Hangman
Guess the word one letter at a time.
6 guesses left
How to play Hangman
Goal: Reveal the hidden word before you run out of guesses.
- 1The category hints at the word.
- 2Pick a letter. If it is in the word, every copy appears.
- 3Each wrong letter adds a piece to the drawing.
- 4Six wrong guesses and the round is lost.
On a computer
Type letters or click them
On a phone
Tap the letters
Play Hangman free online. Guess the hidden word letter by letter before the drawing is complete. Several categories.
About Hangman
Hangman is a classic word guessing game. A hidden word is shown as blank spaces and you guess one letter at a time. Correct letters fill in every matching blank. Each wrong letter adds a piece to a simple drawing, and six wrong guesses end the round.
It has been played with pencil and paper for well over a century and is a staple of classrooms and road trips. Our free version shows a category hint, such as Animals, Countries, Tech or Food, and keeps a streak of words you solve in a row.
Hangman builds spelling and vocabulary in a relaxed way, which makes it a good pick for kids and adults alike. Type letters on a keyboard or tap them on your phone.
Hangman is also a handy classroom game. Teachers often use it to review spelling words or vocabulary from a lesson. Because our version shows the category, it is a good way for younger players to practice thinking about what kind of word they are looking for before they start guessing letters. Arcade Pantry is free to play with no sign up and no download. Your best results are saved only in your own browser.
Hangman tips and strategy
- Start with the most common vowels: E, A, O and I.
- Next try common consonants such as T, N, S, R and L.
- Use the category. Country names and animal names have very different letter patterns.
- Look at the word length and any filled letters, then think of real words that fit.
- Save rare letters like Q, X and Z until a pattern suggests them.
- If you see a double space pattern, consider double letters like LL or EE.
Hangman FAQ
What are the best letters to guess first in Hangman?
E, A, O, I, T, N, S and R appear most often in English words, so they are the safest first guesses.
How many wrong guesses do you get?
Six. Each wrong letter adds a piece to the drawing, and the sixth ends the round.
Is Hangman good for kids?
Yes. It practices spelling and vocabulary, and our categories give helpful hints.
Can I type letters on a keyboard?
Yes. Type letters on a computer keyboard, or tap the letter buttons on a phone.
Are the words the same every time?
No. Each round picks a random word from the chosen category, so every game is different.