Charades Word Generator

Charades Word Generator

Tap Next for a random charades prompt in big letters. Pick a category and difficulty, start the 60-second timer, and keep score for two teams. Words you have seen will not come back until you reset.

Get a random charades word

How to play charades

Split into two teams. One player from the acting team looks at the card without letting their team see it, then acts it out with no words and no sounds. Their team shouts guesses until someone gets it or the timer runs out. Then the other team takes a turn.

  1. Make two teams. Split the players into Team A and Team B and type the team names in the score panel.
  2. Pick a category. Choose a category and difficulty, or leave both on All.
  3. Start the timer. Set 60 seconds and press Start. The actor looks at the card without showing anyone.
  4. Act it out. No words or sounds. Teammates call out guesses.
  5. Score and swap. Press Got it for a point. When the timer beeps the turn passes to the other team.

Classic charades signals

These standard signs save a lot of time. Agree on them before you start:

  • Movie: crank an old film camera beside your head.
  • Book: open your hands like a book.
  • Song: pretend to sing, hand on your chest.
  • Number of words: hold up that many fingers.
  • Which word: hold up fingers again for the first, second or third word.
  • Syllables: lay fingers on your forearm.
  • Sounds like: cup a hand behind your ear.
  • Small word (a, the, of): hold finger and thumb close together.
  • Whole idea: sweep your arms in a big circle.

Pick the right difficulty

Easy (kids) words are single things and actions a six-year-old can act, like Penguin or Brushing teeth. Medium adds well-known films, songs and two-step actions. Hard brings classic books, older films and tricky skills. Adults (clean) is grown-up life with nothing rude: Parallel parking, Waiting on hold, The Devil Wears Prada. Tick Kids-only words to keep a mixed-age game safe on every difficulty.

Playing with young children? Use the kids charades generator. Want something to draw instead? Try the Pictionary word generator.

What is in the word list

Over 1,500 prompts across eight categories: movies, animals, actions, books, songs, everyday objects, food and Christmas. Every word was picked by hand for party play and tagged by difficulty, whether it suits kids and whether it can be drawn. The whole list loads once, so the game keeps working if your signal drops.

More ways to play

Last reviewed October 25, 2026. Word list hand-picked and checked for family play.

Frequently asked questions

How does the charades word generator work?

Pick a category and difficulty, then press Next. You get a random prompt from over 1,500 hand-picked words. Skip passes on a word, and Got it adds a point to the team whose turn it is.

Does the timer beep?

Yes. Turn on the timer, pick 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds and press Start. When time runs out it plays three short beeps, shows Time's up and passes the turn to the other team. Untick Sound if you want it silent. Phones in silent mode may mute the beep.

Will I see the same word twice?

Not in the same game. Every word you see is remembered on this device, so it will not come back until you press Reset used words. The counter under the card shows how many words are left in the set you picked.

Can I print the words as cards?

Yes. Choose US Letter or A4 in the Print cards panel and press Print 40 cards. You get one page with a 4 by 10 grid of prompts from your current filters. Cut along the dashed lines and drop the cards in a hat or bowl.

Are the words family-friendly?

Yes. Every prompt is clean, including the Adults level, which is about grown-up life rather than rude jokes. Tick Kids-only words to limit any category to words that suit children.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no app to install and no ads. Scores and used words are saved only in your browser.

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