When you are learning English, besides learning grammar, one of your main goals will probably be to increase your vocabulary. And really, what good is all the grammar without the words.
But learning vocabulary doesn’t have to be boring. The days of just practicing with a stack of flashcards are long gone.
Even though flashcards are a very powerful memorization technique, nowadays technology offers more engaging ways we can interact with the content we wish to learn.
So, today I would like to recommend some of my all time favorite word games that I personally like to play with my students, but that they can also play by themselves. Both options are super fun!
1. Scattergories
Scattergories is the perfect game to play with your friends or classmates. Not only will it help you learn new words, but it will also improve your mental speed and how fast you can retrieve words from your vocabulary bank in English.
If you have never heard of this word game, here’s how it works: Players race to come up with a word for each of the chosen categories, all starting with a specific letter of the alphabet and in a limited amount of time.
If you would like to play with others, ScattergoriesOnline is a great choice. Here, you can either create a new game with your own categories and send a link to it for your friends to join you. Or, you can join an existing game.
Another great option is to create your own game here. This game will let you add your own categories, but it will also give a full list of common categories and you can edit such list by adding or removing categories as you like.
For beginners, I would recommend that you create your own categories and that you make them simple. For example: food or drink, animal, object, color, country or city, etc. Start with only a few and build up from there.
2. Hangman:
Who doesn’t love Hangman? This classic game just doesn’t get old. In Hangman, the aim is to discover the hidden word by guessing the letters of such words based on how many spaces you are given. This is an excellent game to practice spelling in English and also to practice vocabulary you are learning.
GamesToLearnEnglish is a great place to start as it will allow you to choose a specific category so you are not overwhelmed by all the options and also so you can focus your practice on specific vocabulary.
For more advanced ESL students, you can find a version of Hangman on Cool Math Games will offer you the opportunity to play with others as well as a single player. In this one, you will not be able to select a specific category when playing with others. But regardless, this makes an awesome game to meet others and practice your English spelling.
3. Quizlet:
Quizlet is, simply put, a website with dozens of flashcards sets. If you studied online, chances are you have come across it. However, after a closer look, you will notice that Quizlet is more than just flipping a set of flashcards until you learn the vocabulary. Far from that, this website is great for adding a game element to your study session.
Here you don’t necessarily need to create your own set either. You can choose from several ready-made sets, which are often created by teachers too! (look for the little “teacher” tag).
The first thing you’d want to do is create an account. It’s free and you can use your Gmail account for a quick sign-in. Then, use the search box to find a set of words you would like to learn. Take for instance this set.
Notice the play section on the lower left corner, once you have studied your set, you can go ahead and play “Match” or “Gravity” to test your knowledge.
You will also go up in level the more you play. This is a fantastic way to encourage yourself to study and review vocabulary that matters to you.
4. Pictionary
Another awesome game to play with friends while reviewing vocabulary is Pictionary. I have found Skribbl to be one of the best resources out there.
Here, you again will have the option to create your own game or join others in a game room.
If you create your own game, you can control how many rounds you would like to have, how much each player will have to draw as well as adding your own set of words in the “custom words” box.
And that is it, you are ready to play! This is a fantastic game to play on Zoom or any online meet platform.
5. Kahoot! (mobile app)
You might already be familiar with the renowned and very loved game of Kahoot! If you have taken an online class, it is possible that your teacher used a Kahoot! game to add some fun to the lesson. Kahoot really is great. Not only do you get to review previous lessons and vocab but also you get to compete with others.
If you would like to try a solo Kahoot game, you can find out more by downloading the mobile app. Their new and free app is a great alternative https://kahoot.com/home/mobile-app/
6. Wordle
Another game that has increasingly become more popular is the viral sensation Wordle. Even though I’m sure you’ve probably familiar (and also tired of hearing about) Wordle; here is why I think you should give it a try if you are an English student.
Keep in mind this game is more suitable for High Intermediate to (very) advanced students.
That being said, losing the game is not a bad thing; in fact, winning the game should not even be a goal here. Your goal should be to help condition your brain to identify spelling patterns and learn new words! Once the hidden word reveals, if you didn’t guess it, look it up! Make sure you understand how to use it.
Wordle gives you six tries to guess the word of the day and you can only play once a day.
This is an excellent way to challenge yourself daily while also being part of a community of frequent players who celebrate wins and struggle together.
I hope you enjoy these games everyone! If you are able to remember and use your words you learned then you have already won! Afterall, that is all that matters.
Isabel Solano