How to play
In You guess, the computer picks a secret word and shows a dash for each letter. Choose letters on the keyboard below the word, or type them on your own keyboard. Each right letter is filled in wherever it appears. Each wrong letter adds to the picture, and if the picture is finished before you complete the word, the computer wins.
Easy uses short, everyday words and gives you eight wrong guesses. Medium uses longer common words with seven, and Hard uses longer and less common words with six. Your wins, losses and current winning streak are kept for each level on this device.
Prefer something gentler than the classic gallows? Switch the picture to balloons, where each wrong guess pops a balloon instead.
Let the computer guess your word
In Computer guesses, think of a word and tell the computer how many letters it has. It asks for one letter at a time. Tap every square where that letter appears in your word and press Done, or press No if the letter is not in your word.
The computer starts with every word of that length in its dictionary and keeps only the words that still fit your answers. It then asks for the letter that appears in the most of those words, which is the guess most likely to be right. You can often watch thousands of possible words fall to a handful in a few turns.
If you give an answer that does not match any word it knows, it will say so. At the end you can tell it your word, and it will check whether the word is in its dictionary or whether one of the letters was marked differently.
Tips for winning
Start with common letters. E, A, R, I, O, T, N and S appear in a large share of English words, so they reveal the most. Once a few letters show, think about common endings such as -ING, -ED and -TION, and pairs such as TH, SH and CH.
Leave rare letters such as Q, J, X and Z until the word suggests them. A wrong guess costs the same whatever the letter.
Questions and answers
How many wrong guesses do I get?
Eight on Easy, seven on Medium and six on Hard. The picture shows how many you have left.
Where do the words come from?
From our open word list. Rude and offensive words are never chosen as secret words.
How does the computer guess my word?
It keeps a list of every word that still fits your answers and asks for the letter found in the most of them. It never sees your word.
Are my scores saved?
Yes, in your browser on this device. They are not sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data resets them.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. Tap the on-screen letters to guess. The game fits phone screens and works offline once loaded.