Word work board games

These 15 editable word work board games  are a huge time and money saver! Whether you’re in need of ready to go word work activities, literacy centers or fun spelling practice, this pack has you covered. Just type in your unique word list once and the words pop into the right spot on every single game.

Kids love that they’re fun – grown ups love that they’re ready to play.  Grab your pack in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers!

The games make practice reading, spelling and writing words so motivating for kids. And you’ll love that you can use it with ANY word list under the sun: sight words, word families, themed words, classmates’ names… the sky’s the limit!

Easiest Prep Ever

The word work game boards couldn’t get any simpler to prep. Just print the activity you want students to work on, grab one or two school supplies like playing pieces and dice, and you’re all set. Easy peasy!

Easily Differentiate Word Lists

The word work game boards are incredibly easy to differentiate so you can give children at different reading levels “just right” practice. Type in your word list for your first level of readers, and print the activity you want your students to play.

Hop back to the word list and swap out the words for your next level of readers. The new words will automatically load into the correct spot on all of the activities.

Inside You’ll Find

The editable board games  are guaranteed fun for kids! The pack includes 15 ready to play board games and coordinating follow up record sheets.

Students read, spell and write words as they race to put out a blazing fire,

Blast into outer space,

Play with monsters,

Speed along a colorful rainbow trail,

Hike through the forest,

Drive through a construction site,

Race to capture a dog thief,

And so much more…

Grab Your Pack

Snag your pack of 15 editable word work games in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers!

These word board games are an excellent way to build up your middle schooler’s vocabulary. They’re educational board games for teenagers.

As teens get ready for high school, it’s important that they have strong language skills, both reading and writing. That means during the middle school years, they should spend time improving their spelling and vocabulary skills.

Instead of relying on a large curriculum or boring worksheets to help your teens further develop their word building skills, play some of these board games instead. They’re a great way to work on language arts.

When middle schoolers play these vocabulary word games, they’re not just sitting there answering questions and spouting memorized facts. They’re playing with words and being creative.

Fun language arts games help teens get comfortable with spelling, vocabulary, and building words. All of which improve their reading and writing skills.

Personally, I think the days of giving kids long lists of words to memorize for spelling and vocabulary are long gone.

Tweens learn better when they’re immersed in a subject instead of just retaining facts.

One way to engage your homeschooler in language is to play games specifically designed for word building. As they play, they’ll be shoring up their spelling skills, building their vocabulary and improving their reading skills, all while having some fun.

Board games also have an element of friendly competition built in, so your older kids will be busy trying to beat you and each other, and they’ll probably forget they’re actually learning.

Not only are these word games perfect for language arts class, they’re so enjoyable that they make great additions to your family game night.

The ultimate goal is to raise kids who can communicate effectively, whether written or verbally, so I’m all for using whatever tools work to accomplish this.

These board games and card games are fun to play and excellent tools to add to your language arts plans.

How to Use Board Games in the Classroom

So how can you incorporate board games like these into your classroom or homeschool? It’s actually easier than you think!

• Set aside your language arts curriculum for the day (especially any spelling or vocabulary plans) and play a game instead.
• Transform a standard game by using the facts you’re teaching as the clues.
• Play a word game during lunch. It’s simple to pull out one of these games while you’re sitting at the table eating, and it won’t take any time away from your school day.
• When kids finish their work early or after you give a test, use a word game as a reward.
• If you usually take a day off during the week or have one where your teen has a lighter course load, take an hour to play a game or two.
• Add these word board games to your next family game night. Everyone can benefit from expanding and strengthening their vocabulary. Plus, tweens will love trying to beat you in a word game.

Use games with small groups, individual play, or as a fun activity for the family.

Any links in this post may be affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.

MORE LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITIES

Aside from word games, there are plenty of fun activities you can use to build the vocabulary of older children.

• Improve creative writing skills with Story Builders.
• Printable word games.
• Teach writing to teens with dysgraphia.
• These word tools will build confidence.

This is one of our favorite word games. Players race to write down two words that fit the category on the card, and if they match another player’s answer, they both earn points.

It’s an awesome family game.

You play this game with two stacks of cards — category cards and letter cards.

The top card on the category pile is turned over first. As soon as a letter card is flipped, players rush to be the first person to shout out something that fits the category and starts with the letter.

Players race to be the first one to find the word that hides in the letter spiral.

Sounds easy, but it can be quite challenging to find where the word begins and ends when you’re scrambling to beat your opponent.

Scattergories is a classic game that helps build vocabulary words.

Players start the round with a category list. Once the letter die is tossed, they must rush to write as many words as they can that fit the category and start with the chosen letter.

You need to be quick to finish before the time limit. But only unique answers count, so you’ll have to use your vocabulary to win.

As players move around the board, they try to guess the correct vocabulary word from the definition card.

If they give the wrong word, the other players have time to answer.

This game puts a unique twist on the classic crossword puzzle game.

Players try to score the most points by creating words, but they have the added choice of adding their letters on top of other ones.

The higher the pile, the more points players earn.

This game is played with 8 stacks of cards in the middle. When it’s your turn, you choose any of the top cards and create a word. The next player does the same, but then can use the remaining letters to play on your word.

Play continues until you use all the cards.

This is another game that’s played with category cards and letter cards.

However, with this game, when the cards are turned over, players try to be the last one to shout out a word that starts with the letter and matches the category.

The timer is random, so you never know when the time will end.

Players spin the spinner to determine the two letters and category for each round. Then, players race to write as many words as possible that start with one letter and contain the other and also fit the category.

Scrabble is a classic word game that’s still an excellent tool for building everyone’s spelling and vocabulary skills.

Players use their chosen tiles to make words, while trying to get the highest score possible.

This is a fun game to play and is incredibly portable, thanks to the handy banana pouch.

There are lots of variations on the gameplay of Bananagrams, so you’ll never get bored playing. In the classic play, players use their tiles to make words in a crossword-style form.

Boggle is a fun sight word game that’s been around for years.

Players put the lid on and shake the letter dice. Once they settle, start the timer and try to find as many simple words in the letters as you can.

Write them down on a piece of paper before time runs out.

Players are given 20 tiles, and a 5 tiered holder to begin.

When someone says go, everyone races to build 5 different words with their tiles and place them in the slots on the plastic holder.

As soon as someone builds their words, they shout, Dabble, and the round ends.

This vocabulary game includes 108 consonant cards and 2 vowel dice.

Players roll the vowel dice and use them with the consonant cards in their hand to build the highest scoring word.

This is a cute game that will definitely challenge tweens.

You give all players a paper pod and colored letters. When the timer begins, they use their letters to build a word on the pod. Then, they give the pod to the next player and the next round begins.

Now players use the word in front of them and their remaining letters to build a new word.

When your pod gets back around to you, you count the number of letters in your color and that’s your score for the round.

This game will definitely get your tween’s creative juices flowing.

There are 9 dice with pictures on each side. To begin, a player rolls the dice and tells a story, trying to include as many of the pictures as possible.

This is a great game to take along to parties or on a family trip.

There are a bunch of other dice/picture variations you can choose from too.

Here’s how we use Story Cubes in our homeschool.

Hopefully, you’ve seen how easy it is to help your teens build their language arts skills through games. Plus, they’re a lot of fun for middle school students!

Remember that your vocabulary is like a muscle. The more you use it and work it, the stronger it gets. And word board games are a good way to get older kids excited about English language arts.

Don’t let tweens just sit there answering questions and spouting memorized facts. Take some time to play these word games in your homeschool and watch how quickly everyone’s language improves.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WORD Board GAME?

• Bio
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Latest Posts
• Pinterest

I love homeschooling! Learning is a way of life for our family. Most days you will find us exploring our Central Florida community, having fun while learning. I am constantly looking for new and interactive ways to engage my older children.

If you’re a wordsmith, a word-wiz, or just enjoy a little wordplay, these word board games are right up your vocabulary alley. Word board games can be used as an educational tool, as a hilarious party game, or simply as a way to keep your wordy wits about you. If you’re not into word games, don’t fret, word unscrambling tools can give you an assist in any word game while improving your vocabulary.

So on-words and up-words, here are our top 20 best word board games!

Like Word Games? Why not also check out our list of Puzzle Games and Trivia Games that keep you mentally active, while still having fun?

🏆 Our Top Picks for Best Word Board Games

In a hurry? Take a quick peek before you go.

04/11/2023 05:30 pm GMT

When I Dream

Players: 4-10
Playing time: 20-40 min

Put on your sleep masks and try to decipher your dreams!

When we fall asleep and enter a dream world, the imagination and imagery can be truly magical. When I Dream turns players into dreamers. Be careful when entering the magical world of dreams because the Dream Spirits want to have fun!

When I Dream is an innovative game that puts a focus on creativity and player imagination. Put on your sleep mask and try to interpret the Dream Spirits messages. With fairies, naughty spirits, and even the Boogeyman, the game has an array of characters that make it challenging and that give the game depth. 

This is an excellent fast-paced party game that’ll have you storytelling before the Boogeyman wreaks havoc!

What we liked

When I Dream offers some new unique mechanics that give the word game genre something to think about. Combine that with the gorgeous artwork and you get a really pretty and fun game. 

What could be better

With the timer included, it can rapidly descend into chaos.

Werewords

Players: 4-10
Playing time: 10 min

Guess the magic word!

In Werewords, players must guess a secret word by asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. Be careful, time catches up to you! Like in most games, there’s always a villain looming and trying to interrupt play. In Werewords, one player is secretly a werewolf.

Not only is this player working against you, but they also know the Magic Word. Even if you don’t guess the word in time, you still have the chance of exposing the werewolf and winning the game!

What’s cool about this word game is that it comes with an iOS/Android app that’ll provide thousands of words in hundreds of categories giving the game-high replayability. 

What we liked

It’s like One Night Ultimate Werewolf but combined with a word game. It’s a weird combination that seems to work very well. 

What could be better

Like the original Werewolf, Werewords suffers from similar role management. There are only a handful of roles that are really fun to play, but most players end up as villagers.

Will you figure out the word or will the werewolf get you? Better get your top wordsmith on the case.

Trapwords

Players: 4-8
Playing time: 30-45 min

You know the secret word your teammates must guess. You’ll give clues to help but the other team has other plans in mind. They’ve set a list of ‘trapwords’. You can’t say them or you’ll end up trapped in dungeons with terrifying monsters. Easy enough? Oh, there’s also a time limit. 

Trap words is a fast-paced party game that seems like a simple task of giving clues but gets more challenging by not knowing which words can be said. 

If you’re looking for a word game with a fantasy theme, Trapwords takes you into the fantasy world of dungeons and monsters.

What we liked

Trapwords is a fun fantasy variation of Taboo. The rules are changed enough to make it more interesting to play than Taboo.

What could be better

The timer can be tricky, especially for younger players.

Decrypto

Players: 3-8
Playing time: 15-45 min

Decrypto has a fun vintage aesthetic, surely making it a favorite among the hipster community. But really, this word game blends decoding and player interaction through interesting mechanics.

In this game, teammates try to transmit secret codes without letting the opposing team intercept them. Using clever graphic anaglyph components, players slide cards into the screens to decode the words.

The communication limits make Decrypto a fun and challenging word game to play, plus you’ll feel like a code breaker sending secret messages.

What we liked

The option to guess the other team’s words and clues adds another level to a fun word game. 

What could be better

I’m not sure why, but I had trouble with Decrypto’s rules. It took me far longer than it should have to understand everything and teach it to my gaming group. It could have just been me, but it did give me trouble.

Letter Jam

Players: 2–6
Playing time: 45 min

Your friend gives the clue. Can you guess your secret letter? 

Letter Jam is a cooperative word game where players work together to compose meaningful words from letters around the table. But the twist is only the other players can see your letter cards, not you. 

Letter Jam combines team-based play and players’ deduction skills. Pull together as a team, find the clues, and reap the fruits of cooperation!

Jam out at the next game night and decipher the codes!

What we liked

Under its simple exterior, Letter Jam offers a cerebral word game that delivers more gameplay the longer you play. 

What could be better

It’s played best with more players and is all but obsolete at 2-players.

Bananagrams

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 15 mins

A fun game for everyone that’ll drive you bananas.

Gather your friends and family and race against each other to build crossword grids. Bananagrams is an educational and entertaining game with which you can teach kids how to spell words all while having fun at the same time. 

In Bananagrams, players have to build their words with letters as fast as they possibly can. A race to finish, speed, and a great vocabulary make the game super exciting. 

What we liked

The game is in a case that’s shaped like an actual banana, making it a great travel game. It can fit in any bag and it comes in a cute package. What’s not to like?

What could be better

If you have trouble with words then the real-time movements and actions can be tricky to deal with.

Blank Slate

Players: 3-8
Playing time: 20-35 min

The game where great minds think alike. 

Blank Slate is a game of predictions. “The game where great _ _ _ _ _ think alike!” Easy to learn and quick to play makes Blank Slate a fun game for all levels.

By picking a word cue card, you’ll write which word you think best completes a phrase. To take this a step further, you’ll have to try to match it to another player’s words. 

In this clever party game, prediction skills are key to matching words. If you get good enough you’ll soon be winning the _ _ _ _!

What we liked

Blank Slate is a simple and very fast-playing word game. It works very well as an icebreaker and introduction for people who just met. 

What could be better

Your enjoyment of Blank Slate is going to highly depend on who you are playing with.

Codenames

Players: 2-8
Playing time: 15 min

‘The top-secret word game. Win or lose, it’s fun to figure out the clues!’

There are good reasons why Codenames has become a staple on board gamers’ shelves. Codenames is a deceptively awesome game that’s easy to learn and perfect for parties. 

Codenames is a social word game in which two rival spymasters know 25 secret agents. Their teams only know agents by codenames. Make contact with all your agents first and win. Although this game can be challenging, the social component keeps everyone entertained as they race to finish first.

This is a fun game when you’re winning, but even better when you’re losing. 

What we liked

Codenames is quick, easy to learn, and a blast. There’s a reason it’s become a go-to game in so many households. 

What could be better

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Codenames. There are numerous games out there that do the same thing, Codenames just does it really well. If you’re looking for something innovative and unique, you’ll be disappointed.

More versions of Codenames

Poetry for Neanderthals

Players: 2-12
Playing time: 15 min

A word game where you must ‘speak good’ or get hit with a stick.

Poetry for Neandertals is a competitive word-guessing game. Players are only allowed to use single-syllable words to give clues to their team to guess the phrase.

For example, the word is broccoli, you’ll have to say something like, ‘green food, live long’. Use a big word, you’ll get hit on the head with a 2-foot-long inflatable club.

From the geniuses that brought us Exploding Kittens, Poetry for Neandertals is another fun addition to a game night. With only 15 minutes to play, this hilarious, challenging, cutthroat game tests the patience of logophiles the world over.

What we liked

If you’re a fan of The Oatmeal webcomic, you’re going to love the artwork and irreverent humor. It’s just as ridiculous and fun as it looks. 

What could be better

The humor is a bit low-brow. If you’re not comfortable speaking oddly and smacking friends over the head, then this is probably going to be a miss.

Just One

Players: 3-7
Playing time: 20 min

A cooperative party game where you’ll have to work together to discover the mystery words!

Just One starts with one player drawing a card and choosing a number from it. Each player gets one clue word and together you’ll try to solve the mystery word. Just One is a brilliant word game as it combines cooperative skills with deduction, memory, and creative thinking.

What we liked

I really like the mechanic that discards identical clues. This forces you to be strategic and creative with your clues. Easy-to-learn and easy to play make Just One a relaxed game for everyone.

What could be better

Just One is great, but it can feel as if turns take forever and that’s not good for a party game.

Punderdome

Players: 3- 99
Playing time: 30-90 min

A card game for the pun lovers among us. 

Punderdome will have you laughing out loud with its punny cards and creative style of play. 

Once a pun a time, the creators of Punderdome saw a space in the word game market for a pun game for family and friends. With pun jokes on the back of each card, you can entertain the crowds while waiting to come up with a pun. Some can take longer than others but you can play with no time limits. 

If you’re a pun lover, this is a punderful card game that you won’t regret purchasing.

What we liked

Unlike many of the other games on this list, Punderdome offers quite a lot of opportunities for creativity. It lets you create something instead of just showing off your knowledge of vocabulary. 

What could be better

It’s a game about puns. You’re going to be groaning and laughing, but if you’re not well-versed in puns and dad jokes, it may be a little dry.

Quiddler

Players: 1-8
Playing time: 30 min

Quiddler: Simply for the fun of words. 

Quiddler is a short word game that’s a great pick for word lovers as well as non-word-game players. With this card game, the goal is to arrange your cards in your hand to create one or more words.

If you deal more cards, you’ll have more opportunities to create words. At the end of the game, the highest score wins. 

Quiddler is a sort of Uno-style word game as some cards can double letters and add bonuses to your points. Sharpening your word skills and a bit of luck will have you winning Quiddler!

What we liked

Quiddler makes for a great travel game. It’s simple enough that anyone can play and it’s so easy to pull it out and play wherever you are. 

What could be better

Quiddler relies on luck of the draw to get letters. If you have an extensive vocabulary you can overcome bad draws, but it’s still luck-based.

Hot Words

Players: 4-16
Playing time: 20-30 min

Hot Words is a party game where you can’t say that. 

In Hot Words, you’ll describe words while your team tries to guess what the word is. In each of the 4 rounds, your team will pick a spicy jalapeño card that has a ‘Hot Word’ on it that you can’t say. 

As each round goes by, it’ll get hotter and harder but also more hilarious trying to avoid all the ‘Hot Words’ your team has accumulated.

What we liked

Hot Words provides a simple concept and puts it together in a nice little package. It’s a wordplay game that has a ton of replayability. 

With fun added elements like a ghost pepper round, a 90-second sand timer, a dinner bell, and little hot sauce bottles, Hot Words is a fun and exciting party game!

What could be better

If you’re looking for a smaller group game, Hot Words is best played as a party game with more players.

Can you handle the heat?

Dabble

Players: 2-4
Playing time: 30-60 min

The game where if you can spell, you can play!

Dabble is a fast word game that’s both educational and fun. To start the game you say ‘GO!’ and players race to spell 5 words using 20 tiles. The first person to spell their word wins!

What we liked

The added difficulty of making multiple words of varying sizes seems like a simple concept but definitely makes Dabble stand out. 

What could be better

Like a lot of word games, if you have someone who memorizes vocabulary words in their free time, they’ll absolutely destroy everyone. It’s best to play with people of the same skill and vocabulary level.

Word a Round

Players: 2
Playing time: 20 min

Race to unravel the word! 

Word a Round is a challenging word game where you’ll have to quickly figure out where the word starts and then read it aloud before your opponent. As you answer on the spot, the game becomes a little more difficult as you race to answer. Mistakes are made under pressure so players have to have their wits about them. 

Word a Round is an award-winning card game that’s a great educational tool in classrooms or at home. It helps develop critical thinking skills, making it a favorite among speech therapists. If you are looking for a fun game that’ll also help with learning, this is a great choice. 

What we liked

Word a Round can be learned in seconds and it’s one of the most unique word games on this list. 

What could be better

Since this requires you to guess at words around a circular card, it can be difficult for people with visual impairments.

Word on the Street

Players: 2-10
Playing time: 20 min

A hilarious tug of words.

Word on the Street is a card game in which players take turns flipping category cards, racing the clock to come up with the answer. With each correct answer, you move closer to the sidewalk… and to safety. 

With 432 different categories, there is huge variation and replayability. This game is particularly focused on being educational. It helps players improve their vocabulary, practice spelling, and develop social skills. 

What we liked

Word on the Street is a simple enough word game but combines wordplay with enough strategy to make it unique. 

What could be better

You’ll need to have quick recall of your vocabulary, so if you’re looking for a slow burn game then this is not what you’re looking for.

Wordplay: Family Edition

Players: 2

If your family loves word games, WordPlay is a fast-paced challenge in which everyone plays every round. 

A fun spinner determines the letters and the category for each round. For example, ‘Food and Drinks’ means you can only use words that begin with the letter ‘E’. The difference with this family edition is even if you think of things that don’t start with the correct letter, you still score some points.

This game is a friendly and inclusive way to help kids learn and be introduced to the wonderful world of word board games. 

What we liked

Wordplay is a simple word game that appeals to everyone. It’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up and have some fun right out of the box. 

What could be better

Wordplay’s universal appeal means that there’s no real innovation or new mechanics. It’s fun, but you’ve seen it before and will see it again in other word games.

Upwords

Players: 1-4
Playing time: 90 min

Upwords a game of quick stacking and word hacking. 

In this word-building game, the higher you stack, the higher your score. With each player starting out with 7 words that you can play up or down, the game almost feels like Scrabble.

But here, you can stack letters on top of others. When you stack letters higher on each other, you earn more points. This makes Upwords more intense and strategic. 

Upwords is very versatile and can be played solo to challenge yourself, with kids, or with your friends. Experience this high-stakes, high-stacking word game, and grow your vocabulary as you go!

What we liked

I honestly prefer Upwords over Scrabble. The tile stacking adds a whole new dimension to the classic wordplay formula. 

What could be better

It’s a minor issue, but I’m not a fan of the components on the deluxe board. They work fine, but the color scheme makes it difficult to see for me.

Wordical

Players: 2-8

The radical, dice-rolling, word-building race!

Wordical is another educational word game in which players roll a vowel die and combine consonants to make a word. It’s a fun way for kids to develop their spelling skills and build vocabulary. It’s easy to learn and moves quickly so there are no long pauses.

This is a wonderful game for the classroom or for students who are struggling with their phonics.

What we liked

The dice add an interesting twist to this word game. Randomness is usually added through other means, but it’s a refreshing take on the word game genre. 

What could be better

It’s a simple travel game, so the rules and gameplay are very simple. You won’t find in-depth strategy here, but that’s ok for a word game.

Wordsmithery

Players: 2- 99
Playing time: 20 min

The game for every wordsmith, young and old.

Wordsmithery is a fun, fast-paced game in which you can test your wordsmith skills. Draw a word, read it to your opponent, and see if they can guess the meaning from the three options.

With some difficult words like ‘egregious’ or ‘phalanx’, it could seem difficult for children but included are 50 easier cards for kids. The different levels of difficulty make this a family-friendly word board game. 

What we liked

The concept is extremely easy to understand and the word choices are genuinely fun to play with. 

What could be better

Eventually, you’re going to memorize all of the words available in the box. There are only so many times you can be surprised by a word before we simply learn it.

Wrap-Up

What are your favorite word games to play? We hope you enjoyed our top picks for the best word board games out there! Let us know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these or if we missed any that you think should be on the list. We’d love to hear from you!

Happy Wordsmithing!