Random Word Generator
Pick how many words you want and press Generate. Filter by length, first letter and how common the words are, or switch to Pictionary or Charades words for a party.
All words in this set
The Random Word Generator is a free online tool that picks random words for you. It offers random English words, Pictionary words and Charades prompts, and you can choose from 1 to 100 words per set. The tool runs in your browser, so the filtering happens on your device and nothing you generate is uploaded or saved. Use it to pick words for drawing games, acting games, writing prompts or word practice. You can filter by starting letter, word length or difficulty, then copy or print the list. For party games, the Pictionary and Charades modes use our own family-friendly lists sorted into easy, medium and hard, and show one word at a time on a card you can hide.
How to use the Random Word Generator
- Open the Word type drop-down and choose Random English words, Pictionary words or Charades words.
- In How many words, enter a number from 1 to 100. The default is 10.
- Optional: in Starts with, type up to 10 letters. Only words beginning with those letters are used.
- For Random English words, set Shortest length (default 4) and Longest length (default 8), both from 1 to 20. Optionally type text in Contains, and pick a Difficulty: Common words, Medium, Rare words or Any.
- For Pictionary or Charades, pick a Difficulty: Easy (good for kids), Medium, Hard or Mixed.
- Click Generate Words, or press Enter in any field.
- Click New Set for a new random batch. Try an Example shows 10 easy Pictionary words.
In Pictionary and Charades modes the first word appears large on a card, and the full list is tucked into a collapsed “All words in this set” box. Use Generate Words again whenever you want a fresh batch. Copy Words puts one word per line on your clipboard. Print gives a clean numbered list with a title and a footer line. In Pictionary and Charades modes, use Next Word and Previous to step through the set, and Hide Word to keep the card text away from guessers.
Are the words really random?
Yes. Each set is a random sample without repeats, drawn with the browser’s crypto random generator, so every matching word has an equal chance of appearing. If fewer words match your filters than you asked for, the tool shows all the matches and a message.
The English word list has about 52,600 words. Letters-only words are kept, a block list removes offensive words, and words with a letter repeated three times in a row are dropped as abbreviation junk. Difficulty comes from word frequency: common words are the most frequent, and rare words are the least frequent or have no frequency data.
How to play charades
To play charades, split into teams and take turns. In charades, one player acts out a word, phrase, title or action without speaking while teammates guess.
Signals such as holding up fingers for the number of words are common, but they are house rules that change from group to group.
What are charades rules and signals?
Many groups use simple signals to help guessers. Holding up fingers can show how many words are in the answer, and tugging an ear can mean “sounds like.” Other groups use different signals or none at all.
What are the charades rules for time limits and teams?
A one-minute time limit is typical for each turn, but your group can choose any length. Scoring is usually one point per correct guess for the guessing team.
Split into teams, then take turns acting. Keep score on paper or a whiteboard.
How to play Pictionary
To play Pictionary, split into two or more teams and take turns. In Pictionary, the drawer sketches the word on paper or a whiteboard while teammates guess. The drawer may not speak, and may not use letters or numbers.
The official board game adds categories, a timer and a board path. This tool supplies only the words. Pictionary is a game by Mattel; this is an independent helper.
Pictionary rules with a board and without one
With the official board game, teams move along a board path and draw words from category cards against a timer; the exact board rules are in the box. Without the board you only need the words from this tool, paper or a whiteboard, and a timer.
Can I play pictionary without a board?
Yes. Use paper or a whiteboard, a phone timer, and a list of words from this tool. Let one person hold the device and tap Next Word for each turn, then use Hide Word to cover the card between turns so nobody else sees it.
For a whiteboard game, you can also Print the list and cut it into slips.
Can I get words starting with a letter?
Yes. Type up to 10 letters in Starts with. This works in all three word types, and only words beginning with those letters are used. For example, with Random English words set to common difficulty and 4 to 8 letters, starting with “b” gives 183 matching words.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Random Word Generator free to use?
Yes, it is a free online tool. It runs in your browser, and nothing you generate is uploaded or saved.
Are there charades ideas for adults?
The Pictionary and Charades lists are family-friendly. The tool does not offer adult or risqué word packs. For harder rounds, choose Hard to get prompts such as having the hiccups or moonwalking.
Are the pictionary words good for kids?
Choose Easy for kids. The easy Pictionary words include apple, kite and snail, and there are 116 of them.
What is the difference between easy and hard pictionary words?
Easy words are simple objects such as apple, kite and snail. Hard words are more difficult to draw, such as avalanche, eclipse and black hole.
Can I make a printable list of words?
Yes. Click Print to get a clean numbered list with a title and footer line. Click Copy Words if you want to paste the list elsewhere.
Can I add my own word list?
No. Custom word lists, movie or song title lists, and saved sets are not supported.
Will I get the same words each time?
No. Click New Set to get a new random batch with the same filters.
Related tools
- Hangman: Use it to play a guessing game with a word you choose or generate.
- Word Search Maker: Use it to build a word search puzzle from your own list of words.
- Crossword Maker: Use it to create a crossword puzzle from a set of words.
- Word Unscrambler: Use it when you have a set of letters and need to find the words they make.
- Word Finder: Use it to look up words that match letters, patterns or clues.
- Anagram Solver: Use it to rearrange the letters of a word or phrase into new words.
- Cryptograms: Use it to solve a puzzle where each letter is replaced by another letter.
- Word Ladder Solver: Use it to change one word into another, one letter at a time.
About charades
Charades is a parlor or party word guessing game. Originally, the game was a dramatic form of literary charades: a single person would act out each syllable of a word or phrase in order, followed by the whole phrase together, while the rest of the group guessed. A variant was to have teams who acted scenes out together while the others guessed. Today, it is common to require the actors to mime their hints without using any spoken words, which requires some conventional gestures. Puns and visual puns were and remain common.
Rules
As a long-lived and informal game, charades' rules can vary widely. Common features of the game include holding up a number of fingers to indicate the number of syllables in the answer, silently replying to questions, and making a "come on" gesture once the guesses become close; some forms of the games, however, forbid anything except physically acting out the answer. In a mixed setting, it is therefore advisable to clarify the rules before play begins.
Common features of the modern game include:
Players are not allowed to play people or actors etc.
Players divided into two or more exclusive teams.
A notebook or scraps of paper, used for one team to write the answer(s) to be performed by a member of the other side. The answer(s) may be restricted to dictionary words, titles of artistic works, etc. to limit the difficulty. Words which cannot be explained other than by spelling (e.g., the or of) may be excluded from play except within larger phrases.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article “Charades” (revision 1360298239, 2026-06-20), authors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Shortened: some sections and paragraphs were left out, and reference markers, images and templates were removed; wording is otherwise unchanged. This text remains available under the same licence.