, a short meaning, and a button that says the word and spells it aloud.
A Hangman game built for spelling
Most online versions stop at win or lose. This one turns every round into a tiny spelling lesson. Seeing the full word, reading what it means and hearing each letter helps the spelling stick, which is why many teachers use Hangman as a warm-up.
There are eight topic lists and five grade lists, from first-grade words like jump and blue to fifth-grade challenges like necessary and rhythm. Each list has its own page with the full set of words, so a parent can check what a child is practicing.
You can also make your own game. Paste this week's spelling list into the custom maker, and you get a link that plays only those words. The words ride inside the link, so nothing is saved on a server.
What is Hangman? A short history
Nobody knows exactly who invented Hangman. The oldest known written mention is in Alice Bertha Gomme's book Traditional Games from 1894, where a version is called Birds, Beasts and Fishes. Players wrote the first and last letter of an animal name and dashes for the rest.
Since then it has been played on chalkboards, the backs of notebooks and long car trips. The TV show Wheel of Fortune grew out of the same idea: Merv Griffin, who created the show, based it on the Hangman games he played as a child.
Many classrooms now swap the gallows for a melting snowman or a flower that loses its petals. You can switch to our snowman drawing at any time with the Drawing buttons.
A free Hangman game for any device
There are no ads to wait through and no account to make. The game loads in a second on a phone, tablet, laptop or classroom board. Your wins and streak are kept in this browser only, so we never see them, and you can add the site to your home screen to play like an app.
Play Hangman in three steps
- Step 1
Pick your words
Choose mixed topics, a theme like sports, or a grade list. Set the level to Easy, Normal or Hard.
- Step 2
Guess one letter at a time
Start with common letters like E, A and T. Each miss adds a body part, and six misses ends the round.
- Step 3
Learn the word
See the full spelling and meaning, then tap Hear it spelled. Press Play again for a new word.
Who plays Hangman here
- A five-minute class warm-up on the projector
- Practicing this week's spelling list at home
- A quiet game on the bus ride to school
- English learners building new words
- Two friends taking turns with secret words
- A grandparent and grandchild playing together
- A brain break between homework subjects
- Testing yourself on hard words with rare letters
Frequently asked questions
Playing the game
How do you play Hangman?
One player thinks of a word and draws a blank for each letter. The other player guesses letters one at a time. Right guesses fill in the blanks; wrong ones add a part to the drawing. You win by finishing the word first.
How many guesses do you get in Hangman?
In this game you get six wrong guesses. That matches the six parts of the classic drawing: head, body, two arms and two legs. Right guesses never count against you, so you can make many more than six guesses in total.
Is Hangman free to play here?
Yes, it is completely free. There are no ads, no paid levels and no sign-up. Every word list, the solver and the printable sheets are free too.
Can I play Hangman with a keyboard?
Yes. On a laptop or desktop, just type letters on your keyboard and they count as guesses. On a phone or tablet, tap the big letter keys on the screen instead.
What does the hint button do?
It fills in one hidden letter for you. Each hint counts as one wrong guess, so a hint helps most when you are truly stuck. You cannot use a hint on your very last guess.
What is the difference between Easy, Normal and Hard?
Easy mode does not count wrong vowels, which helps young spellers. Normal plays the classic way. Hard mode chooses short words and words with rare letters such as J, Q, X and Z, so you get fewer clues.
Does the game keep my score?
Yes, it tracks your wins, your current streak and your best streak. The numbers are saved in this browser only. If you clear your browser data or switch devices, they start again from zero.
Words and learning
Where do the words come from?
Every word was picked by hand and checked for kids. Each one has a short, simple meaning. You can see full lists on the Hangman words page and the grade spelling pages.
Is Hangman good for learning to spell?
Yes, when you look at the word after each round. Guessing makes you think about which letters fit, and seeing and hearing the answer locks in the spelling. That is why this game shows the meaning and reads the word aloud.
Can I use my own spelling words?
Yes. Open the custom Hangman maker, type or paste your words, and copy the link it makes. Anyone who opens the link plays only your words.
Is Hangman good for kids?
Yes, it is a classic classroom game for ages six and up. It builds letter sense, spelling and patience. If the gallows feels too dark, switch to the melting snowman drawing.
About Hangman
What is Hangman?
Hangman is a pencil-and-paper word game for two or more players. One player hides a word as a row of blanks, and the others guess its letters before a simple drawing is finished. The name comes from that drawing, a figure on a gallows, though many people now play with a snowman or another friendly picture.
Who invented Hangman?
No single inventor is known. The earliest written record is from 1894 in a book of traditional British games. It was probably played long before anyone wrote it down.
What are other names for Hangman?
Old versions were called Birds, Beasts and Fishes, and some families call it Hanger or Gallows. Kid-friendly versions are often called Snowman, Spaceman or Spelling Man. The rules stay mostly the same.
Can Hangman be played with two people?
Yes, Hangman is a natural two-player game. On our two-player page, one person types a secret word while the other looks away. Then you pass the device and the second person guesses.
Is Hangman a game of luck or skill?
It is mostly skill with a little luck. Knowing common letters and word patterns wins more rounds. Luck plays a part with odd words like rhythm, where the usual vowels do not help.
Is there a Hangman app for phones and tablets?
You do not need one. This Hangman game runs in any modern browser on iPhone, Android, iPad, Chromebook, Windows and Mac, with nothing to download. To play it like an app, add the site to your home screen and it opens with one tap.
Is there a printable version of Hangman?
Yes. Our printable Hangman page makes sheets with blanks, a small gallows and an alphabet strip. Pick a word list or print blank sheets and add your own words.
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