Hangman for teachers
1792 words across 24 categories, every one with a clue and a difficulty score. Printable, projectable, free, and with no account for anybody to create.
What makes this different from the other hangman sites
Two things, and both were built for exactly this use. Every word carries a one-line clue, so a list is also a vocabulary sheet. And every word carries a difficulty score computed from its spelling, so you can set a level for a group instead of finding out mid-lesson that the word you chose was unguessable.
The score is published in full on the methodology page. It measures how much of a word a standard opening gives away, which is the thing that actually decides whether a class gets there.
Four things worth doing
- 1
Set the level before the lesson, not during it
The level buttons above the board restrict the game to easy, medium or hard words, using a score computed from each word's spelling rather than from a guess about how obscure it sounds. That is a far more reliable way to match a group than picking words yourself.
- 2
Give more guesses rather than easier words
Ten wrong guesses instead of six changes a young player's experience more than any word substitution, because it keeps them in the round long enough to think. The kids category already plays this way.
- 3
Announce the category
It lets pupils use what they know as well as which letters are common, which turns a guessing game into a vocabulary exercise. It also makes a hard list fair without changing the words.
- 4
Ask them to write it after solving
Say the word, then write it out. The round becomes spelling practice without feeling like it, and the clue beside every word gives you the definition to ask about next.
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Lists that work in a classroom
These ten are the ones built with a lesson in mind. Each prints cleanly and each word has a clue you can ask about afterwards.
If the gallows is a problem
It is for some schools, and that is a reasonable position rather than a squeamish one. Every game here has a toggle above the board that replaces the hanged figure with a rocket assembling on a launch pad. Six wrong guesses still build six parts and nothing else changes.
The alternatives page covers the wider question, the other versions teachers use, and why the game works identically whatever is being drawn.
Using your own spelling list
The create page encodes a word into a link. Nothing is stored on a server, so the link is the whole game: paste a set of them into your LMS, a shared doc or a printed sheet of QR codes and each one opens a round with that word in it.
It also scores your word as you type, which is a quick way to check that this week's list is not accidentally brutal.
ESL
The gentlest lists are household objects, body parts and colours, because a learner who is stuck can look around the room. A common house rule for beginners is that wrong vowel guesses do not count against the six, which keeps a low-confidence group in the game.
Questions
Can I use these word lists in my classroom?
Yes, and you do not need to ask. Print them, project them, copy them into a worksheet or read them off the screen. The lists are free to use for teaching.
How do I use my own spelling words?
The create page turns any word or phrase into a game with a link. Set this week's list, paste the links into your LMS or a shared document, and each one opens straight into a playable round.
Is there a version without the gallows?
Yes. Every game on the site has a toggle that swaps the hanged figure for a rocket that builds in exactly the same six steps. It changes nothing about the game and it is stored on the device, so a shared classroom machine keeps the setting.
How do I pick words at the right level?
Use the difficulty filter rather than your judgement. Every word carries a score computed from its spelling, and the level buttons above the board restrict the game to easy, medium or hard. The kids category also gives ten wrong guesses instead of six.
Can I print the word lists?
Yes. Every list page has a print button, and printing switches the whole site from the blackboard theme to plain ink on white so it does not empty your toner cartridge.
Does it need accounts or logins?
No. Nothing on this site requires an account, nothing is collected, and no pupil data leaves the device. Streaks are stored in the browser and can be cleared with the browsing data.