Charades Generator
Free charades generator: 621 charades words and ideas across 13 categories. Tap for a random charades word, let the actor read it, then start the timer and hide the answer. Easy to hard, kids to adults. No signup.
Filters apply to your next word. Changing filters keeps your current word, timer and seen-word history. Unavailable difficulty levels are disabled.
Pass the screen to the actor, then deal a word 🎭
621 words in this deck · 621 unseen · no repeats before reshuffle
What is a charades generator?
A charades generator picks a random word for the actor, so nobody has to think one up. This one draws from 621 charades words in 13 categories, each labeled easy, medium or hard, with a built-in timer and a button to hide the answer. It works on any phone, is free and needs no signup.
All 621 Charades Words by Category
Browse the complete generator deck below. Each word is labeled Easy, Medium or Hard. Pick a category your group knows; titles and idioms depend on shared familiarity. Difficulty is an editorial guide, not an age guarantee.
Collection and game guide reviewed September 21, 2026.
🏃 Actions — 75 words
Start with a familiar movement, then add the awkward detail. For fitted sheets, mime the corners slipping out rather than spelling the word.
- Brushing your teeth· Easy
- Swimming· Easy
- Sleeping· Easy
- Driving a car· Easy
- Eating spaghetti· Easy
- Climbing a ladder· Easy
- Taking a selfie· Easy
- Washing dishes· Easy
- Riding a horse· Easy
- Shoveling snow· Easy
- Blowing out candles· Easy
- Opening a stuck jar· Easy
- Walking a dog· Easy
- Ironing a shirt· Easy
- Fishing· Easy
- Painting a wall· Easy
- Typing on a keyboard· Easy
- Jumping rope· Easy
- Raking leaves· Easy
- Mowing the lawn· Easy
- Putting on makeup· Easy
- Tying shoelaces· Easy
- Waking up late for work· Medium
- Parallel parking· Medium
- Losing your phone in your own hand· Medium
- Assembling flat-pack furniture· Medium
- Walking into a spider web· Medium
- Trying to fold a fitted sheet· Medium
- Getting a flu shot· Medium
- Stepping on a Lego· Medium
- Waiting for a slow elevator· Medium
- Untangling headphones· Medium
- Ordering coffee with a long custom order· Medium
- Carrying all the groceries in one trip· Medium
- Pretending to listen on a video call· Medium
- Sneezing in a quiet library· Medium
- Checking if the milk is still good· Medium
- Looking for your glasses while wearing them· Medium
- Teaching a grandparent to video call· Hard
- Pretending to work when the boss walks by· Hard
- Realizing you replied-all by accident· Hard
- Winning an argument in the shower· Hard
- Trying to remember why you walked into a room· Hard
- Unsubscribing from spam emails· Hard
- Quietly opening a snack in a meeting· Hard
- Practicing a speech in the mirror· Medium
- Slipping on a banana peel· Easy
- Building a sandcastle· Easy
- Milking a cow· Easy
- Conducting an orchestra· Easy
- Juggling· Easy
- Tightrope walking· Easy
- Rock climbing· Easy
- Making a snow angel· Easy
- Roasting marshmallows· Easy
- Changing a flat tire· Medium
- Packing an overstuffed suitcase· Medium
- Doing laundry· Easy
- Baking a cake· Easy
- Flipping pancakes· Easy
- Whisking eggs· Easy
- Wrapping a present· Easy
- Blowing up a balloon· Easy
- Popping bubble wrap· Easy
- Playing air guitar· Easy
- Directing traffic· Easy
- Hailing a taxi· Easy
- Waiting in line· Medium
- Losing at a claw machine· Medium
- Karaoke night· Easy
- Speed walking· Easy
- Moonwalking· Easy
- Floss dancing· Easy
- Doing yoga· Easy
- Meditating· Easy
🐘 Animals — 60 words
Use posture, pace and a distinctive feature. Try a penguin's short steps or an elephant's trunk; save sound effects for a different game.
- Elephant· Easy
- Monkey· Easy
- Penguin· Easy
- Kangaroo· Easy
- Snake· Easy
- T-Rex· Easy
- Cat· Easy
- Dog· Easy
- Frog· Easy
- Chicken· Easy
- Gorilla· Easy
- Butterfly· Easy
- Crab· Easy
- Shark· Easy
- Owl· Easy
- Flamingo· Easy
- Giraffe· Easy
- Bee· Easy
- Spider· Easy
- Horse· Easy
- Rabbit· Easy
- Bear· Easy
- Lion· Easy
- Woodpecker· Medium
- Sloth· Medium
- Octopus· Medium
- Peacock· Medium
- Hamster on a wheel· Medium
- Meerkat on lookout· Medium
- Chameleon· Hard
- Jellyfish· Medium
- Hummingbird· Medium
- Anteater· Hard
- Platypus· Hard
- Porcupine· Hard
- Skunk· Medium
- Squirrel hiding acorns· Medium
- Seal balancing a ball· Medium
- Turtle· Easy
- Bat· Medium
- Rooster at dawn· Easy
- Cow· Easy
- Pig· Easy
- Goat· Medium
- Alligator· Easy
- Dolphin· Easy
- Whale· Medium
- Eagle· Easy
- Ostrich· Medium
- Camel· Medium
- Mosquito· Medium
- Firefly· Hard
- Lobster· Medium
- Puffer fish· Medium
- Koala· Medium
- Panda eating bamboo· Easy
- Wolf howling at the moon· Easy
- Fox· Medium
- Deer in headlights· Medium
- Snail· Easy
🎬 Movies — 70 words
Agree which titles your group knows before playing. Signal a film first, then act the title or a recognizable scene without quoting dialogue.
- Titanic· Easy
- Jaws· Easy
- Spider-Man· Easy
- Frozen· Easy
- The Lion King· Easy
- Harry Potter· Easy
- Star Wars· Easy
- Rocky· Easy
- King Kong· Easy
- Batman· Easy
- Superman· Easy
- The Wizard of Oz· Medium
- Jurassic Park· Easy
- E.T.· Medium
- Ghostbusters· Medium
- Pirates of the Caribbean· Medium
- The Matrix· Medium
- Toy Story· Medium
- Finding Nemo· Medium
- Shrek· Medium
- Kung Fu Panda· Easy
- Transformers· Medium
- Godzilla· Easy
- The Karate Kid· Easy
- Mission: Impossible· Medium
- James Bond· Medium
- Indiana Jones· Medium
- Avatar· Hard
- Inception· Hard
- The Godfather· Hard
- Forrest Gump· Medium
- Home Alone· Easy
- Elf· Medium
- The Grinch· Medium
- Aladdin· Medium
- Moana· Medium
- Encanto· Hard
- Ratatouille· Medium
- Up· Medium
- WALL-E· Hard
- Monsters, Inc.· Medium
- The Incredibles· Medium
- Despicable Me· Hard
- Minions· Medium
- Barbie· Medium
- Oppenheimer· Hard
- Top Gun· Medium
- Back to the Future· Hard
- The Hunger Games· Medium
- Twilight· Hard
- Fast & Furious· Medium
- Mary Poppins· Medium
- The Sound of Music· Medium
- Singin' in the Rain· Medium
- Psycho (shower scene)· Medium
- The Exorcist· Hard
- Scream· Easy
- Frankenstein· Easy
- Dracula· Easy
- The Mummy· Medium
- Happy Feet· Medium
- Ice Age· Hard
- Madagascar· Hard
- Zootopia· Hard
- Cast Away· Medium
- Life of Pi· Hard
- La La Land· Hard
- Grease· Medium
- Dirty Dancing· Medium
- The Silence of the Lambs· Hard
📺 TV & Books — 45 words
Signal a book with open palms or a TV with a rectangle. Pick a character or action your group recognizes; unfamiliar titles can be passed.
- Friends· Medium
- The Office· Medium
- Stranger Things· Hard
- Game of Thrones· Medium
- Breaking Bad· Hard
- Squid Game· Medium
- SpongeBob SquarePants· Medium
- Scooby-Doo· Medium
- Tom and Jerry· Easy
- Pokémon· Medium
- Sherlock Holmes· Medium
- The Simpsons· Hard
- Doctor Who· Hard
- Wednesday· Medium
- The Crown· Medium
- Peppa Pig· Medium
- Paw Patrol· Medium
- Sesame Street· Hard
- Survivor· Medium
- MasterChef· Easy
- The Bachelor· Medium
- Wheel of Fortune· Medium
- Jeopardy!· Hard
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory· Medium
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar· Medium
- Alice in Wonderland· Medium
- Peter Pan· Easy
- Pinocchio· Easy
- Cinderella· Easy
- Snow White· Medium
- Little Red Riding Hood· Medium
- The Three Little Pigs· Medium
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears· Medium
- Jack and the Beanstalk· Medium
- The Tortoise and the Hare· Medium
- Robin Hood· Medium
- The Jungle Book· Medium
- Matilda· Hard
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid· Hard
- The Lord of the Rings· Medium
- Moby-Dick· Medium
- Romeo and Juliet· Medium
- Don Quixote· Hard
- The Hobbit· Hard
- Winnie-the-Pooh· Medium
🪑 Objects — 63 words
Mime the object's shape and how someone uses it. An umbrella opens above your head; a stapler presses papers together.
- Umbrella· Easy
- Toothbrush· Easy
- Guitar· Easy
- Piano· Easy
- Drums· Easy
- Hammer· Easy
- Scissors· Easy
- Telescope· Easy
- Binoculars· Easy
- Camera· Easy
- Vacuum cleaner· Easy
- Washing machine· Medium
- Microwave· Medium
- Blender· Medium
- Toaster· Medium
- Alarm clock· Easy
- Mirror· Medium
- Ladder· Easy
- Wheelbarrow· Medium
- Lawn sprinkler· Medium
- Rocking chair· Easy
- Revolving door· Medium
- Escalator· Medium
- Elevator· Medium
- Traffic light· Medium
- Windshield wipers· Easy
- Helicopter· Easy
- Airplane· Easy
- Rocket ship· Easy
- Submarine· Medium
- Sailboat· Medium
- Motorcycle· Easy
- Bicycle· Easy
- Skateboard· Easy
- Roller coaster· Easy
- Ferris wheel· Medium
- Trampoline· Easy
- Pogo stick· Easy
- Hula hoop· Easy
- Yo-yo· Easy
- Kite· Easy
- Balloon· Easy
- Candle· Easy
- Flashlight· Easy
- Fire extinguisher· Medium
- Sprinkler· Medium
- Cactus· Easy
- Palm tree in the wind· Easy
- Statue· Easy
- Fountain· Medium
- Snow globe· Hard
- Lava lamp· Hard
- Metal detector· Medium
- Selfie stick· Easy
- Drone· Medium
- Robot vacuum· Medium
- Electric toothbrush· Medium
- Popcorn machine· Medium
- Slot machine· Medium
- Cuckoo clock· Medium
- Typewriter· Medium
- Record player· Medium
- Boomerang· Medium
👩🚒 People & Jobs — 60 words
Act the work rather than imitating someone's appearance. A firefighter handles a hose; a conductor directs an orchestra.
- Firefighter· Easy
- Police officer· Easy
- Doctor· Easy
- Dentist· Easy
- Chef· Easy
- Waiter· Easy
- Barber· Easy
- Teacher· Easy
- Astronaut· Easy
- Pilot· Easy
- Farmer· Easy
- Fisherman· Easy
- Lumberjack· Easy
- Construction worker· Easy
- Plumber· Medium
- Electrician· Medium
- Mail carrier· Medium
- Delivery driver· Medium
- Photographer· Easy
- Painter· Easy
- Sculptor· Medium
- Magician· Easy
- Clown· Easy
- Mime· Hard
- Juggler· Easy
- Acrobat· Easy
- Ballerina· Easy
- DJ· Easy
- Rock star· Easy
- Opera singer· Easy
- Conductor· Easy
- News anchor· Medium
- Weather reporter· Medium
- Sports commentator· Medium
- Referee· Easy
- Coach· Medium
- Lifeguard· Easy
- Scuba diver· Easy
- Detective· Medium
- Spy· Medium
- Ninja· Easy
- Pirate· Easy
- Knight· Easy
- King· Easy
- Queen· Easy
- Wizard· Easy
- Vampire· Easy
- Zombie· Easy
- Mummy· Easy
- Ghost· Easy
- Superhero· Easy
- Cowboy· Easy
- Cheerleader· Easy
- Librarian· Medium
- Scientist· Medium
- Surgeon· Medium
- Veterinarian· Medium
- Flight attendant· Medium
- Tour guide· Medium
- Yoga instructor· Medium
⚽ Sports & Games — 50 words
Show the equipment before the movement. Try an imaginary racket, then a serve. This category has easy and medium words, with no hard-only deck.
- Basketball· Easy
- Soccer· Easy
- Baseball· Easy
- Tennis· Easy
- Golf· Easy
- Bowling· Easy
- Boxing· Easy
- Karate· Easy
- Fencing· Easy
- Archery· Easy
- Weightlifting· Easy
- Gymnastics· Easy
- Figure skating· Easy
- Skiing· Easy
- Snowboarding· Easy
- Surfing· Easy
- Kayaking· Easy
- Rowing· Easy
- Volleyball· Easy
- Badminton· Medium
- Ping pong· Easy
- Cricket· Medium
- Rugby· Medium
- Hockey· Easy
- Curling· Medium
- Darts· Easy
- Pool (billiards)· Easy
- Chess· Medium
- Poker· Medium
- Hopscotch· Easy
- Tug of war· Easy
- Limbo· Easy
- Musical chairs· Medium
- Hide and seek· Medium
- Marco Polo· Medium
- Dodgeball· Easy
- Frisbee· Easy
- Horseshoes· Medium
- Skateboarding· Easy
- BMX racing· Medium
- Marathon running· Easy
- Hurdles· Easy
- Pole vault· Medium
- Shot put· Medium
- Javelin· Easy
- Synchronized swimming· Medium
- Water polo· Medium
- Sumo wrestling· Easy
- Video gaming· Easy
- Jenga· Medium
🧸 Kids & Family — 60 words
Begin with easy words and let children pass unfamiliar ones. Offer 90 or 120 seconds, or turn the timer off. This category has no hard-only deck.
- Jumping jacks· Easy
- Tooth fairy· Easy
- Santa Claus· Easy
- Snowman· Easy
- Birthday cake· Easy
- Ice cream cone· Easy
- Popcorn popping· Easy
- Bubble gum· Easy
- Peekaboo· Easy
- Patty cake· Easy
- Ring around the rosie· Medium
- Duck duck goose· Medium
- The itsy bitsy spider· Easy
- Twinkle twinkle little star· Easy
- Old MacDonald's farm· Medium
- The wheels on the bus· Easy
- Head, shoulders, knees and toes· Easy
- If you're happy and you know it· Easy
- Superman flying· Easy
- Princess· Easy
- Dragon· Easy
- Unicorn· Easy
- Mermaid· Easy
- Fairy· Easy
- Dinosaur· Easy
- Robot· Easy
- Alien· Easy
- Monster under the bed· Medium
- Teddy bear· Easy
- Rubber duck· Easy
- Piggy bank· Medium
- Sandbox· Medium
- Swing set· Easy
- Slide· Easy
- Seesaw· Easy
- Merry-go-round· Medium
- Blowing bubbles· Easy
- Flying a kite· Easy
- Making a pillow fort· Medium
- Pillow fight· Easy
- Tickle monster· Easy
- Piggyback ride· Easy
- Learning to ride a bike· Medium
- Losing a tooth· Medium
- First day of school· Medium
- Show and tell· Medium
- Recess· Medium
- Nap time· Easy
- Bath time with toys· Easy
- Bedtime story· Easy
- Trick or treating· Easy
- Easter egg hunt· Medium
- Opening presents· Easy
- Lemonade stand· Medium
- Petting zoo· Medium
- Face painting· Easy
- Finger painting· Easy
- Playing dress-up· Easy
- Hot potato· Medium
- Freeze dance· Easy
💬 Idioms & Phrases — 45 words
Signal the number of words, then act the expression literally. Agree on a longer timer for idioms and allow a pass if the phrase is unfamiliar.
- Break a leg· Hard
- Piece of cake· Medium
- Raining cats and dogs· Medium
- Spill the beans· Medium
- Couch potato· Medium
- Early bird catches the worm· Hard
- Butterflies in your stomach· Medium
- Cold feet· Medium
- Bite the bullet· Hard
- Hit the hay· Medium
- Under the weather· Hard
- Once in a blue moon· Hard
- The elephant in the room· Hard
- Let the cat out of the bag· Medium
- Barking up the wrong tree· Hard
- A fish out of water· Medium
- Walking on eggshells· Medium
- The ball is in your court· Hard
- Burning the midnight oil· Hard
- Head in the clouds· Medium
- Heart of gold· Hard
- All ears· Medium
- Cat got your tongue· Hard
- Hold your horses· Medium
- When pigs fly· Medium
- Wild goose chase· Hard
- Kill two birds with one stone· Hard
- Money doesn't grow on trees· Hard
- The grass is greener on the other side· Hard
- Don't cry over spilled milk· Hard
- Curiosity killed the cat· Hard
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away· Hard
- Actions speak louder than words· Hard
- Time flies· Medium
- Sleeping like a log· Medium
- Sweating buckets· Medium
- Jump for joy· Easy
- Dancing in the rain· Medium
- Rolling in money· Medium
- Tip of the iceberg· Hard
- Needle in a haystack· Hard
- Two peas in a pod· Hard
- Ants in your pants· Medium
- Busy as a bee· Medium
- Blind as a bat· Medium
🎵 Songs — 21 words
- Happy Birthday· Easy
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat· Easy
- Itsy Bitsy Spider· Easy
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm· Easy
- Baby Shark· Easy
- The Hokey Pokey· Easy
- London Bridge Is Falling Down· Medium
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game· Medium
- YMCA· Medium
- Let It Go· Medium
- Under the Sea· Medium
- Eye of the Tiger· Medium
- Walking on Sunshine· Medium
- Dancing Queen· Medium
- Thriller· Medium
- Single Ladies· Hard
- Shake It Off· Medium
- Bohemian Rhapsody· Hard
- Don't Stop Believin'· Hard
- Rock Around the Clock· Hard
- I Will Survive· Hard
🍝 Food — 21 words
- Peeling a banana· Easy
- Licking an ice cream cone· Easy
- Biting a lemon· Easy
- Blowing on hot soup· Easy
- Eating corn on the cob· Easy
- Making a sandwich· Easy
- Cracking an egg· Easy
- Sipping a milkshake· Easy
- Chopping onions· Medium
- Tossing pizza dough· Medium
- Eating with chopsticks· Medium
- Eating a whole hot dog· Medium
- Decorating a cake· Medium
- Spicy chili pepper· Medium
- Sushi roll· Medium
- Bubble tea· Medium
- Taco Tuesday· Hard
- Food fight· Medium
- Picnic in the rain· Hard
- Burnt toast· Medium
- Jelly that won't stop wobbling· Hard
🌋 Nature & Weather — 25 words
- Rainbow· Easy
- Thunderstorm· Easy
- Volcano· Easy
- Waterfall· Easy
- Snowflake· Easy
- Tornado· Easy
- Sunflower· Easy
- Rain cloud· Easy
- Ocean waves· Easy
- Falling leaves· Easy
- Climbing a mountain· Medium
- Earthquake· Medium
- Shooting star· Medium
- Melting glacier· Hard
- Desert mirage· Hard
- Northern lights· Hard
- Avalanche· Medium
- Quicksand· Medium
- Tide coming in· Hard
- Planting a tree· Easy
- Blowing a dandelion· Easy
- Lightning strike· Medium
- Erupting geyser· Hard
- Coral reef· Hard
- Full moon· Medium
😮 Emotions — 26 words
- Happy· Easy
- Sad· Easy
- Angry· Easy
- Scared· Easy
- Sleepy· Easy
- Surprised· Easy
- Excited· Easy
- Bored· Easy
- Shy· Easy
- Proud· Medium
- Nervous· Medium
- Confused· Medium
- Jealous· Medium
- Embarrassed· Medium
- Grumpy· Medium
- Relieved· Medium
- Disgusted· Medium
- Lonely· Medium
- Hopeful· Hard
- Guilty· Hard
- Overwhelmed· Hard
- Nostalgic· Hard
- Suspicious· Hard
- Determined· Hard
- Hangry· Hard
- Starstruck· Hard
Charades generator at a glance
| Word list | 621 actable words in 13 categories, written and checked by our editors. |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy 292 · Medium 244 · Hard 85 |
| Timer | 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds per turn (or no timer), with a hide-the-word screen so only the actor sees it. |
| Teams & scoring | 2, 3 or 4 teams with automatic turns and a running scoreboard, plus a fullscreen big-text mode for TVs and projectors. |
| Players | 3 or more; split into two teams for 6+. Works on one shared phone. |
| Family-safe | Every word suits kids, classrooms and mixed groups. |
| Cost | Free, no signup, no app. Print the whole list as cards. |
How to play charades with this generator
- Pick categories and a difficulty, then choose a timer length.
- Pass the phone to the actor and tap to reveal a word.
- Act it out with no words or sounds while the team guesses.
- Tap Got it to score for the team (or Missed to pass); the turn moves to the next team.
Updated · Written and checked by the RandomTopics editors · How we curate · Site facts
How to Play Charades (Quick Rules)
- Split into two teams and decide a time limit per round — 60 seconds is the classic.
- Hand the screen to the actor, deal a word and let them read it. Press Start round to hide the word and begin timing.
- Act it out silently — no talking, no mouthing, no pointing at real objects, no spelling in the air.
- Team guesses until the timer runs out. Tap Got it for a point or Missed to pass; the scoreboard moves the turn to the next team.
- Alternate teams; first to an agreed score (usually 10) wins.
The Standard Charades Gestures
- Number of words: hold up that many fingers, then show which word you're acting first.
- Syllables: lay fingers on your forearm for the count.
- Sounds like: cup a hand behind your ear.
- Short / long word: pinch fingers together, or stretch hands apart.
- Movie: crank an old-fashioned camera. Book: open your palms. TV show: draw a rectangle.
- Keep guessing / closer: wave both hands toward yourself.
- Whole idea: sweep your arms in a big circle to act the entire concept at once.
Make It a Full Game Night
Playing with young children? Try the charades generator for kids with easy words by age. Charades also pairs perfectly with our other party tools — run Truth or Dare between rounds, warm up with Would You Rather or Never Have I Ever, spin the wheel to pick who acts first, and cool down with This or That. Same teams, different game: the trivia questions host mode keeps score for up to eight teams. Hosting a bigger crowd? Grab openers from questions to ask at a party. Between rounds, put someone in the hot seat or swap stories with two truths and a lie ideas. Playing Pictionary instead? The random word generator has a drawable-words-only filter.
How This Charades Generator Compares
| Feature | RandomTopics | Typical charades sites |
|---|---|---|
| Words | 621 hand-picked, tagged easy / medium / hard | 50–200, often untagged |
| Categories | 13 plus one-tap Movies, Animals, Kids, Actions and Hard decks | One list or a few themes |
| Timer | 30–120 s with pause, and the word hides when the round starts | None, or a separate page |
| Teams & scoring | 2–4 teams, automatic turns, running score | Pen and paper |
| Fullscreen big text | Yes, for TV, projector or forehead play | Rarely |
| Repeats | No repeats until the deck is used up | Random, words repeat |
| Printable cards | Print any filtered deck | Sometimes |
| Cost | Free, no signup, no app | Often an app or paywall |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play charades?
Split into two teams. One player draws a word and acts it out silently — no talking, no mouthing words, no pointing at objects in the room — while their team guesses within the time limit (60 seconds is standard). Score a point for each correct guess, then the other team takes a turn. This generator replaces the paper hat: hand the phone to the actor, deal a word, then press Start round when they are ready. Starting hides the answer from the group.
What are good words for charades?
Good charades words are concrete enough to act and familiar enough to guess: actions (brushing teeth), animals (penguin), movie titles (Titanic), and jobs (firefighter) are classics. For harder rounds, idioms like 'break a leg' or 'raining cats and dogs' force multi-part acting. Every word in this generator was picked to be actable — no abstract terms nobody can mime — and each is tagged easy, medium, or hard so you can match the deck to the room.
Does this charades generator work for kids?
Yes — select the Kids & Family category for extra-easy, act-along words (snowman, tooth fairy, blowing bubbles), or set difficulty to Easy in any category. Every word in the entire deck is family-safe, so mixed-age game nights can play on any setting.
How does the charades timer work?
Choose 30, 60, 90, or 120 seconds. Deal a word and let the actor read it, then press Start round to hide the word and begin the countdown. Pause and resume without losing your remaining time, or reveal the word for a reminder. Next Word resets the timer without starting it. Switch the timer off for untimed play.
What are the rules for gestures in charades?
The universal signals: hold up fingers for the number of words, then for which word you're acting; tap your forearm with fingers for syllables; cup your ear for 'sounds like'; pinch fingers together for a short word; stretch hands apart for a long word; wave toward yourself for 'closer / keep guessing'; and make a movie-camera crank for films, open palms like a book for books, and draw a TV square for shows. No speaking, no mouthing, no spelling in the air.
Can I print charades words to play offline?
Yes — set your category and difficulty filters, then hit 'Print this deck' to get a print-ready sheet of every word in the current deck. Cut them into cards, fold them into a bowl, and play the classic way at parties, classrooms, or anywhere without a phone.
Can the charades generator keep score for teams?
Yes. Under Teams & scoring choose 2, 3 or 4 teams. The generator shows whose turn it is; after each word tap Got it to give that team a point or Missed to pass, and the turn moves to the next team automatically. Reset scores starts a new game. Choose Off for casual play without points.
Is there a fullscreen mode for TVs, projectors and classrooms?
Tap Fullscreen big text. The word, timer and scoreboard fill the screen in large type, so you can cast the page to a TV, put it on a classroom projector or hold a phone up to your forehead for a Heads Up–style round. Press Esc or Exit fullscreen to return.
What are hard charades words for adults?
Tap the Hard quick deck to draw only hard words from every category: multi-step actions, longer movie titles and idioms such as 'once in a blue moon'. For a mixed group, play Medium and let each actor swap one hard word per game.
What are the best charades categories for a party?
Movies, animals, actions and kids are the four most requested decks, and each has a one-tap button at the top of the generator. Movies and phrases suit adults, animals and kids suit families, and actions work for every age.
How to Play Charades Online (Zoom, Teams or Google Meet)
- Send the actor a word privately. The actor opens this page on their own phone and taps for a word, so the screen they share never shows it. Hide the answer before turning the camera back on.
- Pin the actor. Ask everyone to pin or spotlight the actor's video, and have the actor step back so their whole upper body is in frame.
- Guess in chat or unmuted. Small groups can shout guesses; groups over eight work better typing guesses in chat, where the first correct message wins.
- Use a shorter timer. Video lag eats time, so 60 to 90 seconds per word keeps rounds moving. Set it in the round timer above.
- Pick big, visual words. Actions, Animals, Sports and Emotions read well on a small video tile; Idioms and long titles are harder over a webcam.
Charades categories at a glance
Actions (75) · Animals (60) · Movies (70) · TV & Books (45) · Objects (63) · People & Jobs (60) · Sports & Games (50) · Kids & Family (60) · Idioms & Phrases (45) · Songs (21) · Food (21) · Nature & Weather (25) · Emotions (26). For drawing instead of acting, use the Pictionary word generator; for the holidays, the Christmas charades list.
What the Charades Generator Does
A charades generator replaces the paper slips and the hat. Each tap deals one random charades word from 621 words, only the actor sees it, and the page keeps the clock and the score. You can shape the deck before you play:
- Category: Actions, Animals, Movies, TV & Books, Objects, People & Jobs, Sports & Games, Kids & Family, Idioms & Phrases, Songs, Food, Nature & Weather, Emotions.
- Difficulty: Easy (292 words), Medium (244) or Hard (85), or all three mixed.
- Quick decks: one tap for Movies, Animals, Kids, Actions or Hard.
- Timer: 30, 60, 90 or 120 seconds, or off. The word hides when the round starts.
- Teams: 2 to 4 teams with automatic turn order and a running score.
- No repeats until the deck is used up, so a long game does not recycle words.
Best Charades Settings for Your Group
| Group | Category | Difficulty | Timer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kids' party | Kids & Family, Animals | Easy | 90-120 s, or off. See charades for kids |
| Family game night | Animals, Actions, Objects | Easy to Medium | 60-90 s |
| Adult party | Movies, Idioms & Phrases, TV & Books | Medium to Hard | 60 s |
| Classroom | Actions, Animals, People & Jobs | Easy | 60-90 s. Pair with the random team generator |
| Office or team building | People & Jobs, Sports & Games, Actions | Medium | 60 s. More ideas in the icebreaker generator |
| Christmas or holidays | Dedicated list | Mixed | 60-90 s. Use the Christmas charades list |
Charades Word Ideas by Difficulty
A sample from the deck, one word per category at each level. Tap the generator for the rest.
Easy charades words
Brushing your teeth, Elephant, Titanic, Tom and Jerry, Umbrella, Firefighter, Basketball, Jumping jacks, Jump for joy, Happy Birthday, Peeling a banana, Rainbow, Happy.
Medium charades words
Waking up late for work, Woodpecker, The Wizard of Oz, Friends, Washing machine, Plumber, Badminton, Ring around the rosie, Piece of cake, London Bridge Is Falling Down, Chopping onions, Climbing a mountain, Proud.
Hard charades words
Teaching a grandparent to video call, Chameleon, Avatar, Stranger Things, Snow globe, Mime, Break a leg, Single Ladies, Taco Tuesday, Melting glacier, Hopeful.
How Many Charades Words Do You Need?
A 60-second turn usually gets through one to three words. Plan on about three words per player for a 20 to 30 minute game, and keep a few spare for passes.
| Players | Teams | Turns per player | Words to deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 3 | About 12 |
| 8 | 2 | 3 | About 24 |
| 12 | 3 | 3 | About 36 |
| 20 | 4 | 2 | About 40 |
The generator never repeats a word until the deck is exhausted, so you do not have to count. If you play offline, set your filters and print the cards.
Playing Charades in Teams
- Choose 2 to 4 teams in Teams & scoring and name them if you like.
- The first actor reads the word, taps Start round, and acts. The word hides so the room cannot see it.
- The team guesses out loud. Tap Got it for a point or Missed to pass.
- Turns move to the next team automatically; rotate the actor inside each team.
- Agree a target score, usually 10, or play a fixed number of rounds.
- Break ties with one sudden-death word from the Hard deck.
For a bigger event, add trivia questions or a round of the Pictionary word generator. To pick who goes first, use the spin the wheel.
Charades Words Printable List
- Choose your category and difficulty in the generator.
- Press Print this deck to open a print-ready sheet of every word in that deck.
- Cut along the lines, fold the cards and put them in a bowl.
- Or open the full word bank above and copy the list to paste into a document.
For drawing games, the Pictionary words list has printable words for drawing games. For a single word at a time, the random word generator is also useful.
More questions
Is there a random word generator for charades?
Yes. This page is one: tap once for a random charades word from 621 actable words, with a hide-the-word screen and a timer. Choose a category or difficulty first if you want to narrow it.
How many words does the charades generator have?
621 words in 13 categories: Actions, Animals, Movies, TV & Books, Objects, People & Jobs, Sports & Games, Kids & Family, Idioms & Phrases, Songs, Food, Nature & Weather, Emotions. Each word is labelled Easy, Medium or Hard.
What are easy charades words for beginners?
Set the difficulty to Easy for simple, familiar words such as Brushing your teeth, Elephant, Titanic, Tom and Jerry, Umbrella, Firefighter. The Kids & Family category is another good place to start.
How long should each charades turn be?
Sixty seconds is the standard. Use 90 or 120 seconds for kids, hard words or online play, and 30 seconds for a fast party round.
What is dumb charades?
Dumb charades is another name for charades: one person acts out a word or title without speaking while the others guess. Use the Movies category for the classic film version.