Pictionary
Pictionary word generator: words to draw
For Pictionary words, keep Nouns on, pick a difficulty, choose Pictionary mode and set a 60-second countdown. Each result then asks the player to draw the word, with no letters, numbers or talking.
Easy Pictionary words
airplane, bus, dancer, gift, ladder, park, rock, star
Medium Pictionary words
acorn, cable car, doormat, heart, magic wand, pencil sharpener, scoreboard, thunder
Hard Pictionary words
abacus, bonnet, cyclops, gondola, limousine, paper airplane, saxophone, test tube
Pictionary rules that work with the wheel
- Keep the screen private. The drawer spins and reads the popup alone, or the host reads it quietly and whispers the word.
- Start easy. Easy nouns such as a kite, a snail or a castle suit most groups. Switch to Medium when your team guesses too fast.
- Add verbs for action rounds. Easy verbs such as jump and sneeze are quick to sketch with a stick figure.
- Let the countdown run. It starts when the popup closes and chimes at zero unless sound is off.
Pictionary was invented by Robert Angel and first published in 1985, according to Wikipedia. The name is a trademark, used here only to describe the drawing game, and Wheel Spinning is not affiliated with its maker. For longer sketch ideas with a style and a twist, try the drawing prompts wheel.
Charades
Charades generator: words to act out
For charades, switch on Verbs and Nouns and choose Charades mode. Each result asks the actor to act out the word with no talking or sounds until someone guesses it.
Verbs make the strongest charades words, because the word is already an action. That makes the random word generator a quick charades generator. The list holds 284 of them. Nouns work too, as long as the actor can show what the thing does: a kangaroo hops, a kettle boils.
Adjectives are the hardest to act, and the game mode panel says so when they are on. The first correct guess scores a point. To split players into teams first, paste the names into the team page.
| Level | Nouns + verbs | Verbs to act |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 382 | bake, cut, hug, plant, ski, swing |
| Medium | 566 | applaud, flap, iron, practice, sip, teach |
| Hard | 347 | admire, crochet, glide, levitate, plunge, shimmer |
Quick start
How to use the random word generator
To generate random words, choose the parts of speech and difficulty you want, then press Spin. The filters sit next to the wheel; the Entries box stays folded until you want to type your own words.
Parts of speech and level
Press Nouns, Verbs or Adjectives, then Easy, Medium or Hard. Only easy nouns start switched on, and any mix can stay on at once.
Narrow the list
Pick a noun topic, a first letter, or the shortest and longest word length.
Fill the wheel
Choose 12, 16, 24 or 48 words. Press New words for a fresh random set at any time.
Pick a mode and spin
Choose a game mode and a countdown, then press Spin, click the wheel or press Space.
Every filter change puts a new set of random words on the wheel, as long as 1 or more words match. The page starts with 16 easy nouns, such as kite, castle and rocket, so each has a 1 in 16 chance per spin (6.25%). Copy words copies the wheel's words, one per line. New words replaces anything typed in the Entries box, and Undo brings the last set back.
Parts of speech
Random nouns, verbs and adjectives
The list holds 1,011 nouns, 284 verbs and 257 adjectives, and each part of speech has easy, medium and hard words. Switch off 2 of them to turn the random word generator into a random verb or random adjective generator.
| Part of speech | Easy | Medium | Hard | Total | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nouns | 288 | 440 | 283 | 1,011 | kite, castle, volcano, kaleidoscope |
| Verbs | 94 | 126 | 64 | 284 | jump, juggle, tiptoe, hibernate |
| Adjectives | 75 | 113 | 69 | 257 | fluffy, sparkly, grumpy, transparent |
| All words | 457 | 679 | 416 | 1,552 | Every word appears once |
Nouns name things you can point at, verbs name actions you can act out, and adjectives describe how something looks or feels. Each word sits under 1 part of speech: “brush” is a verb here, and “toothbrush” a noun. 130 nouns are 2 or 3 words long, such as ice cream, hot dog and hot air balloon. The length filter counts letters only, so words run from 3 to 16 letters.
Noun topics
Random noun generator topics
Every noun belongs to 1 of 16 topics, so the noun topic menu turns the page into a random noun generator for one theme. Animals is the biggest topic, with 127 nouns.
| Topic | Nouns | Easy, medium, hard |
|---|---|---|
| Animals | 127 | cat, kangaroo, chameleon |
| Food | 113 | apple, hamburger, asparagus |
| Objects and tools | 83 | key, toothbrush, thermometer |
| Home | 70 | bed, bathtub, refrigerator |
| Clothing | 59 | hat, sneakers, tuxedo |
| Toys and games | 41 | ball, jump rope, kaleidoscope |
| School | 48 | book, backpack, calculator |
| Places | 74 | park, library, observatory |
| Nature and weather | 86 | tree, mountain, glacier |
| Space | 28 | moon, comet, constellation |
| Jobs | 59 | doctor, astronaut, veterinarian |
| Sports | 50 | soccer, volleyball, badminton |
| Transportation | 54 | car, helicopter, limousine |
| Body | 45 | hand, elbow, muscle |
| Music | 33 | drum, violin, accordion |
| Fantasy | 41 | dragon, wizard, centaur |
A topic sorts nouns only, because verbs and adjectives have no topic. To spin only food words, pick Food and switch off Verbs and Adjectives.
Difficulty
Random word generator difficulty levels
Easy, medium and hard are our own ratings of how fast a player can draw, act or spell a word. They are an editor's judgment, not a reading-level score.
| Level | What it means | Words | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | Short, everyday words a young child knows and can draw or act in seconds | 457 | cat, jump, red |
| Medium | Common words that take more thought to draw, act or spell | 679 | volcano, juggle, curious |
| Hard | Less common, longer or more abstract words | 416 | constellation, hibernate, transparent |
Easy nouns suit young kids and fast drawing rounds. Hard words suit teens and adults, spelling practice and writing prompts. Keep 2 levels on for a mixed-age group.
More games
Word association, story chain and spelling
Pictionary and charades get their own modes. Teachers also use random words for vocabulary warm-ups, and writers spin a few to start a story or a journal entry. These 3 games need only Writing mode or Just words.
Word association
Spin 1 word. Players take turns saying a linked word, and a long pause or a repeat ends the round.
Story chain
Each player spins and adds 1 sentence to a shared story that uses the new word.
Spelling practice
The teacher reads the word aloud with the screen turned away. Students spell it, then use it in a sentence.
“Read the result aloud” in Customize speaks each word, in browsers that support speech. Writing mode adds “use it in a sentence” and names the part of speech.
Sample list
Random words list: 63 sample words
The table shows 63 random words from the list, 7 for each part of speech and level. They are spread through the alphabet by a fixed rule, so the sample stays the same on every visit.
| Part of speech | Easy | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nouns | airplane, camera, dress, head, mouse, puzzle, soccer | acorn, cape, finish line, jellyfish, nest, rocking horse, table tennis | abacus, campsite, eggplant, hyena, nachos, rattle, suspenders |
| Verbs | bake, crawl, fly, nap, read, smile, throw | applaud, exercise, hike, pack, score, somersault, tiptoe | admire, cooperate, evaporate, imagine, mime, procrastinate, soar |
| Adjectives | angry, cold, fuzzy, loud, purple, silly, tall | ancient, creative, foggy, helpful, narrow, sandy, squishy | adventurous, confident, ferocious, hollow, majestic, rapid, symmetrical |
- 1,552Words in the listNouns, verbs and adjectives
- 16Noun topicsAnimals is the biggest
- 3–16Letters per wordThe length filter counts letters
The rest of the list shows up only on the random word generator's wheel. Each new set comes from a shuffle of every matching word with the browser's crypto.getRandomValues, and the wheel fairness test runs 10,000 spins on any list you paste in. For one letter at a time instead of whole words, use the random letter generator. For animals with their class and habitat, try the random animal generator.
FAQ
Answers about the word list
How many words are in the random word generator?
The list holds 1,552 words: 1,011 nouns, 284 verbs and 257 adjectives. The wheel shows 12, 16, 24 or 48 of them at a time.
Can I get only random nouns?
Yes. Keep Nouns on and leave Verbs and Adjectives switched off. The noun topic menu narrows the list to 1 of 16 themes, such as Food or Jobs.
What are good Pictionary words?
Easy nouns make the best Pictionary words for most groups, such as a kite, a snail or a castle. Add easy verbs for action rounds, and switch to Medium when the group guesses too fast.
What makes a good charades word?
A verb or a noun with an obvious action. “Swim” or “kangaroo” beats “transparent”, so switch adjectives off for charades.
Can I get random words that start with a certain letter?
Yes. Choose the letter in the First letter menu. The menu shows how many words match each letter under your other filters.
Can I add my own words?
Yes. Type them in the Entries box, one per line. Pressing New words or changing a filter replaces them, and Undo brings them back.
Can I stop the same word coming up twice?
Yes. Press Remove in the popup, or turn on “Remove the winner automatically” in Customize.
Is the random word generator safe for kids?
Yes. The list has no brand names, no people's names, and nothing violent, sexual, insulting or about alcohol and drugs. An automated test checks it against a banned-term list.
Last updated · Written and tested by Melissa T. Brown