Which game for which level
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Guesswise
Guess a five-letter English word in six tries. The tiles tell you which letters are right, so you learn spelling patterns as you go. Basic level and up.
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Gridseek
A word search where every word belongs to one theme, such as a day at the beach or back to school. Good for learning words by topic. Basic level and up.
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Combword
Make as many words as you can from seven letters. It rewards knowing word families: sing, sings, singer, singing. Intermediate.
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Letterloft
A crossword tile game on a full board, against the computer or two to four people. Spelling with a strategy. Intermediate.
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Groupseek
Sixteen words, four hidden groups of four. The groups often use a second meaning of a word, which is exactly where English is hardest. Advanced.
Guesswise, Combword, Groupseek and Gridseek are all inside Wordburrow, one page with the four of them on the menu.
How to learn with them, not just play
- Keep a word notebook. When an answer is a word you did not know, write it down with its meaning and one sentence that uses it.
- Say your guesses out loud. English spelling and pronunciation do not match well; saying the word helps you remember both.
- Start with good first words. Our list of common five-letter words has the best first guesses, everyday words with their meaning, and a finder for when you are stuck.
- Do one a day. Each of the four puzzles has one of the day. Ten minutes every day does more than an hour once a week.
- Play with someone. Solving with a friend or a classmate means talking about the words, which is the best practice of all.
For teachers and study groups
Nothing to install and nobody to sign up, so the games work on school computers, tablets and students' own phones. Press Play together in any of the four puzzles and you get a room with a six-character code: up to four people join from their own devices and solve the same puzzle co-operatively. The site sets no cookies and keeps only anonymous counts, and the letters are large with high contrast, so they are readable on a projector.
Questions
Are word games a good way to learn English?
They are a good way to practise. Every guess has to be a real English word, so you spell, recall and meet new words over and over without it feeling like homework. Use them alongside a course, not instead of one.
What level of English do I need?
Guesswise and Gridseek work from a basic level, because they use common words and give you clues. Combword suits intermediate learners. Groupseek is the hardest, because its groups often depend on a second meaning of a word.
Are the games translated?
No, and on purpose: the games are in English, so you practise English while you play. This page and the pages that describe each game are translated.
Can a class or a study group play together?
Yes. The four puzzle games have a Play together room with a six-character code that up to four people can join from their own phones or computers, solving the same puzzle. Nobody needs an account.
More ways to browse
Free word games · 5-letter words in English · Board games with friends