Easy hangman words
901 words scoring below 3.6, gentlest first. Built for beginners, young players and anyone who wants a round that finishes.
The three easiest
eerie
score -4.6 · 80% vowels · 100% common cover
Strange in a way you cannot place
see eye to eye
score -3.7 · 64% vowels · 82% common cover
Agree completely
no pain no gain
score -2.6 · 50% vowels · 83% common cover
Progress costs effort
Why these are easy
An easy word is one the opening guesses walk straight into. If most of its letters are among the eight that people try first, the board fills before the figure gets going, and the guesser is reading a nearly complete word rather than staring at blanks.
Vowels do most of that work. A word that is forty percent vowels hands over a large share of its positions to three or four guesses that everybody makes anyway. Repeated letters do the rest: one correct guess on a doubled letter reveals two positions instead of one.
What does not make a word easy is being a familiar thing. Plenty of everyday words score badly because their letters are awkward, and there are words for obscure things on the hard list that a guesser would have solved in four moves.
Using these with children
Pick from the top of this list and raise the number of wrong guesses rather than simplifying further. The kids category already plays with ten, and that single change does more for a young player's experience than any word choice.
Asking the child to say and then write the word after solving turns the round into spelling practice without it feeling like practice. The kids word list is built for exactly that.
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All 901 easy words
| Word | Clue | Letters | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eerie | Strange in a way you cannot place | 5 / 3 distinct | -4.6 | Easy |
| see eye to eye | Agree completely | 11 / 5 distinct | -3.7 | Easy |
| no pain no gain | Progress costs effort | 12 / 6 distinct | -2.6 | Easy |
| oasis | Water where there should not be any | 5 / 4 distinct | -2.4 | Easy |
| orion | The hunter, with a very famous belt | 5 / 4 distinct | -2.4 | Easy |
| toe | Five per foot, and the big one matters most | 3 / 3 distinct | -2.3 | Easy |
| tennessee | Country music and the Smoky Mountains | 9 / 4 distinct | -2.2 | Easy |
| anteater | Long snout and longer tongue, no teeth at all | 8 / 5 distinct | -2.1 | Easy |
| notation | Music written so someone else can play it | 8 / 5 distinct | -2.1 | Easy |
| erosion | Wind and water slowly taking things apart | 7 / 6 distinct | -2.0 | Easy |
| eraser | Undoes the pencil, badly | 6 / 4 distinct | -2.0 | Easy |
| estate | The same car, stretched backwards | 6 / 4 distinct | -2.0 | Easy |
| intestine | Small then large, and very long | 9 / 5 distinct | -1.9 | Easy |
| referee | Whistle, cards, and nobody's friend | 7 / 3 distinct | -1.9 | Easy |
| tortoise | Slow land reptile that outlives most owners | 8 / 6 distinct | -1.8 | Easy |
| tree | Has a trunk, branches and leaves | 4 / 3 distinct | -1.8 | Easy |
| iris | The coloured ring around it | 4 / 3 distinct | -1.8 | Easy |
| onomatopoeia | A word that sounds like the thing | 12 / 8 distinct | -1.7 | Easy |
| aurora | What the solar wind does to the sky | 6 / 4 distinct | -1.7 | Easy |
| sonata | Written for one or two instruments | 6 / 5 distinct | -1.5 | Easy |
| teaser | Even shorter, and tells you less | 6 / 5 distinct | -1.5 | Easy |
| easter | Eggs hidden and rarely all found | 6 / 5 distinct | -1.5 | Easy |
| indiana | Famous for a five hundred mile race | 7 / 4 distinct | -1.4 | Easy |
| meteorite | The bit that survives the trip through the atmosphere | 9 / 6 distinct | -1.3 | Easy |
| dietitian | Advises on what to eat and why | 9 / 6 distinct | -1.3 | Easy |
| animation | Still pictures, fast enough to fool you | 9 / 6 distinct | -1.3 | Easy |
| risotto | Rice stirred slowly until it turns creamy | 7 / 5 distinct | -1.3 | Easy |
| oboe | Double reed, and the orchestra tunes to it | 4 / 3 distinct | -1.3 | Easy |
| ohio | Four letters and three different vowels | 4 / 3 distinct | -1.3 | Easy |
| nomination | The part everyone says is enough | 10 / 6 distinct | -1.2 | Easy |
| narrator | Tells you what you are seeing | 8 / 5 distinct | -1.1 | Easy |
| manatee | Slow, gentle grazer of warm coastal water | 7 / 5 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| indonesia | Thousands of islands across the equator | 9 / 7 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| radiation | Energy travelling as waves or particles | 9 / 7 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| prairie | Vast temperate grassland | 7 / 5 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| rain | Falls from the clouds | 4 / 4 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| retina | Where the image actually lands | 6 / 6 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| rose | Pink, with the flower in mind | 4 / 4 distinct | -1.0 | Easy |
| once in a blue moon | Very rarely indeed | 15 / 10 distinct | -0.9 | Easy |
| engineer | Works out whether it will actually stand up | 8 / 5 distinct | -0.9 | Easy |
| reindeer | Antlered, and famously airborne once a year | 8 / 5 distinct | -0.9 | Easy |
| a drop in the ocean | Far too small to matter | 15 / 11 distinct | -0.9 | Easy |
| toaster | Two slices, one always paler | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.9 | Easy |
| banana | Yellow, curved, and you peel it | 6 / 3 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| otter | Playful swimmer that cracks shells on its chest | 5 / 4 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| toast | Glasses raised and something said | 5 / 4 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| treat | The alternative to the trick | 5 / 4 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| easy does it | Slow down and be careful | 10 / 8 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| so far so good | Nothing has gone wrong yet | 11 / 7 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| hit the nail on the head | Get it exactly right | 19 / 9 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| louisiana | Parishes instead of counties | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| sinister | Something is wrong here | 8 / 6 distinct | -0.8 | Easy |
| automation | Doing it once so it never has to be done again | 10 / 7 distinct | -0.7 | Easy |
| leave no stone unturned | Check absolutely everything | 20 / 11 distinct | -0.7 | Easy |
| saturation | How intense the colour is | 10 / 8 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| oregano | Dried herb that defines a pizza's smell | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| armenia | First nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| austria | Alpine country that gave the world the waltz | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| croatia | Adriatic coastline dotted with a thousand islands | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| nigeria | Africa's most populous country | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| romania | Carpathian country and home of the Dracula legend | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| tunisia | North African country on the Mediterranean | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| airline | Sells the seat and the legroom separately | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| matinee | The afternoon showing | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| reunion | Everyone in one room after years | 7 / 6 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| veterinarian | The patient cannot describe the symptoms | 12 / 7 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| it takes two to tango | Both people are involved | 17 / 10 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| better late than never | Late still beats not at all | 19 / 9 distinct | -0.6 | Easy |
| seahorse | Fish that swims upright; the male carries the eggs | 8 / 6 distinct | -0.5 | Easy |
| intermission | A break they used to build in | 12 / 8 distinct | -0.5 | Easy |
| radiator | Bled once a year, in theory | 8 / 6 distinct | -0.5 | Easy |
| airliner | The one you queue for | 8 / 6 distinct | -0.5 | Easy |
| sit on the fence | Refuse to pick a side | 13 / 9 distinct | -0.5 | Easy |
| detention | Staying behind, and not by choice | 9 / 6 distinct | -0.4 | Easy |
| a blessing in disguise | Turned out well after looking bad | 19 / 10 distinct | -0.4 | Easy |
| moose | Largest deer, with broad flattened antlers | 5 / 4 distinct | -0.4 | Easy |
| get a taste of your own medicine | Receive what you have been giving | 26 / 16 distinct | -0.4 | Easy |
| you can say that again | Complete agreement | 18 / 11 distinct | -0.4 | Easy |
| samosa | Fried triangular pastry with a savoury filling | 6 / 4 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| potato | Grows underground and becomes chips | 6 / 4 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| engine | The part that converts fuel into motion | 6 / 4 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| all in the same boat | Everyone faces the same situation | 16 / 11 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| transistor | A switch with no moving parts | 10 / 7 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| monsoon | A seasonal reversal of the wind, and the rain it brings | 7 / 4 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| presentation | Standing at the front, hoping the slides work | 12 / 9 distinct | -0.3 | Easy |
| train | Runs on rails and goes choo choo | 5 / 5 distinct | -0.2 | Easy |
| on thin ice | One mistake from real trouble | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.2 | Easy |
| tennis | Love, deuce, and a very specific scoring system | 6 / 5 distinct | -0.2 | Easy |
| sister | Your girl sibling | 6 / 5 distinct | -0.2 | Easy |
| read between the lines | Find the meaning that was not written | 19 / 12 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| parasite | Lives on a host and gives nothing back | 8 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| animator | Twenty four decisions per second | 8 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| argentina | Home of tango and vast grassy pampas | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| astronaut | Trained to work where there is no air | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| itinerary | The plan that survives about a day | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| tradition | The thing that must be done that way | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| staircase | The step that creaks | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| tangerine | Bright orange | 9 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| antagonist | The one in the way | 10 / 7 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| at the drop of a hat | Immediately, with no preparation | 15 / 9 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| heebie jeebies | A feeling of unease | 13 / 6 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| green screen | The background arrives later | 11 / 6 distinct | -0.1 | Easy |
| under your nose | Right there and you missed it | 13 / 8 distinct | 0.0 | Easy |
| antibiotic | Works on bacteria and does nothing to a virus | 10 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| literature | Reading closely and arguing about it | 10 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| adaptation | The book, rearranged for the screen | 10 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| australia | A country that is also a continent | 9 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| cafeteria | Trays, queues and questionable puddings | 9 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| aeroplane | Heavier than air and flying anyway | 9 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| espresso | Small, dark, and pushed through under pressure | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| ethiopia | Ancient highland nation where coffee began | 8 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| semester | Half a school year | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| sentence | A complete thought with a full stop | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| ethernet | The cable that is still faster | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| audition | Two minutes to get the part | 8 / 7 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| bassoon | Long, low and folded in half | 7 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| montana | Big sky, small population | 7 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| mission | The whole plan, with a name | 7 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| ironing | The board that lives behind the door | 7 / 5 distinct | 0.1 | Easy |
| neuron | A cell that carries a signal | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| router | Decides where every packet goes next | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| safari | You are the visitor, and the animals know it | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| encore | Planned, and pretended not to be | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| potion | Brewed, and never labelled clearly | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| oregon | Coast, forest, and the end of a famous trail | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| meteor | The streak of light on the way down | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| teapot | Warmed first, if you are doing it properly | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| cerise | A deep, cold pink | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| maroon | Brownish red, and also to be stranded | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| saloon | A separate boot, and more dignified | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| astronomer | Studies things too far away to visit | 10 / 8 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| opera | Sung all the way through | 5 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| piano | Eighty eight keys and a great deal of practice | 5 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| maine | The northeast corner, and the lobsters | 5 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| sepia | Brown, and the colour of old photographs | 5 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| canoe | Kneeling, single-bladed paddle | 5 / 5 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| minnesota | Ten thousand lakes, by its own count | 9 / 8 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| take it with a grain of salt | Do not fully believe it | 22 / 14 distinct | 0.2 | Easy |
| asteroid | Rocky object orbiting mostly between Mars and Jupiter | 8 / 8 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| reaction | Where bonds break and new ones form | 8 / 8 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| tent | Poles, fabric and optimism | 4 / 3 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| baritone | Between tenor and bass | 8 / 8 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| tint | The colour with white added | 4 / 3 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| two peas in a pod | Extremely alike | 13 / 10 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| tanzania | Home to Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| learn the ropes | Pick up how it is actually done | 13 / 10 distinct | 0.3 | Easy |
| animatronic | A puppet with a motor and a plan | 11 / 8 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| omelette | Eggs beaten, cooked flat and folded | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| premiere | The first public screening | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| illinois | Chicago, and a silent S | 8 / 5 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| cost an arm and a leg | Far too expensive | 16 / 12 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| examination | Silence, a clock, and a paper | 11 / 8 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| albania | Balkan nation with a long Adriatic coast | 7 / 5 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| namibia | Where the desert runs into the Atlantic | 7 / 5 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| ovation | When the audience stands up | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| arizona | Grand Canyon and a great deal of desert | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| scientist | Designs experiments that can prove them wrong | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.4 | Easy |
| let the cat out of the bag | Reveal the secret by accident | 20 / 11 distinct | 0.5 | Easy |
| iguana | Green lizard with a crest along its back | 6 / 5 distinct | 0.5 | Easy |
| training | The unglamorous part that decides the result | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.5 | Easy |
| rainforest | Warm, wet, and layered from floor to canopy | 10 / 9 distinct | 0.5 | Easy |
| horror | Tension, then release, repeatedly | 6 / 3 distinct | 0.5 | Easy |
| catch someone red handed | Caught during the act | 21 / 11 distinct | 0.5 | Easy |
| neutron | Sits in the nucleus and carries no charge | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| barista | Weighs the beans and times the shot | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| sunrise | The horizon dropping away from the sun | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| tornado | A rotating column touching the ground | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| monitor | Shows you what the machine is thinking | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| airport | Arrive early, then wait | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| scooter | Two wheels and no ambition to hurry | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| soprano | The highest voice | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| cartoon | Drawn, and usually funny | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| trailer | Two minutes, and often the best two | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| booster | The bit that falls away first | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| receptionist | The first person anyone meets | 12 / 9 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| superstition | The ladder you walk around anyway | 12 / 9 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| attendance | Being there, which counts for more than expected | 10 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| researcher | Reads everything before adding anything | 10 / 6 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| the tip of the iceberg | The small visible part of a large problem | 18 / 11 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| cross that bridge when we come to it | Deal with it later | 29 / 15 distinct | 0.6 | Easy |
| tarantula | Large hairy spider, less dangerous than it looks | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| satellite | Anything in orbit around something larger | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| editor | Cuts what the writer loves most | 6 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| librarian | Knows where everything is and who has it | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| tailor | Alters until it fits one person exactly | 6 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| metronome | Never wrong and never sympathetic | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| rehearsal | Where it is actually decided | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| orange | A fruit and a colour at the same time | 6 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| cornea | The clear front of the eye | 6 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| catamaran | Two hulls, and stable | 9 / 6 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| meteorologist | Wrong publicly, and improving | 13 / 9 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| translator | Carries meaning across, not just words | 10 / 7 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| resolution | How many pixels there are to work with | 10 / 9 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| north carolina | First in flight, by its licence plates | 13 / 9 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| revision | Going over it again before the exam | 8 / 7 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| in the nick of time | Just before it was too late | 15 / 10 distinct | 0.7 | Easy |
| mongoose | Quick enough to fight a snake and win | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| titanium | Strong, light, and does not corrode | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| database | Structured storage you can ask questions of | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| carriage | One section of the train | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| reel | How film used to be measured | 4 / 3 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| door | You open it to come in | 4 / 3 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| moon | Comes out at night and changes shape | 4 / 3 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| missouri | Where two great rivers meet | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| extension | Because the socket was in the wrong place | 9 / 7 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| odometer | Counts the miles | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| seaplane | Lands on water, floats on it | 8 / 6 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| sandstone | Grains of sand cemented together | 9 / 7 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| hang in there | Keep going through the difficult part | 11 / 8 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| shenanigans | Mischief, generally in a group | 11 / 7 distinct | 0.8 | Easy |
| georgia | Caucasus country that claims the oldest winemaking | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| courier | Everything depends on the last hundred metres | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| seafoam | Very pale green-blue | 7 / 6 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| nitrogen | Makes up most of the air you are breathing | 8 / 7 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| ornament | Hangs on the tree and always one gets broken | 8 / 7 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| stalactite | Hangs down; the one that holds tight to the ceiling | 10 / 7 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| actions speak louder than words | What you do counts more | 27 / 16 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| the ball is in your court | It is your decision now | 20 / 14 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| mississippi | Four S's, four I's, and two P's | 11 / 4 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| add fuel to the fire | Make a bad situation worse | 16 / 11 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| hit the ground running | Start at full speed | 19 / 10 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| take a rain check | Not now, but another time | 14 / 9 distinct | 0.9 | Easy |
| beat around the bush | Avoid saying the actual thing | 17 / 11 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| all ears | Listening closely | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| ferret | Long, curious relative of the weasel | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| orangutan | Red-haired ape that builds a nest each night | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| recess | The bell everyone actually waits for | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| seminar | Smaller, and you have to speak | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| painter | Preparation takes longer than the painting | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| granite | Coarse, speckled, and extremely durable | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| storage | Slow, permanent, and always nearly full | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| star | Twinkles in the night sky | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| mistletoe | Hang it in a doorway at your own risk | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| iowa | Four letters, three of them vowels | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| coaster | Protects it from the mug | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| mirror | Above the fireplace, traditionally | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| alabaster | Pure pale white, from the stone | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| accelerator | The one on the right | 11 / 7 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| put all your eggs in one basket | Risk everything on one option | 25 / 15 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| blessing and a curse | Good and bad at the same time | 17 / 12 distinct | 1.0 | Easy |
| miss the boat | Be too late for the opportunity | 11 / 9 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| contraption | A machine that looks improvised | 11 / 8 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| croissant | Flaky buttery crescent from a French bakery | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| bannister | For holding, not sliding | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| antelope | Fast, slender grazer with ringed horns | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| smoothie | Fruit blended until you can drink it | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| tiramisu | Coffee-soaked layers under mascarpone | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| canoeing | Kneeling, with a single-bladed paddle | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| bacteria | Single-celled, everywhere, mostly harmless | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| solution | One substance dissolved evenly in another | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| scissors | Blunt-ended, for very good reason | 8 / 5 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| tutorial | One to one, or nearly | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| optician | Better with one, or with two | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| mountain | High ground that makes its own weather | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| suitcase | Always slightly too small on the way back | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| monorail | One rail, usually elevated | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| make a long story short | Skip to the point | 19 / 13 distinct | 1.1 | Easy |
| obstreperous | Noisily resisting instruction | 12 / 8 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| sneeze | Faster than you would expect | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| rhinoceros | Thick-skinned giant with one or two horns | 10 / 8 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| tournament | A run of matches with only one winner | 10 / 8 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| atlas | Maps, bound and out of date | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| essay | Introduction, argument, conclusion | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| scene | One place, one continuous stretch of time | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| boots | For puddles and mud | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| robot | A machine that moves by itself | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| shoes | You put them on your feet | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| procession | Moving in an agreed order | 10 / 8 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| attic | Full of things nobody will ever want | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| back to square one | Right where you started | 15 / 12 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| out of the blue | With no warning at all | 12 / 8 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| savanna | Grassland with scattered trees | 7 / 4 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| kill two birds with one stone | Solve two problems in one action | 24 / 13 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| lithuania | Baltic country famous for amber | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| nicaragua | Central American country of lakes and volcanoes | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.2 | Easy |
| equation | Two expressions claimed to be equal | 8 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| go the extra mile | Do more than required | 14 / 11 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| once bitten twice shy | One bad experience makes you cautious | 18 / 11 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| electrician | The only one who should be touching that | 11 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| every cloud has a silver lining | Something good is in there somewhere | 26 / 15 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| reentry | The hottest few minutes of any flight | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| tractor | Slow, and always in front of you | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| constellation | A pattern people agreed to see | 13 / 9 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| south carolina | First to secede, and full of low country | 13 / 11 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| baboon | Ground-dwelling monkey with a dog-like face | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| coriander | Herb that tastes like soap to some people | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| canada | Second largest country, with the longest coastline | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| greece | Islands, olives and the birthplace of democracy | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| panama | Country split by a famous canal | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| digestion | Breaking food down into something usable | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| economist | Explains afterwards why it was obvious | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| hibernate | Sleeping through the part with no food | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| limestone | Made of ancient shells, and dissolves in rain | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| migration | Leaving on time, every year, without a map | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| shoreline | Where the map stops being reliable | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| interface | Where two things have to agree to meet | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| insurance | Boring until the day it is not | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| reception | Where the keys and the answers are | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| reggae | Off-beat emphasis, from Jamaica | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| cheese | Made from milk, and mice are keen | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| toffee | Sticky, and dangerous for fillings | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| arkansas | Spelled nothing like it sounds | 8 / 5 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| escalator | Stairs that do the work | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| indicator | Used less than it should be | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| throw in the towel | Give up | 15 / 9 distinct | 1.3 | Easy |
| aquamarine | Pale blue-green, and another stone | 10 / 8 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| protagonist | The one the story follows | 11 / 9 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| equestrian | Horse and rider judged together | 10 / 9 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| karate | Strikes, blocks and formal patterns | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| pressure | Force spread over an area | 8 / 5 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| corridor | No running, ever | 8 / 5 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| audience | Half of what makes a performance | 8 / 7 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| staccato | Short and detached | 8 / 5 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| protractor | Half a circle marked in degrees | 10 / 6 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| mince pie | Small, sweet, and left out with a carrot | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| california | Most populous, and two very different halves | 10 / 8 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| heliotrope | Bright purple, from a flower | 10 / 8 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| under the weather | Not seriously ill, but not right either | 15 / 9 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| conservation | Deciding what is worth keeping, then keeping it | 12 / 10 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| alabama | Deep South state, capital Montgomery | 7 / 4 distinct | 1.4 | Easy |
| wrap your head around | Finally understand something difficult | 18 / 11 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| orca | Black and white hunter, largest of the dolphins | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| toad | Warty, drier cousin of the frog | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| oman | Arabian country of forts and frankincense | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| dinosaur | Ruled the planet for over a hundred million years | 8 / 8 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| report | Grades, plus a sentence from every teacher | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| desert | Defined by how little rain falls, not by heat | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| sunset | The reason half the photographs exist | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| bear | Big, furry, and sleeps all winter | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| boat | Floats on the water | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| carrot | Long and orange, and rabbits love them | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| coat | You put it on when it is cold | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| lion | The one they call king of the jungle | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| soap | Makes bubbles and cleans your hands | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| mitten | Warmer than gloves and worse for buttons | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| hawaii | The only state made entirely of islands | 6 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| artery | Carries blood away from the heart | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| pore | A very small opening in the skin | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| sole | The bottom of the foot | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| tendon | Attaches muscle to bone | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| throat | Where the food and the air both go | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| crater | Left behind by an impact | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| mattress | Turned twice a year, allegedly | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| sage | Grey-green, from the herb | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| teal | Deeper than turquoise, named after a duck | 4 / 4 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| time flies | It went faster than it should have | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| get out of hand | Stop being controllable | 12 / 10 distinct | 1.5 | Easy |
| aubergine | Glossy purple vegetable, called eggplant elsewhere | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| motocross | Motorbikes over dirt jumps | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| professor | Teaches and publishes, in that order officially | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| processor | The part that actually does the arithmetic | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| sunscreen | Applied too late, by tradition | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| detergent | Goes in the drawer, not the drum | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| limousine | Long, black, and hired by the hour | 9 / 8 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| raccoon | Masked night visitor that raids bins | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| snooker | Reds and colours, and a very long table | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| habitat | Where a particular species can actually live | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| ramadan | A month of fasting from dawn to dusk | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| neptune | Farthest planet, and very blue | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| palette | The set somebody chose | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| sleeper | The train with beds on it | 7 / 5 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| substitute | Comes off the bench to change the game | 10 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| accountant | Makes the numbers agree with each other | 10 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| gargantuan | Enormous, and the word is too | 10 / 6 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| beige | The colour of not making a decision | 5 / 4 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| radiator key | Lost, permanently | 11 / 9 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| by the skin of your teeth | Only just, and barely | 20 / 13 distinct | 1.6 | Easy |
| the whole nine yards | Absolutely all of it | 17 / 13 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| singapore | City, island and country all at once | 9 / 9 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| waiter | Remembers everything without writing it down | 6 / 6 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| burning the midnight oil | Working very late | 21 / 13 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| graduation | Hats thrown, finally | 10 / 9 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| simulation | A model detailed enough to be useful | 10 / 9 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| cookie | Sweet, round and best warm | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| dentist | Nobody's favourite appointment | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| printer | Works perfectly until you need it | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| scanner | Turns paper back into a file | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| present | Wrapped up, with a bow | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| lantern | A light with a handle | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| down to earth | Practical and unpretentious | 11 / 9 distinct | 1.7 | Easy |
| kangaroo | Hops on strong back legs and carries young in a pouch | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| cinnamon | Warm brown spice peeled from tree bark | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| notebook | Blank until the first week of term | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| gardener | Works with time as much as with soil | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| salesman | Persuades, and knows the product | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| concerto | One soloist against the whole orchestra | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| overture | Played first, and often written last | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| screenwriter | Writes it, then watches it change | 12 / 8 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| greeting | The card, and what is written inside | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| virginia | Birthplace of eight presidents | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| aircraft | The general term for all of them | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| seatbelt | Click it before you start | 8 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| asparagus | Green spears that arrive for only a few weeks | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| pepperoni | Spicy cured sausage that curls on a pizza | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| bison | Shaggy-shouldered giant of the grasslands | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| ramen | Noodles in a broth simmered for hours | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| laser | Light that is all one colour and marching in step | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| orbit | Falling forever without ever landing | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| actor | Says someone else's words as if they were theirs | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| nurse | Present for the whole of it | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| acorn | A whole oak, packaged | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| metro | Underground, frequent, and confusing at first | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| horse | You ride it, and it says neigh | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| tiger | Orange with black stripes | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| feast | More food than anyone planned to eat | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| brain | About three pounds, and doing all of this | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| heart | Beats about a hundred thousand times a day | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| spine | Thirty three vertebrae, stacked | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| solar | Of the sun | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| slate | Blue-grey, from the rock | 5 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| celebration | The whole point of the date | 11 / 10 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| noodle | Long strand of dough, boiled or fried | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| lagoon | Shallow water held back by a reef or bar | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| camera | A box, a lens and a sensor | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| parade | The street, temporarily closed | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| uranus | Tipped over on its side | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| indigo | Between blue and violet, and a dye | 6 / 5 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| anniversary | The same date, coming round again | 11 / 8 distinct | 1.8 | Easy |
| ravioli | Pasta parcels with something hidden inside | 7 / 6 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| janitor | Keeps the whole building working | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| version | Which one of these are we talking about | 7 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| valentine | One card, sent anonymously | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| long story short | The compressed version | 14 / 9 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| ahead of the curve | Earlier than everybody else | 15 / 11 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| albatross | Ocean bird with the longest wingspan of all | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| bartender | Mixes drinks and listens to a great deal | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| carpenter | Works wood into something that holds | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| screening | A showing, often before release | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| voiceover | A narrator you hear but never see | 9 / 6 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| tombstone | Carved, and standing up | 9 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| laboratory | Where the careful part happens | 10 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| automobile | The long word for the ordinary thing | 10 / 9 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| piece of cake | Something far easier than expected | 11 / 8 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| archaeologist | Digs slowly and records everything | 13 / 11 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| frankenstein | The doctor, not the monster | 12 / 9 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| break the ice | Get the first awkward moment out of the way | 11 / 9 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| bite the bullet | Do the unpleasant thing and get it over with | 13 / 7 distinct | 1.9 | Easy |
| overtime | When ninety minutes was not enough | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| vacation | The same thing, said differently | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| universe | All of it, as far as anyone can tell | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| elevator | Vertical transport, and small talk | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| baguette | Long crusty loaf carried under one arm | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| biryani | Layered rice and spiced meat cooked sealed | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| burrito | A whole meal rolled inside a tortilla | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| calamari | Squid, sliced into rings and fried | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| lasagne | Layers of pasta, sauce and cheese, baked | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| afghanistan | Landlocked and mountainous, at a crossroads of empires | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| lebanon | Mediterranean country famed for its cedars | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| malaysia | Split between a peninsula and part of Borneo | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| senegal | West African nation on the Atlantic coast | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| captain | Wears the armband and calls the toss | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| sailing | The wind decides most of the tactics | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| teacher | Explains it a second time, differently | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| cleaner | The building only works because of them | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| curator | Chooses what gets shown and how | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| illustrator | Draws what the words could not carry | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| forest | Enough trees that the canopy closes over | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| nectar | The bribe that makes pollination happen | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| screenshot | Proof, or at least a picture of it | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| tambourine | Shaken, struck, and hard to hide behind | 10 / 10 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| editing | Where the film is finally written | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| poster | The whole film in one image | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| tinsel | Shiny, and it gets absolutely everywhere | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| silent | The first word of the quietest carol | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| disguise | Good enough that nobody knows you | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| familiar | The witch's animal companion | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| october | The month it all builds up to | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| colorado | Where the Rockies do most of their work | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| forearm | Between the elbow and the wrist | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| tonsil | Two of them, and often removed | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| saturn | The one with the rings everybody draws | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| doormat | Wipe your feet | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| thermostat | The cause of most household arguments | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| magenta | Between red and purple, and one of the printing inks | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| airship | Lighter than air and largely historical | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| barking up the wrong tree | Pursuing entirely the wrong idea | 21 / 14 distinct | 2.0 | Easy |
| navigator | Knows exactly where you are | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| expansion | What it has been doing ever since | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| call it a day | Stop working for now | 10 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| courgette | Mild green summer squash, zucchini by another name | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| endurance | Not how fast, but how long | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| telescope | Collects light from very far away | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| timetable | Tells you where you are supposed to be | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| biologist | Studies what is alive and how it works | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| geologist | Reads the landscape as a timeline | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| departure | Listed on a board, subject to change | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| accordion | Bellows, buttons and a divided reputation | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| celestial | Of the sky, generally | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| scorpion | Eight legs, pincers and a stinging tail | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| parmesan | Hard aged cheese grated over almost anything | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| rosemary | Woody herb with needle-like leaves | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| lacrosse | Netted sticks carry the ball at speed | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| marathon | Twenty six miles and three hundred and eighty five yards | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| electron | Negatively charged, and very small indeed | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| friction | The force that turns motion into heat | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| genetics | The study of what gets passed on | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| predator | Hunts, and is usually outnumbered | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| designer | Decides what it looks like and why | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| director | Decides what the audience will notice | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| sediment | What settles when the water slows | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| robotics | Machines that sense, decide and move | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| roadtrip | The route matters more than the arrival | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| falsetto | Above the natural range, and lighter | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| trombone | The one with the slide | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| confetti | Fun to throw, terrible to clear up | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| pancreas | Makes insulin and digestive enzymes | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| solstice | The longest or shortest day | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| basement | Damp, and full of the same | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| ukraine | Europe's breadbasket on the Black Sea | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| monster | The general term for all of it | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| nostril | One of two, and they take turns | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| expedition | A journey with a purpose and a lot of kit | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| north dakota | Plains, oil, and long winters | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| a piece of the puzzle | One part of a larger picture | 17 / 12 distinct | 2.1 | Easy |
| salamander | Amphibian that can regrow a lost limb | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| prosciutto | Ham cured by air and time, sliced almost transparent | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| scoreboard | The only opinion that counts | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| headmaster | Runs the school and signs the letters | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| stalagmite | Grows up from the cave floor | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| cameo | Blink and you missed them | 5 / 5 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| house | Where you live | 5 / 5 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| mouse | Small, grey and very quick | 5 / 5 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| idaho | Potatoes, mountains and very few people | 5 / 5 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| fingernail | Grows faster than the toenail | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| chartreuse | Yellow-green, named after a liqueur | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| taupe | Grey-brown, named after a mole | 5 / 5 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| practice makes perfect | Repetition is the method | 20 / 11 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| triathlon | Swim, then bike, then run, without stopping | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| therapist | Asks the question nobody else asked | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| orchestra | Strings, woodwind, brass and percussion | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| bric a brac | Assorted small ornaments | 9 / 5 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| off the top of my head | Without checking | 17 / 10 distinct | 2.2 | Easy |
| slovenia | Small alpine country between Italy and Hungary | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| question | The thing worth more than the answer | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| souvenir | Bought instantly, regretted slowly | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| compression | Making it smaller without losing what matters | 11 / 9 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| poltergeist | The one that throws things | 11 / 9 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| west virginia | Split from its neighbour during the Civil War | 12 / 10 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| uranium | Heavy, radioactive, and used for fuel | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| never judge a book by its cover | Appearance is not evidence | 25 / 17 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| evolution | Change in a population across generations | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| turquoise | Between blue and green, and a stone | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| nougat | Chewy sweet of egg white, honey and nuts | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| guatemala | Where the Maya built cities under the jungle | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| cruise | The hotel moves while you sleep | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| guitar | Six strings, and everybody's first ambition | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| legato | Smooth, with no gaps | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| cinema | The room the whole thing was designed for | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| monologue | One character, holding the floor | 9 / 7 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| studio | Where it is made and who owns it | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| ritual | Done in a particular order for a reason | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| south dakota | Four presidents carved into a mountain | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| tongue | Muscle, and covered in taste buds | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| boiler | Serviced annually, in theory | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| saucer | Under the cup, mostly ceremonial | 6 / 6 distinct | 2.3 | Easy |
| lemonade | Sharp fruit, sugar and water over ice | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| meringue | Whipped egg white and sugar, baked crisp | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| mongolia | Vast steppe country between Russia and China | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| musician | Practises far more than they perform | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| acoustic | No amplification required | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| canoodle | To cuddle affectionately | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| hooligan | Someone causing trouble in public | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| gruesome | Too much detail, and all of it unpleasant | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| forehead | Above the eyebrows, below the hairline | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| saucepan | With a lid, ideally | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| cerulean | A lighter, greener blue | 8 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| cornucopia | A horn overflowing with produce | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| new year | Resolutions, made and abandoned | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| paper hat | From the cracker, worn all afternoon | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| cut corners | Save effort at the cost of quality | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| ireland | Green island west of Britain | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| mineral | A naturally occurring solid with a fixed structure | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| tsunami | A wave set off by the sea floor moving | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| soldier | Trains for something they hope never happens | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| surgeon | Operates, having planned every step | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| estuary | Where the river meets the tide | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| ambient | Meant to be in the room, not in front of you | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| montage | A sequence that compresses time | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| romance | Two people and an obstacle | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| bonfire | Built for weeks, gone in an evening | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| posture | How you are sitting right now | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| curtain | Drawn at dusk | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| apricot | Slightly deeper than peach | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| turbine | Spins, and does the work | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| potassium | Element K, and bananas are famous for it | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| hurricane | A storm with an eye and a name | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| peninsula | Land with water on three sides | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| promenade | Made for walking beside water | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| harmonica | Pocket sized, and played by breathing both ways | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| gratitude | The point of the whole occasion | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| pantomime | Behind you, apparently | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| cartilage | The smooth stuff at the ends of bones | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| cosmonaut | The same job, a different programme | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| spacesuit | A one-person spacecraft with legs | 9 / 8 distinct | 2.4 | Easy |
| mantelpiece | Where things accumulate | 11 / 9 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| massachusetts | The longest state name of all | 13 / 8 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| back to the drawing board | Start the plan again | 21 / 14 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| helter skelter | In disorderly haste | 13 / 7 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| spill the beans | Give away the information | 13 / 10 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| couscous | Tiny steamed semolina grains from North Africa | 8 / 4 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| organism | Any individual living thing | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| photosynthesis | Light, water and carbon dioxide become sugar | 14 / 9 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| dictionary | Where you check who was right | 10 / 9 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| fraction | A part of a whole, written over a line | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| server | A computer whose job is to answer other computers | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| terminal | Where the text-only work still happens | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| clarinet | Single reed, and a wide range | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| soundstage | A building designed to be silent | 10 / 9 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| sweets | The treat you are allowed after dinner | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| kansas | Flat, central, and in a famous film line | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| atmosphere | The gas a planet manages to hold on to | 10 / 9 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| magnetosphere | The field that deflects the solar wind | 13 / 11 distinct | 2.5 | Easy |
| streaming | Playing it before it has all arrived | 9 / 9 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| wisconsin | Dairy, and very serious about cheese | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| wild goose chase | A pursuit that was never going to work | 14 / 11 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| morocco | Sahara, Atlas mountains and blue-painted towns | 7 / 4 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| nincompoop | A fool, said almost fondly | 10 / 6 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| seashell | The house an animal left behind | 8 / 5 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| firefighter | Runs towards it | 11 / 7 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| connecticut | Small, coastal, and hard to spell | 11 / 7 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| freezer | Where the ice cream is | 7 / 4 distinct | 2.6 | Easy |
| barber | Cuts hair and holds the conversation | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| prototype | Built to be thrown away | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| telemetry | Measurements sent home automatically | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| character | Someone the audience decides to care about | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| cosmos | The same thing, said more poetically | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| verse | The bit that moves the story on | 5 / 4 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| kitten | A very young cat | 6 / 5 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| nerve | Carries the signal | 5 / 4 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| rover | Drives, drills, and photographs | 5 / 4 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| ecuador | Named for the line that runs through it | 7 / 7 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| sandals | Sensible until you have to walk far | 7 / 5 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| panning | The camera turning where it stands | 7 / 5 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| western | Horses, dust and a moral question | 7 / 6 distinct | 2.7 | Easy |
| kindergarten | Where school starts and it is mostly play | 12 / 9 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| moss | Grows where it is damp and does not mind shade | 4 / 3 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| emulator | Pretends to be different hardware | 8 / 8 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| wireless | The same data, without the cable | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| district | A part of the city with its own character | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| passport | Without it you are going nowhere | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| stuntman | Does the part the star cannot | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| nativity | The scene set up at the base of the tree | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| frankincense | One of the three gifts, and hard to spell | 12 / 9 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| knee | The largest joint in the body | 4 / 3 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| thruster | Small, and used for aiming | 8 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| rollerskate | Four wheels arranged differently | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| arrival | The other board, watched more anxiously | 7 / 5 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| caravan | The house follows the car | 7 / 5 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| minivan | Seven seats and school runs | 7 / 5 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| detective | Follows the part that does not fit | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| submarine | Goes down deliberately | 9 / 9 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| cheesecake | Set cream cheese over a crumb base | 10 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| trampoline | Height, shape and control are all scored | 10 / 10 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| grass | Green, and it needs cutting | 5 / 4 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| brass | Yellower than bronze | 5 / 4 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| pull yourself together | Regain your composure | 20 / 12 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| bazaar | A covered market, and haggling expected | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| alaska | Largest by area, and the coldest | 6 / 4 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| last straw | The small thing that ended it | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.8 | Easy |
| rhode island | Smallest of the fifty, and not an island | 11 / 10 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| pineapple | Spiky outside, sweet yellow rings inside | 9 / 6 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| azerbaijan | Caspian nation whose name suggests fire | 10 / 8 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| madagascar | Island nation where most wildlife lives nowhere else | 10 / 7 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| chromosome | A packaged thread of DNA | 10 / 7 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| mathematics | Numbers, shapes and proofs | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| gingerbread | Spiced, baked, and occasionally a house | 11 / 8 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| observatory | Built somewhere dark and high | 11 / 9 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| playing devils advocate | Arguing the other side on purpose | 21 / 14 distinct | 2.9 | Easy |
| experiment | A test designed to be able to fail | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| dark matter | Most of the mass, and nobody has seen it | 10 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| face the music | Accept the consequences | 12 / 10 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| botswana | Diamond-rich country of the Kalahari | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| pakistan | South Asian nation of the Indus valley | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| srilanka | Teardrop island off the south of India | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| skeleton | Two hundred and six bones in an adult | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| nebraska | Prairie, and the only unicameral legislature | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| cheetah | The fastest sprinter on four legs | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| meerkat | Stands upright on watch while the group forages | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| paella | Saffron rice cooked wide and shallow over fire | 6 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| netherlands | Low-lying country of dykes, bikes and canals | 11 / 9 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| circuit | A complete loop that current can travel | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| ecosystem | Everything living in a place, plus the place | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| answer | What everyone wants and few check | 6 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| classroom | Where the desks and the whiteboard live | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| architect | Draws the building before anybody digs | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| bamboo | A grass that behaves like a tree | 6 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| horizon | The line you can never reach | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| protocol | The rules both ends already agreed to | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| speaker | Turns the signal back into air pressure | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| template | The shape before the content | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| website | Pages that agree to live at one address | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| monument | Built so that something is not forgotten | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| taxi | Available except when raining | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| visa | Permission, granted in advance | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| crescendo | Gradually getting louder | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| ensemble | A small group playing as one | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| marimba | Like a xylophone, but deeper and resonant | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| quartet | Four players, and nowhere to hide | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| dialogue | What the characters say to each other | 8 / 8 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| sequence | Several scenes doing one job | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| storyboard | The film drawn before it is shot | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| balloon | You blow it up and it floats | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| kite | Flies on a string when it is windy | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| snake | Long, has no legs, and hisses | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| water | You drink it and you swim in it | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| festive | The adjective doing all the work in December | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| icicle | Hangs from the gutter and drips | 6 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| winter | The season it sits in the middle of | 6 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| raven | Nevermore, apparently | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| delaware | First to ratify the Constitution | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| texas | Second largest, and it used to be a republic | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| vein | Carries it back | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| armchair | One person, and nobody else's | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| bedside | The table with the lamp on it | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| tanker | Carries liquid, and takes a while to stop | 6 / 6 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| beaver | Fells trees with its teeth and dams rivers | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| weasel | Slim hunter that fits down a mouse hole | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| violin | Four strings, a bow, and no frets to help you | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| remake | The same film, made again | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| nevada | Desert, and a city that never sleeps | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| quasar | The brightest thing in the sky, and very far away | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| hoover | A brand that became a verb | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| against the clock | Racing a deadline | 15 / 12 distinct | 3.0 | Easy |
| avocado | Green, creamy, and famously hard to time | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| jamaica | Caribbean island where reggae was born | 7 / 5 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| koala | Sleeps most of the day and eats eucalyptus | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| biodiversity | How many different kinds are actually there | 12 / 10 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| starfish | Five-armed sea animal that can regrow a limb | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| saffron | The world's most expensive spice, picked by hand | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| student | Currently learning something | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| analyst | Turns a spreadsheet into an argument | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| battery | Stores charge and then does not have enough | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| concert | One night, and it is gone | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| fantasy | New rules, applied consistently | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| brother | Your boy sibling | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| spectre | Same idea, spelled to be difficult | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| goalkeeper | The only one allowed to use their hands | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| masquerade | A party where nobody admits who they are | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| locomotive | The bit that pulls | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.1 | Easy |
| watermelon | Enormous summer fruit that is mostly water | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| skateboard | Four wheels and a great deal of falling over | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| fossil | Evidence of life turned to stone | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| doctor | Diagnoses, treats and explains | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| farmer | Answers to weather more than to anyone else | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| canyon | Carved by a river with a great deal of patience | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| geyser | Boiling water fired upward on a schedule | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| cursor | The blinking line waiting for you | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| tablet | A screen you hold | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| butter | Spread on the bread | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| rabbit | Long ears and a twitchy nose | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| ribbon | Ties the parcel and curls with scissors | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| ginger | Orange hair | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| hangar | Where the aircraft sleeps | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| rapscallion | A mischievous rascal | 11 / 9 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| clothesline | Weather permitting | 11 / 9 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| best of both worlds | Two advantages at once | 16 / 11 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| adventure | The part that did not go to plan | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| saxophone | Brass body, reed mouthpiece, and unmistakable | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| exoplanet | A planet round another star | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| vermilion | Bright orange-red from a mineral pigment | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| motorbike | Faster, louder, and colder | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| speak of the devil | The person you mentioned has arrived | 15 / 13 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| sushi | Vinegared rice with fish, rolled or pressed | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| ghana | West African nation, first to gain independence there | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| malta | Tiny island nation of limestone and harbours | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| yemen | Southern Arabia, with tower houses of mud brick | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| microscope | Makes the invisible large enough to study | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| ruler | Straight lines and, occasionally, measurements | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| headphones | Two speakers and some privacy | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| sheep | Woolly, and it says baa | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| chocolates | In a box, with a map on the lid | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| icing | The white layer on top | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| collarbone | The most commonly broken bone | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| propulsion | Whatever is making it move | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| broom | For the bits the vacuum missed | 5 / 4 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| armadillo | Wears bony armour and rolls up for safety | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| crocodile | Armoured river reptile with an enormous bite | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| chocolate | Ground cacao turned into the world's favourite treat | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| bluetooth | Short range, low power, named after a king | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| habitable | The zone where liquid water could sit | 9 / 7 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| on the ball | Alert and keeping up | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| ring a bell | Sound vaguely familiar | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.2 | Easy |
| paraguay | Landlocked South American country of two rivers | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| polo | Played on horseback with long mallets | 4 / 3 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| novelist | Finishes the draft, then starts again | 8 / 8 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| software | The part you can only blame | 8 / 8 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| brouhaha | An uproar, usually overblown | 8 / 6 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| hood | Up, and casting a shadow | 4 / 3 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| heel | The back of the foot, and Achilles' problem | 4 / 3 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| brownie | Dense chocolate square, ideally still gooey | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| bolivia | Andean nation with a vast white salt flat | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| vietnam | Long, narrow country with two great river deltas | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| jasmine | Small white flower with an enormous scent | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| rainbow | Sunlight, raindrops, and a fixed angle | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| vibrato | A small wobble that warms the note | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| encryption | Readable only by whoever holds the key | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| prosthetic | A face built on top of a face | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| springtime | When everything starts again | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| clear as mud | Not clear in the slightest | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| spaghetti | Long thin pasta, best twirled onto a fork | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| athletics | Track and field, from sprints to the javelin | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| badminton | Played with a shuttlecock rather than a ball | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| sprint | Everything decided in a few seconds | 6 / 6 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| octave | Eight notes, and the same note again | 6 / 6 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| recording | The take they kept | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| violet | The last colour in the rainbow | 6 / 6 distinct | 3.3 | Easy |
| barnacle | Glues itself to rocks and ships for life | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| elephant | The largest land animal, with a trunk and tusks | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| porridge | Oats and liquid, stirred until thick | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| turmeric | Golden root that stains everything it touches | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| thailand | Southeast Asian kingdom never colonised | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| geometry | The mathematics of shape and space | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| composer | Writes it down for other people to play | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| seedling | Everything a tree will ever be, small | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| mandolin | Paired strings and a rapid tremolo | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| subtitle | The translation along the bottom | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| ceremony | The formal part, before the food | 8 / 7 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| keep your chin up | Stay hopeful | 14 / 11 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| darts | Treble twenty is the target, then double out | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| journalist | Checks it twice before it is printed | 10 / 10 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| shirt | You wear it on the top half | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| story | Read at bedtime | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| frost | Overnight, and gone by ten | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| azure | The blue of a clear sky | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| olive | Dull yellow-green, and a fruit | 5 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| liquorice | Black sweet with a taste people rarely feel neutral about | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| giraffe | Tallest animal alive, built for reaching treetops | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| gorilla | Largest of the great apes, mostly gentle | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| octopus | Eight arms, three hearts, changes colour at will | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| penguin | A bird that swims beautifully and cannot fly | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| biscuit | Baked, sweet, and dangerous near a cup of tea | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| caramel | What sugar becomes when you cook it just far enough | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| offside | The rule that causes the loudest arguments | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| diamond | The same element as graphite, arranged differently | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| eclipse | One body passing in front of another | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| algebra | Where the letters started appearing | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| lecture | One person talking for a long time | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| harbour | Sheltered water where boats can rest | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| macabre | Preoccupied with death, and enjoying it | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| balance | Managed largely by the inner ear | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| eardrum | Vibrates, and should not be poked | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| eyelash | Short hairs on the lid | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| spatula | For turning, and scraping the bowl | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| emerald | Rich green, and yet another stone | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| gondola | Venice, and one oar | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| minibus | Between a van and a coach | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| tugboat | Small, and moves much larger things | 7 / 6 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| artichoke | You eat it one leaf at a time | 9 / 9 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| supernova | A star ending in an enormous explosion | 9 / 9 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| paragraph | One idea, developed | 9 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| excursion | A short trip out from where you are staying | 9 / 9 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| classical | A period, not a compliment | 9 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| propeller | Blades that pull the aircraft along | 9 / 5 distinct | 3.4 | Easy |
| firecracker | Small, loud and gone in a second | 11 / 7 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| stingray | Flat swimmer that glides with winglike fins | 8 / 8 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| uganda | Landlocked country on the equator and Lake Victoria | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| immune | The system that recognises and remembers | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| photographer | Waits for the light | 12 / 8 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| fern | Older than flowers, and unfurls as it grows | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| microphone | Turns air pressure into a signal | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| helicopter | Beats the air into submission | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| palace | Built to impress rather than to defend | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| biopic | A real life, compressed to two hours | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| claymation | Animated one small squash at a time | 10 / 9 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| sand | Gets everywhere at the seaside | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| toys | The whole point, if you are seven | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| autumn | Leaves down, nights drawing in | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| bats | Leaving the belfry at dusk | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| eyelid | Blinks about fifteen times a minute | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| shin | The front of it, and the one you bang | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| mars | Red, dusty, and thoroughly explored by robots | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| auburn | Red-brown hair | 6 / 5 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| mint | Very pale green | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| rust | What iron turns when neglected | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| tram | Rails, in the street | 4 / 4 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| philippines | Archipelago of more than seven thousand islands | 11 / 7 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| hit the sack | Go to bed | 10 / 8 distinct | 3.5 | Easy |
| chameleon | Changes colour and aims each eye separately | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| porcupine | Covered in quills it can leave in a predator | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| enchilada | Rolled tortilla baked under chilli sauce | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| magnesium | Burns with a blinding white light | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| paramedic | First to arrive when it matters most | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| amplifier | Makes it louder and often better | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| fireplace | Where the stockings hang | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| parachute | The backup plan | 9 / 8 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| hamster | Pocket-sized pet that runs all night on a wheel | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| lobster | Clawed sea creature that turns red when cooked | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| ostrich | Biggest bird alive, runs instead of flying | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| panther | Common name for a big cat with an all-black coat | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| density | How much mass fits into a given volume | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| history | What happened, and who wrote it down | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| stapler | Always empty when you need it | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| postman | Knows every gate that sticks | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| baroque | Ornate, contrapuntal and busy | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| casting | Deciding who the character looks like | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| credits | Everyone who actually made it | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| crimson | Deep red, with a hint of blue in it | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| scarlet | Bright red, and a pimpernel | 7 / 7 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| rambunctious | Boisterous and hard to control | 12 / 11 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| snollygoster | A shrewd person with no principles | 12 / 9 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
| pennsylvania | Where the Declaration was signed | 12 / 9 distinct | 3.6 | Easy |
Questions
What are good easy words for hangman?
Words with a lot of vowels and a lot of ordinary letters. EERIE, SEE EYE TO EYE, NO PAIN NO GAIN are the easiest on this site, and all three are made almost entirely of the letters a guesser tries first.
What makes a word easy in hangman?
A high share of its letters being among the eight people guess first, plenty of vowels, and repeated letters that reveal several positions from one correct guess. Anything scoring below 3.6 on our formula lands here.
Are easy words good for children?
They help, and giving more wrong guesses helps more. Ten guesses instead of six keeps a young player in the round long enough to work it out, which matters more than making the word simpler.
Is a long word always easy?
Not always, but long words are usually easier than they look. Every correct letter in a long word uncovers more of the board, so length works for the guesser rather than against them.