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Learn Hangman: Tutorial
2 players · 3–10 min · Easy to learn
Introduction
Welcome to Hangman! This is a classic word-guessing game for two players.
The Word Picker (Player 1) chooses a secret word. The Guesser (Player 2) tries to figure out the word by guessing one letter at a time.
Each incorrect guess adds a body part to the hangman figure. The Guesser has 6 chances before the hangman is complete. Can you crack the word in time?
Setting the Word
The game begins with the Word Picker choosing a secret word. The word must be 3-20 letters long and contain only letters (A-Z).
Once set, the Guesser sees only blanks representing each letter. The length of the word is visible, which gives the Guesser a starting clue.
In this example, the Word Picker has chosen the word PUZZLE (6 letters). The Guesser sees: _ _ _ _ _ _
Correct Guess
When the Guesser picks a letter that is in the word, all occurrences of that letter are revealed. No penalty is given.
In this example, the Guesser guessed E. Since the word PUZZLE ends with E, one blank is filled in: _ _ _ _ _ E
Then the Guesser guessed Z -- both Z's in PUZZLE are revealed: _ _ Z Z _ E
Good guesses reveal the word structure and help narrow down possibilities.
Incorrect Guess
When the Guesser picks a letter that is not in the word, the incorrect guess counter increases and a body part is drawn on the hangman.
The 6 body parts are drawn in order: head, body, left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg.
In this example, after guessing E and Z correctly, the Guesser tried A and S -- neither is in PUZZLE. That is 2 incorrect guesses (head and body drawn). Only 4 more wrong guesses remain!
Strategy for Guessers
Smart guessing can dramatically improve your odds:
- Start with common letters: In English, the most frequent letters are E, T, A, O, I, N, S, R, H, L. Guess these first.
- Use word length: A 3-letter word has very different possibilities than a 10-letter word.
- Look for patterns: If you see _ _ E _ _, think of common 5-letter words with E in the middle.
- Consider letter combinations: If R is revealed, Q might be nearby. If _TION appears, many words end in -TION.
In this example, strategic guessing of E, L, and P has revealed P _ _ _ L E. Can you guess the word?
Strategy for Word Pickers
As the Word Picker, your goal is to choose a word that is hard to guess:
- Avoid common vowels: Words with unusual letter distributions (like RHYTHM, LYNCH, or GLYPH) are harder.
- Use uncommon letters: Words containing X, Z, Q, J (like JAZZ or JINX) are tricky.
- Short words can be hard: With fewer letters revealed, the Guesser has less to work with.
- Misleading patterns: Words like QUEUE or KAYAK have unusual structures.
Remember: the word must be at least 3 letters and contain only A-Z characters.
Guesser Wins
The Guesser wins when all letters in the word have been correctly guessed before the hangman is complete.
In this example, the Guesser successfully identified PUZZLE with only 2 incorrect guesses (A and S). The letters P, U, Z, L, and E were all guessed correctly.
The full word is revealed, and the hangman figure remains incomplete -- the Guesser triumphs!
Word Picker Wins
The Word Picker wins when the Guesser makes 6 incorrect guesses, completing the hangman figure.
In this example, the Guesser tried to crack JAZZ but ran out of chances. The incorrect guesses E, T, O, I, S, and N filled all 6 body parts, and the secret word is revealed.
The Word Picker's clever choice of a short word with uncommon letters proved too difficult!
Good luck in your next game!
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