Hangman is a quick and easy game for two or more people that only needs paper, pencil and the ability to spell. One of the players will act as a "word maker" and is tasked with making a secret word, while the other players will try to guess the word by guessing it letter by letter. Every time the players guess the wrong letter in the word, they will get closer to defeat. Hangman games can be made easier, more difficult, or educational, and there are plenty of apps and sites to play them online if you like.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Playing the Most Basic Hangman
Step 1. Choose 1 person as "word maker"
This person will create riddles for others to guess. The word maker is tasked with choosing a word or phrase which the "players" have to guess.
The word maker must be able to spell well or the game will be impossible to win
Step 2. If you are a word generator, choose a secret word
Other players will try to guess the word letter by letter, so choose the word that you think will be difficult to guess. Words that are difficult to guess usually have letters that are rarely used, such as "z," or "j," and have very few vowels.
You can use phrasing if you want to make the game long enough
Step 3. Make blank lines that each represent each letter in the secret word
For example, if the word generator selects the word "zipper", he will create ten blank lines, one for each letter (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _). The word maker no can tell the secret word to anyone.
Step 4. Start guessing by letter if you are the player
After the secret word is determined and the players know the number of letters contained in the word, start guessing what letters are in the word by asking the word maker. For example, you might start by asking "is there an 'e' in your word?"
In general, people will start guessing from the letters that are used the most, such as the vowels, "s", "t" and "n"
Step 5. Write the letters on the blank lines if the players guess correctly
Every time the players manage to guess a letter in the secret word, the word maker will write it on the right blank line. For example, if the word maker uses the word "zipper" and the players guess the letter "e", then he must fill in the 6th blank line with the letter "e": (_ _ _ _ _ e _ _ _ _).
If the players guess a letter that turns out to be used several times in the secret word, write the letter at once on several blank lines where the letter is located. If they guess the letter "t", then you have to write down all the letters "t". (_ _ t _ _ e t _ _ _)
Step 6. Draw each piece of "Hangman" when the players guess wrong
Every time the players guess a letter that doesn't appear in the secret word, they will get a scratch on the image which will later form a Hangman image, which brings them closer to defeat. To demonstrate this, the word maker simply draws a simple hanging person, adding each stroke of the picture when the player guesses wrong. You can also determine the difficulty level of the game by using this section on drawing strokes -- the more strokes it takes to form a Hangman image, the more wrong guesses players can make, making the game easier. The following is the order of strokes common used to draw Hangman:
- First answer error: Draw an inverted "L". This is a picture of a pole to hang the person on.
- Second: Draw a small circle as the "head" just below the horizontal line of the inverted "L".
- Third: Draw a line descending from the bottom of the head as the "body."
- Fourth: Draw one arm from the center of the body line as the "arm."
- Fifth: Draw the second arm.
- Sixth: Draw a diagonal line from the bottom of the body line as the first "leg".
- Seventh: Draw the second leg.
- Eighth: Connect the head image to the gallows image with a "rope." When you have drawn the part of the rope, it means that the players have lost the game.
Step 7. The players win the game if they guess the secret word correctly
If the players manage to guess each letter correctly before the Hangman drawing is complete, they win. At some point, a player can immediately try to guess the secret word without needing to guess by letter, but if they guess it wrong, the word maker will treat it the same as when they guessed a letter wrong.
To make the game more difficult, make a rule that only allows players to guess the whole secret word once before they lose
Step 8. Play online or by using an app to practice your own skills
Thanks to its simplicity, online Hangman games are available on many sites, and are easy to find using a quick search with the keyword " online hangman." Many of these games use online dictionaries for secret word selection, so you can simultaneously add to your own vocabulary throughout the game. You can even play against people from all over the world on some of the Hangman apps.
- Try searching Google and Apple App Stores for the words " Hangman " and " Hangman free " for other variations of the online Hangman game.
- You want a challenge? Look for "cheater's hangman" or a specific Hangman list, such as "movie quote hangman."
Method 2 of 2: Hangman Variation
Step 1. Change the " Hangman " image to a snowman image for the younger children
If you're worried about showing your children a violent image, you can use a snowman instead of a hanging person. Start by drawing 3 circles as the snowman's body, then add a picture of two eyes, a nose, and a few buttons for each wrong answer. Other rules remain the same as the game Hangman in general.
Step 2. Play "In & Out" Hangman for a more challenging game
This game gets better played using longer words or phrases. The rules are the same, but there's one important exception: there comes a time when the letter you guessed no may be in the secret word. Players must take turns guessing the letters that are in the secret word (during the " in " round) and the letters that are not in the secret word (during the " out " round) until they win or lose.
- If the players guess a letter in the secret word, the word maker must keep writing it on the right blank line regardless of what round is in progress. If they guess the correct letter during the "out" round, they will still get additional strokes on the picture.
- To make the game easier, the word generator can write down all the alphabets and cross out one by one each alphabet that has been mentioned by the players.
- You can play "In & Out" yourself online here.
Step 3. Use vocabulary to make "Hangman" a game in the classroom
Teachers can make Hangman an interesting learning tool and get students directly involved in learning new vocabulary. To make this game really successful in helping students learn, provide an additional rule: when students guess the secret word, they must also know the meaning of the word in order to win the game.
Make a list of all the vocabulary that will be used during the lesson so that the game can go faster
Tips
- The word maker must provide a clue or category, such as animals, vegetables, or movie stars to make the game easier.
- Start the game by guessing the vowels first. (The letter "U" is the least used vowel in English words, so use it only as a last resort. The letter "Y" is often used as a vowel in English words, for example the word "psychology.")
- In playing Hangman, first start guessing from the vowels. You will eliminate many possibilities for guessing errors when you do this.
