Play Hangman online, free

How this Hangman works

Pick a category (animals, countries, food, sports or science) or let the game choose at random. A row of blanks shows the word's length. Guess letters from the on-screen keyboard or your own, and correct guesses fill in every matching blank. Wrong guesses add a piece to the drawing, and seven mistakes end the round. The word list is large, with more than 700 words, and a streak counter saved on your device rewards a run of wins.

The drawing is a simple, friendly stick figure rather than anything grim, so it suits younger players too.

A very old pastime

Hangman is a pencil-and-paper game that goes back to Victorian Britain and probably earlier. Its appeal hasn't changed: it needs nothing but a word, a guess and a little nerve.

How to guess better

• Open with common letters. E, A, O, I, N, R, T and S show up in most English words.
• Use the word's length. Short words lean on vowels. Long words usually contain at least two.
• Look at the shape. A pattern like _ _ A _ _ suggests common endings and beginnings.
• Use the category. Knowing it's a country or a sport shrinks the field fast.
• Don't chase rare letters early. Q, Z and X are worth a guess only when the pattern points to them.

Letters by frequency

In English the most common letters, in rough order, are E, T, A, O, I, N, S, H and R. A good opening is a vowel or two, then the common consonants. Once a few letters land, switch from frequency to pattern: ask yourself which words fit the blanks.

Playing with children

Hangman is a good way to practise spelling. Pick the animals or food category for younger players, let them choose the letters, and talk through why a guess might fit. The drawing here is a friendly stick figure and no one gets hurt.

House rules that keep it fresh

• Themes. Pick a category and stick with it for a run.
• Two-player mode. Take turns choosing a word on paper and guessing on the screen.
• Streak chasing. The game keeps your streak, so try to beat your own best.

It's a good game for car journeys, classrooms and any moment when you have two minutes and a pencil would be overkill.

From a prompt

The game was built from a short written brief. You can read it here.