13 Fun Word Games For English Learners to Improve Vocabulary
Learning English should be fun, not a chore. When you have fun while learning, you can learn faster and more effectively than learning in a conventional way. If you’re wondering how learning can be fun, well, the good news is that many word games can help you learn English while having fun at the same time. Plus, they’re pretty much all accessible from your mobile phone!
Read on to check out our list of the best word games for English learners that allow you to learn English, improve your vocabulary and have some fun at the same time.
13 Fun Word Games For English Learners
Alongside instructional English learning apps, there are many other great phone apps and websites with games that are useful for learning English. These include word games, puzzles, and trivial pursuits that are both entertaining and instructive. They not only stimulate your brain but also enhance your knowledge of the English language while having fun.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular English word games that can help improve your English skills:
Scrabble
Scrabble is a timeless board game which was invented all the way back in 1938. Today, it’s of the most popular word games around and it’s ideal for people who want to brush up on their vocabulary skills.
On a playing board, you must arrange letters to form words. You score points for letters and extra points for using certain types of board tiles. By making the best words and positioning them optimally on the board, you can defeat your opponent(s) and win the game.
One of the best things about Scrabble is that only two players are required for it to be fun; it’s an ideal 2-player game.
Not only that, but it also helps you memorize vocabulary by encouraging you to recall any words that you can remember. This certainly makes it a challenging word game but one that can be very rewarding!
Boggle
Boggle is a fast-paced word game where you shake a set of lettered dice to create a grid, then quickly find as many words as possible from the random letters within a time limit. Words must be formed from adjacent letters, making the game both challenging and engaging.
For English learners, Boggle is perfect for building vocabulary, improving word recall speed, and enhancing letter pattern recognition. The time constraint adds pressure, encouraging you to think quickly and make connections between letters. You can play Boggle solo or with friends, which makes it a versatile game for improving your vocabulary while having fun!
Wordle
Wordle is one of the most popular online word games and has enjoyed massive success over the last couple of years. In Wordle, you need to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. This may sound simple, but it requires creativity, a good command of English, and knowledge of the five-letter word in the question.
Wordle is best for individuals who are familiar with plenty of five-letter words and can call on a decent vocabulary. Success in this game depends on command over vocabulary. However, if you possess a reasonable English level it is one of the best word games for English learners because you can play it on the go and at any time.
Don’t worry if you find it tough at first. Many people aren’t able to guess the word in six attempts, while many others solve the game in under a minute with plenty of attempts to spare. What category do you fall into?
Riddles
If you want to challenge your mind and improve your English skills at the same time, riddles can be great for this. A riddle is a question, statement, or phrase that presents a puzzle to solve, often using metaphorical or double meanings to make you think outside the box.
Solving riddles helps you develop critical thinking skills and understand the nuances of English, such as wordplay and idiomatic expressions. Whether they are simple or complex, riddles force you to carefully analyze both the literal and hidden meanings behind the words.
You can play riddles with friends or try them online to sharpen your comprehension and vocabulary skills while having fun. Plus, they are an excellent way to pick up new expressions that you might not encounter in everyday conversation!
Hangman
Hangman is a fun word game that can be played by two or more players. The game involves guessing words and is usually played with paper and pencil or a whiteboard and marker. However, you can also play online.
Playing hangman with a partner is a good way to practice new words. First, think of a word and draw a horizontal line under where each letter would go. Your partner must then correctly guess the word by picking a letter at a time.
If the letter is in the word, it should be written above the appropriate line(s). If the letter is not in the word, the player should draw a part of a stick figure hanging from a gallows. Traditionally, the first incorrect guess is the head, followed by the body, arms, and legs.
The number of incorrect guesses allowed can vary depending on your preference.
The game continues until the word is guessed correctly or the stick figure is completed. If your partner guesses the word correctly before the drawing is finished, they win. However, if the drawing of the stick figure is completed (hangman), you are declared the winner.
Check out this video on how to play hangman if that still isn’t clear:
Hangman is a fun and challenging game that can be played by people of all ages. It’s a great way to improve your vocabulary and spelling skills while having fun.
Scattergories
Scattergories is a fun and creative game that challenges you to think of words that fit into specific categories, such as animals, food, or countries, all starting with the same letter. The more unique your answers, the more points you score, so creativity is key!
For English learners, Scattergories is an excellent way to practice vocabulary in different contexts. It encourages you to think quickly and recall words you know while expanding your lexicon with new words that fit the categories.
Scattergories is also perfect for improving fluency, as you’ll need to quickly generate ideas under time pressure. You can play it with friends or solo, and it’s a great way to learn new words while having a lot of fun!
Wordscapes
Released back in 2018, Wordscapes is a free word hunt/puzzle game that has achieved a high ranking among popular games. It offers you a box containing random letters, and you need to create words from those letters in a minute.
You are given between 3 to 7 letters, which you need to form words from. The number of letters increases as you go up to higher levels in the game, which makes it great for memorizing words. You are also given a crossword puzzle that you fill up with the words you form using the given letters. Once you solve the puzzle successfully, you move to the next level.
Dingbats
Dingbats is a fun game that allows you to learn while playing and solving word clues. Answers in Dingbats are hidden in visual word riddles, with sentences that are backward, sideways, upside down, mixed up, or represented by illustrations.
The game is a good way to become familiar with idioms and other figures of speech. Additionally, it encourages players to use their imagination to determine the word being illustrated or described.
For example, the expression “green thumbs,” which refers to someone who is skilled at caring for plants, might be represented by the word “thumbs,” which is colored green. Another example could be the words “TIME TIME” written next to each other which represents the phrase “double time.”
Wordshake
Wordshake is the perfect ESL game for you if you enjoy fast-paced, time-pressured games.
You have three minutes and 16 arbitrary alphabet letters to use in this game. It’s very much like Boggle, and you have to create as many words as you can with the letters you have. You then score points for each new word you create.
Wordshake is an amazing word game for vocabulary building, both for beginners and advanced students.
Word Whomp
Word Whomp is similar to Wordshake, and it allows you to practice your English vocabulary and word recognition skills. In this game, you get six letters and see how many words you can form with them. You get two and a half minutes to create words.
The game awards points for each word found, with longer words receiving more points. Bonus points are also awarded for finding all of the possible words within the set of letters.
However, if you guess multiple incorrect words one after another, the game ends automatically.
Word Whomp helps you practice thinking and creating English vocabulary words quickly, which is also a useful skill in real-life conversations.
Word Association
In this fun word game, participants take turns saying words that are related to the previously mentioned word, creating a chain of associations. The objective is to think quickly, make connections between words, and use your vocabulary. It can be played individually or in groups, making it a versatile and interactive language learning activity.
One of the best things about the word association game is that it promotes active thinking and quick recall of vocabulary, which helps improve fluency in spontaneous conversation and reduces hesitation when trying to express ideas. Secondly, the game exposes learners to a variety of word associations, helping them understand semantic relationships between words and how they can be used in different contexts.
Taboo
Taboo is an exciting competitive word game that can help English learners hone both their vocabulary and communication skills.
In Taboo, you are divided into teams. Each team must guess a target word held by a player on their team. However, the catch is that the person providing clues cannot use certain “taboo” words or phrases commonly associated with the target word. The game encourages participants to think creatively and try to convey complex concepts without relying on the most obvious words.
Playing Taboo therefore actively engages you in dynamic language use, forcing you to explore alternative ways of describing and explaining words and ideas. This makes it a great way to learn new vocabulary, and fosters a deeper understanding of word meanings and associations.
20 Questions
In 20 Questions, one player thinks of a word, and the other participants have up to 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is. The questions should narrow down the possibilities until someone guesses the word.
This game is ideal for English learners because it forces you to think critically while forming questions in English. You must use logic to narrow down options and improve your ability to ask concise, direct questions.
Not only does it improve your speaking skills, but it also sharpens your understanding of how English questions are structured. Plus, it’s a great way to practice with friends or in the classroom, making language learning more interactive.
The Last word: Word Games for English Learners
Word games are a great tool for English learners to improve their language skills in a fun and engaging way. They offer a quick and easy way to improve your vocabulary skills and spelling and can easily be incorporated into your language-learning routine.
From fast games like Wordshake and Word Whomp to classic games like Scrabble and Hangman, you have plenty of options to choose from.
So, why not try these word games to learn English with your friends and family and put your English skills to the test? Learning English can truly be fun with word games.
