Hangman rules.
The canonical rules for classic hangman — plus the variants worth knowing and the tweaks the Hangman iPhone app makes.
Classic hangman rules
- One player (the chooser) picks a secret word.
- The chooser draws one blank per letter: cat →
_ _ _. - The guesser calls one letter at a time.
- Correct letters get written in every blank they occupy.
- Wrong letters are written off to the side, and one part of the stickman is drawn.
- The stickman has 6 parts: head, torso, left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg.
- Guesser reveals the whole word before the 6th wrong guess = win.
- Stickman fully drawn = loss; chooser reveals the word.
Common variants
- 10-part hangman: add eyes, nose, mouth, and hat for 10 wrong guesses total. Kinder for younger players.
- Phrase hangman: the secret is a phrase, saying, or movie title. Spaces are shown; punctuation stripped. Usually paired with 8-10 wrong guesses.
- Category hangman: the chooser names a category (Capitals, Movies, Elements) before guessing starts. Faster rounds, better for parties.
- Evil hangman: the computer doesn't commit to a word — it picks the least-helpful matching word after every guess. Notoriously hard.
In the Hangman iPhone app
The app implements classic rules by default, with three switchable difficulties (Easy — 10 wrong, Medium — 6 wrong, Hard — 4 wrong). Themed word packs give you category hangman. Private Boards support phrase hangman and custom rule sets.
Rules FAQ
What are the rules of hangman?
One player picks a secret word and draws blanks for each letter. The other player guesses letters. Correct letters fill their blanks. Each wrong letter adds one part to a stickman drawing. Six wrong guesses (head, body, two arms, two legs) and the guesser loses; reveal the whole word first to win.
How many wrong guesses are allowed in hangman?
Classic hangman allows 6 wrong guesses — one for each body part of the stickman. Extended variants add face parts (eyes, nose, mouth) for 10 total. Difficulty settings in the Hangman iPhone app let you set 4, 6, 8, or 10.
Do you count the base of the gallows?
House rule. Some players pre-draw the gallows for free; others start with an empty canvas and let 4 more wrong guesses cover the gallows (post, beam, support, noose) before the stickman starts appearing. Agree before you start.
Can you guess the whole word at once?
In classic hangman, yes — a correct full-word guess wins immediately. A wrong full-word guess ends the game. The app makes this optional so a wrong guess only costs one strike.
Do repeated letters count as one guess?
Yes. Guessing L for the word HELLO fills both Ls for a single correct guess.