Word Games

The Word section is all word games: you guess a word, build new ones from the letters you're given or type against the clock. There are more than 150, in English and Spanish, and all are free and open in your browser with nothing to download.

What you'll find

• Guess the word: Wordle Spanish, Wordle, Wordle Galego (in Galician), Wordle Cat or Wordling Daily Challenge.
• Hangman: El ahorcado (Spanish hangman), Hangman, Hangaroo or Super Mario Hangman.
• Build words: Text Twist 2, Word Mania, Word Drop, Wow Words or Word Wood.
• Keyboard and crosswords: Finger Frenzy, Get the Word! or Arkadium's Codeword.
• With drawing and creativity: Gartic Phone or Make It Meme.

How the different types work

In Wordle-style games you type a word, and the game tells you which letters are in the right place, which are in the word but somewhere else and which aren't in it at all. Hangman is simpler: you pick letters one at a time and every miss brings you closer to losing. In word-building games you get a set of letters and make as many words as you can. Keyboard games, like Finger Frenzy, reward fast typing with no mistakes.

Original Wordle uses five-letter words and six tries, and the Spanish version follows the same idea. In Text Twist, start with the longest words: they usually score more and help you get to the next round. And in Hangman, once you've got half the word, think of common endings like -ing or -ed.

For parents

These games are a way to practice spelling and vocabulary without it feeling like homework. For kids who are just starting to read, Hangman is the clearest. From elementary school on, word-building games stretch vocabulary and Wordle is good for thinking with letters. To practice a second language, Hangman or Word Duel will do, though the child should already know some of the words. Keyboard games help kids get over any fear of the keyboard, but they aren't for children who don't yet recognize their letters.

Tips

In guessing games, begin with words that have lots of vowels, to rule out letters early. In Hangman, try the most common letters first, like E, A or T. To type faster, watch the screen and not the keyboard.