The acquisition of new vocabulary is essential in terms of overall language advancement. However, there is always a need to review active words from time to time in order to use them fluently in speech. Here, we will present a couple of great vocabulary revision games which will perk up every classroom. Through these games the learners will feel how fun, entertaining and effective the learning process can be.
1. Charades
Charades is a fun and cool revision game. Students need to practice their acting skills to explain the words. This game is extremely easy to organize with minimal advance preparation. The only thing to be ready for is to keep a collection of vocabulary cards for the words you have studied.
The class is divided into two teams. Each team member takes turns acting out one of the words from the vocabulary set and explains it by acting out the word. If his or her own team can’t guess the word, the opposite team gets the chance to guess it. Each right answer equals one point.
Skyeng ищет преподавателей английского. Подробности по ссылке: Skyeng
2. Pictionary
Pictionary is also an entertaining game to play for vocabulary review. The rules are similar to those of charades except that instead of acting out the word, it is drawn on the board.
3. Bingo
Bingo can serve as a good revision game. From my experience, most of the groups/students like playing bingo because it gives them the chance to reflect on the words they have digested.
Students are given a blank bingo board and are asked to put the review words into the squares randomly. The teacher puts the active words in a hat or a box, takes them out one by one and defines them. If the student has a word corresponding to the definition, he crosses it out on his bingo board. When someone gets five squares in a row, they should shout, “Bingo!”
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4. A memory style
A memory style card game can be another effective way for reviewing vocabulary. It requires some preparation before the game starts. For each word to be reviewed, one card should have the target vocabulary word and another card should have the definition of the word. You also need to have a big playing grid where you put the words and their definitions face down.
Each person turns over two cards each turn trying to find a match. If the cards do not match, he turns them over again and the next person tries to find a match. If he succeeds, he keeps the cards and gets an additional turn. The player with the highest number of cards at the end of the game wins.
The game can be modified even further. If you have accumulated enough synonyms or antonyms to the target vocabulary, you can practice matching target words to their antonyms or synonyms.
5. Categories
Categories is another awesome revision game which will make students energized and empowered. What they need for the game is to draw 4-6 columns on their paper and write a category at the top of each column. Categories fit the topics covered during the course. For example, if you have covered the business topics of Marketing, Work and Leisure, Ethics, Human Resources, Travel, you write these topics as categories.
You time the students and ask them to write as many words as possible under each category. As a further modification, choose a random letter and write it on the board. Give students enough time to write down a word for each category that starts with that letter.
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6. Letter scramble
Letter scramble will make students really competitive and super fast. What you need is to take a list of words that your students have recently learned and write a scrambled version of each on the board. Students need to unscramble the words on their paper. The first one to finish deciphering all the words wins.
7. Stop the bus
Stop the bus is a cool game my students adore. I usually divide the class into 2-3 teams. One student from each team. This student sits on a chair facing his peers. Then from behind the student in the hot seat, show the other students a word from the lesson. The other students must try to describe what the word is without saying the actual word. And the student in the hot seat must guess.
The student who guesses the word shouts out “stop the bus” and checks the word with the teacher. If correct, the team gets a point. If wrong, other teams have the chance to guess the word by writing their versions on a piece of paper and passing the papers to the teacher.
8. Puzzles
Puzzles is another cool and easy tool to review the material in an effective way. What I like about this way of vocabulary revision is that students can work in pairs or groups while trying to find words matching the definition in the crosswords. They learn by listening to each other, cooperating to find the right answer. In this way, they both review the material and improve their teamwork skills.
Follow this link to get templates of different types of puzzles.
We also recommend watching a video with Alexei Konobeev. The speaker shared games to help your students remember new vocabulary. These games do not require special training and you can adapt them to any age and level.
We hope that all these games would serve their best to liven your vocabulary revision sessions and make them more meaningful and effective.
Which of these games have you tried? Which ones have you picked up for your next revision slot?
If you’re looking for some of the best ESL review games, then you’re certainly in the right place. We’re going to give you the rundown on these review activities to choose from. Keep on reading for all the past details you need to know about reviewing key grammatical concepts or English vocabulary with your students.
Are you ready to get into these fun teaching review games for English learners? Let’s get to it!
#1: ESL Surveys
If you’re looking for the ultimate ESL review activity, then look no further than surveys. I love them so much because they’re interactive, cover a wide range of skills and can be used for just about any topic. Plus, students have to get up and out of their seats to talk to their classmates, so it’s a nice way to inject some energy into a tired class. And, they are perfect for getting students to use WH questions as a follow-up.
What’s not to love! Sounds like exactly what you need? Learn more here: ESL Questionnaires and Surveys.
#2: A-Z Alphabet Game
This is one of the best ESL review games that lends itself to just about any topic. The way it works is that students have to try to think of a word in a certain category for each letter of the alphabet. It’s perfect for teaching colours for example. It’s an ideal way to finish off a class or to review vocabulary from previous classes as a quick warm-up.
Try it out with your English learners today:
ESL Alphabet Game.
Interactive review games and activities for the classroom
#3: Ball Toss ESL Review Game
Ball Toss is a fun ESL review activity that can be used to inject some energy into a class. There are various ways to do it, but the gist of it is that write some words or questions on a beach ball. Then, students take turns tossing the ball around the class and answering the question or making a sentence with the word where their right thumb is (or whatever finger you choose).
Find out all the details about it here: Ball Toss ESL Game.
#4: Mystery Box Interactive Review Game for the Classroom
If you teach kids, one of the best teaching review games to consider is the mystery box. It’s ideal for basic classroom objects as well as adjectives (hard, soft, big, small, etc.). The way it works is that students have to reach their hands into a box of things and then use some words to describe what they feel.
Find out more here: ESL Mystery Box Activity.
#5: Hot Potato Review Game
#6: Using Videos for Review
One of my favourite things is to use videos to review grammatical concepts or vocabulary sets. There are a ton of things you can do with them but one of my favourites is to play the video and have students listen for examples of a certain thing that I’ve just taught them.
Then, they can write them down and compare them with a partner. Finally, we talk together about them as a class and then students can watch the video one more time.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to use videos in the classroom as well. Here are some of the best ideas:
Using Videos in the TEFL Classroom.
#7: Typhoon
A nice way to review just about anything is with this fun game for all ages! Have a look here:
#8: Proof-Reading and Editing
If you want to do some review work that focuses on writing, then consider doing some proofreading exercises. I like to have some quieter activities in my classes too because not everyone likes busy and active and fun all the time!
In this case, you’d want to focus most of the errors on the target language. For example, to review past tense verbs, make some errors in the passage related to that. Find out some tips for doing this in your class here:
ESL Proof-Reading Activity.
#9: Is that Sentence Correct
A nice way to review grammar concepts and sentence structure is to use this activity. The way it works is that you can make a worksheet (or put up on a PowerPoint slide) with a number of sentences, some of which are correct and some of which are not. Then, students have to decide which ones aren’t correct and make any required changes. Be sure to monitor this activity well so that you know if students have grasped important concepts or not.
I like to make this into a competition to see who can complete it first. If you do this, let students know how many errors they can expect to find. Want to try it out? Here’s what you need to know:
ESL Error Correction Activity.
#10: ESL Memory Games
One of the best ways to review new things with our students is to play some of these challenging memory games. Not only are they challenging, but they’re a fun way to test our students’ memories. Here are some of my top picks:
ESL Memory Games and Activities.
#11: Jigsaw/Information Gap Activities
#12: Word Challenge Spelling Game
It’s always good to have a few activities that require nothing in the way of preparation or materials in the back of your mind before you walk into any classroom. This is one such activity.
Spelling is an often-neglected skill but it does deserve a bit of classroom practice time. It’s also an ideal way to review vocabulary words. Check it out here:
Word Challenge ESL Spelling Game.
#13: Me Too! Interactive Review Activity for the Classroom
A simple way to review new vocabulary like food, sports (check out this list of sports) or hobbies is to use this speaking and listening activity. The way it works is that students have to say facts about themselves and then find out if their classmates are the same or different from them.
Want to know more? Check this out:
Me Too! ESL Activity.
#14: Dictation Practice
A nice review activity for just about anything is getting your students to do some dictation. While it focuses mostly on listening and writing skills, it also hits spelling, grammar and vocabulary in a big way so consider trying it out! Another great thing about dictation is that it can be used for a single student or a class of 100 equally well.
Sounds like something you want to try out? Here’s the information you need to get started with it:
Dictation Writing and Listening ESL Activity.
#15: Dictogloss ESL Review Activity
If you want to challenge your students with their listening skills in a big way, then consider doing this activity with them. The way it works is that find a passage to read out to your students at a faster pace than normal. To make this useful as a review exercise, ensure that it includes some of the target vocabulary or grammar that you’d like to review.
Then, in pairs, students have to work together to recreate what they just heard. Want to give it a try? Find out all the details here:
ESL Dictogloss Activity
#16: Vocabulary Auction Grammar Review Game
#17: Word Association Vocabulary Challenge
If you want to review vocabulary from a previous class, then consider using Word Association. The way it works is that students have to make a mind map with words that they know, grouping them into categories. Learn more about it here:
ESL Word Association Activity.
#18: The Flyswatter Game
A fun way to review just about anything is to play the flyswatter game! The way it works is that students compete against each other to slap the correct word or phrase on the whiteboard in response to a clue that you give them. It lends itself particularly well to simple grammar concepts or new vocabulary. Check it out for yourself:
ESL Flyswatter Game.
#19: ESL Clothes Quiz
#20: Concentration, a Fun Review Game
One of the best ESL review games for new words is concentration. How it works depends on the level of the student. But, you’ll need to make cards with the following:
- Word + picture
- Word + definition
- Opposites
- Etc.
Then, students play together in small groups, placing the cards facedown. After that, it becomes a memory game as they try to find matches. Find out all the details here:
ESL Concentration Game.
#21: Running Dictation
#22: Error Correction Relay Race
I love to take something old (error correction) and make it new again with a fun relay race. It’s the perfect way to review key grammatical concepts and is ideal for both kids and adults.
Sounds like the right fun review game for your students? Find out how to do it here:
Error Relay Race.
#23: ESL Board Games
#24: Brainstorming Games and Activities
A nice way to review new vocabulary is to have students do a brainstorming game or activity. Of course, students can also add other related words that they may have learned previously which can serve to reinforce any new things that they learned.
There are a number of things to consider doing. Here are some of the best ones:
Brainstorming Games
#25: Closest in Meaning ESL Review Game
If you want to review some key vocabulary, then consider using this simple reading activity. Students have to read an original sentence and then compare it with some others to find the one that is closest in meaning. It’s ideal for a warmer activity to review new words from previous classes. Have a look:
Closest in Meaning Reading Comprehension.
#26: 120/90/60 Speaking Activity
#27: Password (an Interactive Review Game for the Classroom)
Try out this fun vocab review game that’s fun for elementary, middle or high school or even adults. Students have to give hints about a secret word to their classmate who has to guess what it is. Check it out here:
ESL Password Activity.
#28: Charades or Pictionary
If you want a fun English review class idea, look no further than these two! Charades is acting out a word or phrase while Pictionary is drawing it. Either way, they’re fun games for a review session where you want to cover some vocabulary words.
#29: The Memory Circle Game
Try out this simple game to review just about anything, from vocabulary sets to the simple past. Learn more about it here:
Did you like these ESL Review Games and Activities?
Yes? Thought so. Then the book you’re going to love is this one over on Amazon: 39 ESL Review Games and Activities for Teenagers and Adults. There are dozens of top-quality, engaging and student-centred review games to choose from. Help your students remember new grammatical concepts and vocabulary with these fun TEFL activities.
The best part? It’s easier than ever to get lesson plans ready to go in minutes. Seriously, just open up the book and choose a review activity or two and then adapt it to whatever you’re planning to review. It really is that easy to have better English classes.
The book is available in both digital and print formats. Keep a copy on the bookshelf in your teacher’s room to use as a handy reference guide when making lesson plans. Or, take the digital version with you to your favourite coffee shop on your phone, tablet, or computer for some lesson planning on the go.
Do you want to find out more details about this book filled with awesome teaching review games? Head on over to Amazon to check it out:
Review Games FAQs
There are a number of common questions that people have about reviewing vocabulary and grammar with language learners. Here are the answers to some of the most popular ones.
What should I do at the end of an ESL class?
How do you review for ESL?
To review for ESL classes, here are a few tips and tricks:
- Schedule regular review sessions throughout the course.
- Review key concepts at the end of each class.
- Use a variety of ESL review games and activities.
- Get students to conduct a review session.
- Encourage questions from students.
- Give homework to review key concepts.
What is a review lesson?
A review lesson is one in which key concepts are taught again, very briefly. It’s brief because students are already familiar with the material. Then students should have an opportunity to practice using these key concepts again in a game or activity of some kind.
Interactive review games for the ESL classroom
How do you write a good review lesson?
To write a good review lesson, follow these simple steps:
- Choose the material that needs to be reviewed.
- Hit the main points very briefly.
- Plan an exercise or activity for students to put what they’ve learned into practice.
What is the importance of review?
Review is important because it makes sure that students actually know the key concepts. It can help develop a concrete base for learning, upon which new concepts can be added.
What are some interactive review games for the classroom?
ESL Review Activities and Games: Join the Conversation
What’s your top pick for an activity to review things with your ESL students? Is it one of the options from this or do you have another favourite? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself find this useful resource.
Best review games
Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Репутация
1003
Украина, Одесса
Хорошая игра чтобы убить время.
3
22.04.2019
Достоинства:
Сложные слова не по типу детских, много уровней, каждый уровень сложнее предыдущего
Недостатки:
Реклама
Доброго времени суток. Хочу поделиться накопившимся впечатлениями про данную игру. Words of Wonders — игра в жанре «кроссворд», в которой Вам предстоит соединять буквы для получения слова. В каждом уровне у Вас будут определенные буквы…
Репутация
289123
Россия, Курск
Полезная, но чем выше уровень, тем сильнее виснет.
20.11.2021
Достоинства:
полезная — заставляет думать; красочное оформление
Недостатки:
повторяющиеся наборы слов; с повышением уровня всё сильнее виснет; быстро сажает батарею
С игрой для Android и iPhone Words of wonders я впервые познакомилась, наверно, как только купила свой смартфон. Данное приложение я видела ещё у мамы и оно мне очень нравилось. Когда я его установила у…
Репутация
48553
Россия, Сочи
Игра, которая не даёт скучать
3
24.07.2019
Достоинства:
Увлекательно
Недостатки:
Иногда долго не можешь отгадать слово
Все мы в детстве играли в слова. Это было занимательно и надолго могло занять наше время и внимание. В более взрослом возрасте играть в слова не менее интересно. Особенно, когда нужно убить время. Недавно скачала…
Репутация
122723
Украина, Харьков
Игра в ожидании ЕЁ конца, которого, УВЫ, никак не дождаться…
3
19.05.2022
Достоинства:
Интересно и увлекательно. Многоуровневая и многогранная программа бонусов.
Недостатки:
С течением времени все становится однообразным и утомительным. Попадаются непонятные (несуществующие) слова. Постоянная и повторяющаяся реклама, как разрядитель телефона и раздражитель нервной системы.
Вот уже месяц играю в эту игру в ожидании МИРА… Не смотря на то, что призвана она держать извилины нашего серого вещества в тонусе, успокаивать и отвлекать, через частые повторы комбинаций разгадываемых слов и беспрерывной…
очень затягивает, интересная
3
06.03.2019
Достоинства:
очень затягивает, интересная
Недостатки:
реклама
Уговорил меня сын установить на телефон Игру Words of wonders — игра для Android и iPhone, и вот уже несколько недель мой телефон не знает покоя, при том, что играю, наверное, даже больше я чем…
Репутация
242125
Россия, Челябинск
Гимнастика для мозга!
2
05.11.2022
Достоинства:
Можно иногда отвлечься.
Недостатки:
Телефон быстро разряжается.
Говорят, что чем старше, тем больше надо мозг тренировать. Words of wonders — игра для Android и iPhone, для этого неплохо подходит. У меня на смартфоне операционная система Андроид. Установить подобную развлекаловку минутное дело. Смысл…
Репутация
84262
Россия, Самара
Ни разу не WOW 
3
13.05.2019
Достоинства:
Тренировка для мозга
Недостатки:
Однообразно, скучно.
Доброго времени суток! В преддверии лета, решила потренировать мозги. Ага. Кто-то тренирует тело, а я вот… другую мышцу… Иль это не мышца?) Почему именно к лету?) А потому что мы берем на все выезды на…
Репутация
404822
Украина, Ивано-Франковск
Рекламы через край, раздражения больше, чем удовольствия
3
03.01.2021
Достоинства:
Оформление, сама задумка
Недостатки:
Реклама, вытягивание денег
Доброго времени. Поднадоели разные шарики на телефоне , и решила я поиграться с буквами, как говорится заодно и мозги прокачать, для этого скачала новую игрушку под названием Words of wonders, игра предназначена для Android и…
Репутация
295408
Украина, Догоняю
Кроссворд без вопросов
3
07.02.2020
Достоинства:
Интересно
Недостатки:
Иногда тяжёлые уровни
Эту игру, где с данного количества букв нужно собирать слова, я увидела в рекламе. Реклама заинтересовала и я решила скачать. Как ни странно, реклама совпала с реальной игрой, что сейчас редкость. Во входе игры есть…
Репутация
151061
Россия, в котором родился и вырос
Иностранцы, по ходу, прислушиваются к пожеланиям.
3
10.12.2020
Достоинства:
Хорошая игра, развивающая мозги; всё просто и понятно
Недостатки:
Порой бабочки раздражают; hippo bank дохлый
Всем доброго времени суток, игроманы! Много каких интересных игр есть на просторах Google Play Market, и очередная игра, которую я с удовольствием закачал – это words of wonders. Если раньше я играл в подобную игру…
Репутация
44964
Россия, Шахтерск
очень затягивает, хорошо «убивает» время
3
16.05.2022
Достоинства:
Занимает не много места, развивает, познавательно
Недостатки:
нет
Доброго времени суток, дорогой читатель! На свой телефон стараюсь устанавливать исключительно головоломки, что бы скоротать время в очередях, и которые не требуют online подключения. Для меня вполне стала удачной Words of wonders. На телефоне занимает…
Репутация
249284
Россия, Москва
Хорошая игра для тренировки мозга
3
26.04.2021
Достоинства:
Затягивает, хорошее оформление
Недостатки:
Реклама
Добрый день всем читателям этого отзыва! Сегодня хочу рассказать об игре для телефона или планшета Words of Wonders. Вообще я не очень большой фанат разных игрушек для смартфонов, но иногда все-таки скачиваю что-то в Плей…
Репутация
43249
Россия, НОВАЯ ИНФОРМАЦИЯ
Быстро пропал интерес
3
04.04.2020
Достоинства:
Поначалу интересно
Недостатки:
Слабовата, часто повторяются слова
Доброго времени суток, мои уважаемые друзья и читатели сайта Отзовик! Спасибо, что выбрали мой обзор для ознакомления. Я люблю всякие игрушки для шевеления головы. Про одну из них, игру «Слова из слов» , я уже…
Для тех, кто хочет уснуть!
1
13.07.2019
Достоинства:
Подходит для детей младшего школьного возраста
Недостатки:
При включённом интернете слишком много рекламы
Я устанавливала себе эту игру с одной целью, скоротать времечко и убить скуку по дороге на работу или находясь в очереди где-угодно. Игра не сложная, из одного слова необходимо составить определённое количество других слов. Размер…
Репутация
59565
Россия, Краснодар
Затягивает эта игра
2
13.04.2021
Достоинства:
Интересно, увлекательно , новые слова
Недостатки:
Повторение, реклама
Приветствую всех читателей отзыва. Как+то я увидела, что в эту игру играет моя коллега. И мне захотелось ее скачать. Оказалось, довольно увлекательная игра, по типу сканворда. Даётся определенный набор букв и из них нужно составлять…
Репутация
35512
Россия, Москва
Для мозгов полезная игра. Но мне она уже надоела.
28.04.2020
Достоинства:
Интересно, увлекательно, полезно, ярко, качественно.
Недостатки:
Долго играть может не хватить терпения, может очень наскучить.
Приветствую всех друзей отзовичан и гостей моего отзыва! Что- то впервые решила поделиться своими впечатлениями о приложении с игрой. Просто когда -то раньше я ими не увлекалась, а потом скачала одно, другое, третье… В каких-…
Репутация
57595
Украина, Киев в отпуске
Отличная игра, когда едешь в транспорте.
11.04.2020
Достоинства:
Мозг отвлекается от проблем
Недостатки:
нет
Очень редко играю в игры на телефоне, но так уж получается, что когда едешь в транспорте не знаешь куда деть глаза, чтоб не смотреть на людей и на всяческую рекламу на мониторах и стеклах. Потому…
Репутация
3468
Россия, Петергоф
От долгой игры перестаешь соображать!
23.03.2020
Достоинства:
Красивый интерфейс, нетребовательна к ресурсам, увлекательная.
Недостатки:
Странности со словарем, многовато рекламы
Я практически не играю на смартфоне в игры, только если попадётся какой-нибудь действительно хит с миллионами скачиваний, и то, я о нем узнаю одним из последних. Так было со злыми птицами, с пацаном, который бежал…
Сомнительная игра.
15.10.2019
Достоинства:
увлекает
Недостатки:
много «странных»слов, многие обычные слова не защитываются
Поначалу игра words of wonders очень понравилась, даже затянула. Постепенно обнаруживаешь, что некоторые слова отсутствуют. Потом, когда опыт в игре накапливается, приходишь к выводу, что не некоторые слова отсутствуют, а этих отсутствующих слов большое количество…
Репутация
131315
Россия, Екатеринбург
Развивает мышление и знания в батанике
21.09.2019
Достоинства:
развивает мозг
Недостатки:
много ненужной ботаники
Играл в эту игру месяца 4. Была установлена на телефоне через приложение плей макет. Голову иногда приходится поломать, что бы из букв составить нужное слово. Иногда я пользовался такой методикой. Я смотрел в центр круга…
Отзывы на аналоги:
You found our list of fun and simple vocabulary games for adults.
Vocabulary games are activities that include language and wordplay. Example games include Word Association and Hang Man. Players can enjoy vocabulary games in person or online. The purpose of these games is to strengthen vocabulary skills. These games are also known as “vocab games”, “letter games” and “vocabulary building games.”
These games make great online classroom activities and communication games, and can be used as online fun activities for employees.
This list includes:
- vocabulary games for adults
- simple vocabulary word games for adults
- fun online vocabulary games and activities
- English vocabulary games
- vocabulary games in English
- games to improve vocabulary
- vocabulary building activities
- vocab review games
- vocabulary games for students
Get ready to play!
List of vocabulary games
From Pictionary to word scrambles to synonym memory, here is a list of fun word games to play in classrooms, at parties, or during meetings.
1. Vocabulary Pictionary
Pictionary is a game of charades where players draw words instead of acting them out.
To play:
- Split the group into teams.
- Each round, assign one team member to draw.
- Give the drawing team member a word.
- Allow up to sixty seconds for teammates to guess.
- If the team guesses correctly, then assign one point.
You can give other teams the opportunity to steal, or move onto the next team’s turn. The game is a great way to practice new vocabulary, as players connect the word with an image. Pictionary is a fun game for virtual parties or in-person affairs.
To play Pictionary online, draw on the whiteboard app feature on your online meeting software.
2. Word Association
Word Association is one of the best vocabulary games for kids and classrooms since playing does not require a large vocabulary. The rules are simple and easy to understand. Typically, the game involves two players.
To play:
- Player one says a word.
- Player two responds with the first word that comes to mind.
- Player one either chooses a new word or responds to player two’s word.
- The game continues until one player repeats a word or pauses too long.
The rapid pace of the game generates excitement and occasionally results in funny answers.
If a student makes a mistake, then the teacher can pause the game and ask the student to explain or find a more fitting word. Ideally, gamemasters should allow players a few extra seconds to respond. Players should never feel embarrassed. There are no wrong answers in word association, but the game can serve as a learning opportunity to find better words.
If playing via Zoom, then player one or the teacher speaks a word, and other students answer in the chat. The class counts up matching answers and discusses different responses, guessing the reasoning behind each answer.
3. Vocabulary Hangman
Hangman is a classic chalkboard word game that translates easily to online play, thanks to digital whiteboards.
To play:
- Assign a player a word.
- The player draws a series of blanks corresponding to the number of letters in the word.
- Other players guess letters.
- If the letter is in the word, then the “executioner” fills in the blank. If not, then the executioner draws one portion of the gallows.
- The game ends when players guess the word, or when the picture is complete.
The best words to use for hangman contain less-used letters like z, x, and q. Examples of hard hangman words include zigzagging, razzmatazz, and quadrants.
4. Word search
Word searches are common classroom vocabulary games. These activities work well for handouts, and you can play during video calls by using the whiteboard feature and enabling annotation.
We made a sample word search you can use.
To make the game more competitive and exciting, turn the challenge into a race and award prizes to the first players to complete the puzzles.
5. Crossword
Crossword puzzles consist of a series of interconnecting boxes, each of which starts blank but contains one letter by the end of the game. Under the puzzle are two lists of clues, across and down respectively. Solvers need to consider the meaning of words, number of letters, and surrounding words, making the game strategic as well as literary.
Here is an example of a crossword puzzle you can use with your class or team.
Here is the answer key.
Crosswords are great word games for any age or skill level because puzzle makers can adjust the difficulty to suit players. To make your own crossword puzzle, use an online crossword creator.
6. Word Scramble
Word scrambles make great games for English class, and adults enjoy these language brain teasers as well. Simply mix up the order of the letters and ask players to unscramble and identify the original words.
Here is a sample to start with.
And here is the answer key.
To make your own word scrambles, use an online letter randomizer.
7. Scrabble
Scrabble is one of the most popular word games for adults or children. Players must use letter tiles to assemble words on the game board.
To play:
- Each player draws seven letter tiles.
- During turns, players can play tiles or exchange them for new letters.
- Players build words on the board, with each new word connecting to an existing word.
- Tiles have a point value assigned depending on the challenge of the letter. When a player makes a word, tally the letter and add the score to the point board.
More challenging letters have higher point values. For example, E is one point, while Z is ten. To find the point values for each tile and read more gameplay tips, check out this guide from Hasbro.
To coordinate the game for language lessons, assign higher scores for vocabulary words, and ask players to use the words in a sentence for extra points.
Scrabble is easy to play online, too, making it one of the best online vocabulary games. To play virtually, simply find a multiplayer online version of the game, such as Words With Friends.
8. Scattergories
Scattergories is one of the most fun and simple word games for adults. The game challenges players to think up words all starting with the same letter.
To play:
- One player rolls a letter die or uses a letter generator to pick the first letter.
- The timekeeper puts 60 seconds on the clock.
- Players write down one answer per category starting with the letter.
- When time runs out, players read the answers.
- Players receive a point for every answer.
Alliterative phrases count for double or triple points. If two players have the same answer, then they must cross it out and neither receives points. Of course, a player will not receive points for blank answers either. At the end of each round, the player with the most points wins.
Here is a list of sample Scattergories categories:
- A boy’s name, girl’s name, or gender neutral name
- Capital cities
- Four letter words
- Types of drinks
- Holidays
- Careers or professions
- Cartoon characters
- Websites
- Desserts
You could create more inventive categories for the game, or challenge players to make up prompts.
To play virtually, use the chat, screen-share, whiteboard functions in your virtual meeting platform. You can also share a Google Doc or Form, or join a multiplayer online Scattergories game together.
9. Tree or Bob Ross
Tree or Bob Ross is a fun video conference game that challenges players to guess a word by asking questions.
The player who conjures the word is The Post. The Post answers This or That questions whose answers help players narrow down the word.
The first question of the game is usually “is it more like a tree, or more like Bob Ross?” and The Post must answer accordingly. For instance, a rose is probably more like a tree, but Pinnochio presents an interesting challenge.
Each turn, the guesser adds a new word. For example, the second question might be, “is it more like a tree or a fern?” The game continues until players guess correctly. For more excitement, introduce a time limit, or award more points if players guess the word during earlier rounds.
10. Vocabulary Pyramid
Pyramid challenges players to guess words from context clues. The pyramid is a collection of six words, arranged with three on the bottom, two in the middle, and one at the top. To win, teams must guess all words within the pyramid in the allotted time.
To play:
- Divide the group into teams.
- Give one player on each team the pyramid.
- The pyramid holder must give hints to teammates describing each word without using the actual name of the item.
- When players guess correctly, the pyramid master can move to the next word. Or, players can say “pass,” and return to the word later.
- Teams receive a point for every correct guess.
When determining the time limit, consider the age of your players and the difficulty of the words. In general, 30 seconds per word, or three minutes total, is a good place to start, but add or take away time to increase or decrease the challenge.
11. Invisible Bridge
Invisible Bridge is similar to six degrees of Kevin Bacon. In both games, you must figure out a way to connect two seemingly distant concepts. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon uses actors, while Invisible Bridge uses words.
To play:
- A player suggests two unrelated words.
- Player one gives a number of planks. This is how many steps other players must use to relate the two words.
- The other players think up words that share similar traits, synonyms, or connector words to move from one term to another.
An example round might look as follows:
Tiger, Astronaut, eight planks
Tiger – Balm – Lip – Service – Customer – Happy – Pills – Capsules – Space – Astronaut
Meanwhile, Tiger, Astronaut, two planks might look like this:
Tiger – meat eater – meteor – Astronaut
One fun aspect about this game is there can be more than one correct answer, and opposing teams can dispute far-reaches. Invisible bridge encourages players to think about the nature of language and the relationship between words.
12. Poetry Improv
Poetry Improv is an exercise that challenges participants to craft verses on the spot.
To play:
- Pick a poetry style, such as sonnet, haiku, acrostic, limerick, or free verse.
- Give participants vocabulary words to use within the poem.
- Allow five or ten minutes for groups or individuals to complete the verses. If playing online via meeting software, then send groups to breakout rooms to work.
- Ask poets to share the masterpieces aloud.
For extra fun, turn other players into judges by asking them to rate the poems by holding up scorecards. To make the game more fast-paced, ask players to finish each others’ phrases on the spot for a true poetic improv.
13. Synonym Memory
The rules of Memory are easy: flip over two cards at a time and look for matching pictures or words. When players find pairs, they take the cards off the board. The player with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins.
Synonym Memory puts a challenging spin on the simple game. Instead of hunting for exact matches, players pair up words with synonyms.
Here are some sample matches:
- enticing/tempting
- assume/suppose
- patience/restraint
- revoke/rescind
- impact/collision
The game encourages players to think in different ways, as participants will need to remember the location of the cards as well as consider meanings of words.
To play online, make your own virtual synonym memory game with an online tool and share screens to play, with one player flipping over the cards at other players’ request.
List of words to use for vocabulary games
Here is a list of great words to use in word games:
- serendipity
- fortitude
- akimbo
- sumptuous
- ineffable
- zephyr
- incorrigible
- medallion
- mauve
- bombast
- denouement
- contemporary
- gossamer
- inane
- hippodrome
- concession
- ideology
- quintessential
- prescient
- regurgitate
- gnash
- cataclysmic
- knell
For further inspiration, use a random word generator or consult online lists of difficult or intersecting words.
Conclusion
Vocabulary games and activities test and strengthen players’ communication skills. These word games minimize frustration by disguising language lessons in the form of an exciting challenge. Not to mention, simple word games are fun for adults and kids alike, and make great icebreaker activities during meetings. Most games only require words and a way to share them, so playing word games online via Zoom or similar platforms is easy.
For even more smart fun, check out our posts on problem solving games, question games and team building brain teasers.
FAQ: Vocabulary Games
Here are answers to common questions about vocabulary games and activities.
What are vocabulary games?
Vocabulary games are word and language games you can play with students, coworkers, or family and friends. These games challenge players to hunt for words or definitions, brainstorm terms, deduce phrases based on clues, or create words under certain conditions. Language games are a great way to teach new vocabulary and help students practice recognizing and using new words. These activities are also known as “vocabulary building games” and “vocab games”, and are similar to “word games” and “letter games”.
What are some fun word games for groups?
Some fun word games for groups include Pictionary, Tree or Bob Ross, and word scrambles.
What are some online vocabulary games?
By using virtual meeting software like Zoom, you can play any word game online. Some good virtual vocabulary games include Scrabble, Scattergories, and online crossword puzzles.
What are good ESL word games?
The best ESL word games are easy to understand and play yet expand the vocabularies of participants. Good ESL word games include word association, word searches, and hangman.
What are fun ways to teach vocabulary?
Word games are one of the most fun and easy ways to teach vocabulary. While some kids get frustrated with straightforward reading or language exercises, word games disguise vocabulary lessons as a fun challenge. Plus, playing language games together is a great teamwork exercise.
on July 28, 2019 •
Wordwall is a recent find for me. I heard about it during this webinar on gamifying learning, which was quite interesting. I’ve since mentioned it to various colleagues, and the typical response has been ‘oh yeah, Wordwall, that’s pretty good’. So I guess I’m behind the times!
Basically, Wordwall allows you to create interactive resources online for use in class or at home. Activities are often games, but you can use it to bring more standard coursebook activities to life such as matching tasks. It’s very straightforward to create a resource – there are a variety of templates available, most of which are intuitive and require no more than 10 minutes to set up. You can create five activities with the free membership, then unlimited activities (including a multiplayer quiz) when you sign up (costs me 120 baht per month which isn’t bad).
So far, I’ve mainly used the activities for…
- a ‘smart start’. Students tend to filter into my classes a bit late, so I use these activities as a review (or diagnostic) at the start of class. It’s been taking the place of Quizlet Live for me in the last month, although only for my Primary level students.
- breaktimes games.
- I’ve found that using Quizlet has been a good way to get learners to review vocabulary at home. Wordwall is having the same effect (so far anyway, maybe the novelty will wear off)
- end of term reviews. We’ve just had a half-term break – Wordwall was a nice, fun 20-minute end to the term, just to wrap things up.
I’m looking into ways I can use Wordwall for more productive tasks. Watch this space though.
For these example activities I’ve just used a quick vocabulary set for ‘personality adjectives’. You can add far more terms than I’ve used if you wish. Excuse any small errors – these are just examples! The game creation screen is similar for each activity – see the first ‘Group sort’ example.
Group sort
To check meaning you might want students to categorise the vocab – in this case positive versus negative.
This screenshot of the Group Sort tool shows how easy it is to do that. You can add as many groups as you want – for this example a category like ‘neutral’ might be needed.
Once you choose your words then you select a theme and change the settings…
I usually use a count down format (1 or 2 minutes) to add a bit of excitement. Here is what you might end up with…
Personality adjectives
Quick and easy. I find it a paper saver too. We are lucky enough to have interactive whiteboards at work so this is a good way to use them, to get learners energised, out of their seats and collaborating.
True/False
This template does roughly the same thing as Group Sort, but the format is a bit different. Words scroll across the screen and learners select the correct option for each one before they disappear. Works well as a speedy group game.
Personality adjectives True/False
Whack-a-mole
Whack-a-mole can be used in a similar way. This is the most frantic of the games and my learners go mad for it. I add some sneaky challenges into this game, like words with wrong spelling to try and trick the learners. This game works really well with my upper-primary kids (aged 9 and 10).
Personality adjectives
I find putting this game on a quicker setting is better:
Maze Game
I tend to use this one either as a breaktime game or as a homework activity. The students love it, but it’s a bit time-consuming for class time.
In this example I’ve shared a range of question types you could use. These relate to word form, spelling, pronunciation, etc, but there are plenty more options.
Personality adjectives
Some of the game style activities aren’t that good. I wouldn’t recommend the ‘Balloon Pop’ or ‘Aeroplane’ games as they are generally a bit easy even on their hardest settings, and the amount of practice learners get from these is much less as the games are slower. I guess it depends on your learners though – mine prefer the more fast-paced games and these certainly work better in the classroom. Here is an example of balloon pop for a partial synonyms activity from my coursebook, Beyond A2+.
Crossword
This is actually a pretty good, functional interactive crossword. Another good one for breaktimes or homework. It includes an online keyboard too, which is helpful if you use an IWB. I confess though, I haven’t checked the functionality of this on a mobile, so if you do please let me know how it goes.
Personality adjectives
You can change the template for crosswords and run these as a quiz instead. In fact, the basic membership allows for a multiplayer quiz function (you can just select to change a crossword to this template in a side bar). This gives you a log in, in similar style to Kahoot or Quizlet.
Here is an example of the quiz function, not in multiplayer though.
Personality adjectives quiz
You can also do a simple ‘open the box’ style question format (example). This is okay, but a bit limited and teacher-led.
Anagrams
The anagram function is another simple and effective tool. It takes about 90 seconds to create this resource – there’s an option to include clues if you want.
Personality adjectives
So, there are about 8 examples of resources you can create. That’s about a third of all those available on the basic membership.
Would I recommend Wordwall? Yes. I think it’s a good, easy-to-use site, and my learners have responded well to the resources. I’m going to be careful not to go overboard with using this though, and try to keep it more for homework, breaktimes and end of term. Games on their own aren’t learning, but this tool has it’s uses.
Categories: Lesson Ideas, reviews, vocabulary
Tags: adjectives, elt, games, ideas, review, tefl, vocabulary, word games, wordwall