About the game
Hangman is a classic word-guessing game where you try to discover a hidden word by guessing one letter at a time. Correct guesses reveal the letter in all its positions. Wrong guesses add a part to the hangman drawing. You have six wrong guesses before the drawing is complete and the game is over.
Played on paper for generations, Hangman is one of the oldest word games in existence. This digital version includes a word bank across multiple categories, so you always have something fresh to guess. The game rewards vocabulary, letter-frequency knowledge, and deductive reasoning.
How to play
- A blank line appears for each letter in the hidden word.
- Guess a letter by clicking it on the alphabet keyboard or pressing the key.
- If the letter is in the word, it appears in all its positions. If not, a part of the hangman is drawn.
- Guess the word before the hangman drawing is complete (six wrong guesses allowed).
Controls
| Guess letter | Click the on-screen alphabet or press the key |
Five beginner tips
1. Start with common letters
E, A, R, S, T, O, N, I, and L appear in most English words. Guessing these first gives you the most information.
2. Count the blanks
A five-letter word with the pattern _ A _ E _ is much easier to solve than five blank spaces. Use word length to narrow your guesses.
3. Think about word patterns
English has predictable patterns. If you see TH _ _ _, common completions include THE, THAT, THIS, THEN, THEM.
4. Avoid rare letters early
Q, X, Z, and J are statistically unlikely. Save them for when you have already revealed several common letters.
5. Use the category
If the game tells you the category (animals, food, etc.), use that context to guide your guesses.
Why you'll like it
Hangman is a game of pure deduction. No reflexes, no speed — just you and the word. The tension of watching the drawing get closer to completion while you narrow down the letters is genuinely engaging.
Frequently asked questions
How many wrong guesses do I get?
Six — each wrong guess adds a part to the hangman drawing (head, body, two arms, two legs).
Are the words random?
The game draws from a word bank organized by difficulty and category.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Tap the on-screen alphabet to guess letters.
Game credit: Open-source Hangman implementation. MIT licence by tmatth11.