How to play Hangman

Hangman is the classic guessing game. A secret word or phrase is shown as blank spaces. Guess it one letter at a time before the drawing is complete. Click the game and type a letter, or use the on-screen keyboard.

• Every correct letter is filled in wherever it appears in the word.
• Every wrong letter costs you a guess. You start with 6 guesses.
• Stuck? Use a Hint, but it costs a life. You can also reveal the word and start a new one.

Choose a category

Play with words from all categories, or pick one you like: Animals, Food & Drink, Sports & Games, Places & Travel, Science & Nature, Technology, Occupations, Idioms & Phrases, Movies & Shows, Household & Everyday, Weather & Seasons, or Music & Arts. Your wins, losses and winning streak are tracked as you play.

Tips and strategy

• Start with common letters. E, T, A, O, I, N, S, H and R are the most common letters in English. Begin with vowels, then move to these consonants.
• Use the category. Knowing the word is an animal or a weather term narrows the options a lot.
• Read the shape. Word length, double letters and the positions of revealed letters all hint at the answer.
• Think about endings. -ING, -ED, -ER, -TION and -LY are common, so test their letters once you see the right length.
• Save hints for the end. A hint costs a life, so use it only when you have a few letters already.

Frequently asked questions

Does Hangman send my data anywhere? No. The game runs entirely in your browser.

Are there phrases as well as words? Yes. The Idioms & Phrases category uses well-known sayings.

Want to know more about the game’s history and strategy? Read our Hangman guide, or try decoding letters in Cipher Desk.