Random Proverb Generator

Ways to use this list

• Proverb of the week: write it on the board on Monday and ask pupils to notice a moment by Friday when it came true.
• Fable writing: spin a proverb and write a short animal story that ends with it as the moral, the way traditional fables do.
• Opposites hunt: some proverbs contradict each other, such as "Look before you leap" and "Strike while the iron is hot". Spin one and ask the class to find its opposite on the list.
• Form time or assembly: one pupil spins, reads the proverb and explains it in their own words in under a minute.
• English learners: match each proverb to a similar saying in your home language; most languages have their own version of "practice makes perfect".

Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.

The full list (55 entries)

• Actions speak louder than words – what you do matters more than what you say
• Practice makes perfect – doing something often makes you better at it
• Don't judge a book by its cover – don't decide what something is like from how it looks
• The early bird catches the worm – people who start early get the best chances
• Look before you leap – think before you act
• Two heads are better than one – problems are easier to solve together
• Better late than never – doing it late beats not doing it at all
• Rome wasn't built in a day – big things take time
• Every cloud has a silver lining – something good can come out of a bad time
• Don't count your chickens before they hatch – don't rely on something before it happens
• Honesty is the best policy – telling the truth is always best
• Where there's a will, there's a way – if you want something enough, you'll find a way
• Slow and steady wins the race – steady effort beats rushing
• A picture is worth a thousand words – an image can explain more than a long description
• Too many cooks spoil the broth – too many people in charge can ruin a job
• Many hands make light work – a job is easier when everyone helps
• Don't put all your eggs in one basket – don't depend on just one plan
• Birds of a feather flock together – people who are alike spend time together
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do – follow the customs of the place you're in
• You can't have your cake and eat it – you can't keep two choices that rule each other out
• A friend in need is a friend indeed – a true friend helps when you need it
• Great minds think alike – said when two people have the same idea
• Out of sight, out of mind – we forget things we don't see
• Practise what you preach – do what you tell others to do
• Necessity is the mother of invention – needing something leads to new ideas
• Patience is a virtue – being able to wait calmly is a good quality
• You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink – you can offer help, but you can't force anyone to take it
• A stitch in time saves nine – fix a small problem now to avoid a bigger one later
• Let sleeping dogs lie – don't stir up an old problem
• Easy come, easy go – things you get easily are easily lost
• The grass is always greener on the other side – other people's lives often look better than they are
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – people find different things beautiful
• All that glitters is not gold – something attractive isn't always valuable
• Strike while the iron is hot – act while you have the chance
• Don't bite the hand that feeds you – don't be unkind to people who help you
• A watched pot never boils – waiting for something makes time feel slower
• Every dog has its day – everyone gets a moment of success
• Haste makes waste – rushing leads to mistakes
• If at first you don't succeed, try, try again – keep going after a failure
• Better safe than sorry – it's wiser to be careful than to take a risk
• Don't make a mountain out of a molehill – don't treat a small problem like a big one
• Two wrongs don't make a right – doing something bad back doesn't fix anything
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – what you have is worth more than what you might get
• Still waters run deep – quiet people often think deeply
• The more, the merrier – more people make things more fun
• One good turn deserves another – if someone helps you, help them back
• Make hay while the sun shines – use a good chance while it lasts
• There's no time like the present – do it now
• Great oaks from little acorns grow – big things start small
• You can't teach an old dog new tricks – it's hard to change long habits
• Don't cross the bridge until you come to it – don't worry about problems before they happen
• The proof of the pudding is in the eating – you only know if something works by trying it
• When the cat's away, the mice will play – people break the rules when nobody is watching
• It's never too late to learn – you can learn new things at any age
• Fortune favours the bold – being brave often brings luck

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