Free word games online

Free word games for every age

Word games are some of the most popular puzzles in the world, because they are easy to pick up and satisfying to master. Here you will find three classics, each with a modern, touch-friendly design: hunt for hidden words, guess a secret word letter by letter, or swipe letters into words to fill a crossword.

Every game is free, runs in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, and uses clean, family-friendly word lists checked against a dictionary.

The games

• Word Connect: swipe across a wheel of letters to spell words and fill the crossword. More than 1,800 levels, with bonus words and hints.
• Word Search: find the hidden words in a grid of letters. 25 themes and three sizes, from an 8×8 grid for beginners to a 12×12 grid with backwards words.
• Hangman: guess the secret word one letter at a time before the drawing is finished. 25 themes and three word lengths.

What word games train

1. Vocabulary. Every puzzle puts words in front of you, and themes introduce words you may not use every day.
2. Spelling. Hangman and Word Connect ask you to build words letter by letter, which reinforces spelling.
3. Pattern spotting. Word search trains your eyes to recognise letter patterns quickly, a skill that also helps reading speed.
4. Working memory. Holding letters in mind and trying combinations, as in Word Connect, is a gentle workout for working memory.

Tips to get better

Start with common letters and endings: E, A, R, S and T appear everywhere, and -ING, -ED and -ER end many words. In word search, look for rare letters like Q, Z and X first. And in any word game, a short break often helps: when you come back, your brain sees the letters with fresh eyes.

Pick a game above and start playing.

Frequently asked questions