Ways to use this list
- Word of the day: spin each morning, write the word on the board, and give a point to anyone who uses it naturally before home time.
- Meaning quiz: press Words only, spin, and the class explains the word before you read its meaning from the full list below.
- Synonym ladder: spin an Intermediate word and list three words with nearly the same meaning, from plain to fancy, such as calm, peaceful and tranquil.
- Story challenge: set Winners to 3 and write a five-sentence story that uses all three words correctly.
- Family dinner game: each person spins a word as the meal starts, and whoever slips it into the conversation most naturally wins.
- Dictation for older students: read the word aloud and everyone writes it down; meticulous, rejuvenate and ubiquitous trip up plenty of adults too.
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 (81 entries)
- Ancient – very old
- Astonished – very surprised
- Brave – ready to face danger or pain
- Cautious – careful to avoid risks
- Curious – eager to know or learn
- Delighted – very pleased
- Drowsy – sleepy
- Enormous – very large
- Exhausted – extremely tired
- Fragile – easily broken
- Furious – extremely angry
- Generous – happy to give and share
- Glimpse – a quick look
- Gloomy – dark, or sad and without hope
- Hesitate – to pause before doing something
- Peculiar – strange or unusual
- Rapid – very quick
- Soar – to fly or rise high in the air
- Timid – shy and easily frightened
- Vanish – to disappear suddenly
- Keen – eager or sharp
- Novice – a beginner
- Vivid – bright and clear
- Wary – careful about danger
- Resilient – recovers quickly from setbacks
- Candid – honest and direct
- Ambiguous – having more than one meaning
- Diligent – hard-working and careful
- Frugal – careful not to waste money
- Hypothesis – an idea to be tested
- Inevitable – certain to happen
- Jubilant – full of joy
- Lucid – clear and easy to understand
- Mundane – ordinary, everyday
- Nostalgia – fond longing for the past
- Obsolete – no longer used
- Quaint – charmingly old-fashioned
- Reluctant – unwilling or hesitant
- Serene – calm and peaceful
- Adept – very skilled
- Brevity – using few words
- Concise – short and clear
- Daunting – seeming hard or scary
- Empathy – understanding others' feelings
- Feasible – possible to do
- Gratitude – feeling thankful
- Hinder – to get in the way of
- Impartial – fair, not taking sides
- Optimistic – hopeful about the future
- Perceptive – quick to notice things
- Tranquil – quiet and calm
- Versatile – able to do many things
- Collaborate – to work together
- Persevere – to keep going
- Ubiquitous – found everywhere
- Meticulous – very careful about details
- Ephemeral – lasting a very short time
- Benevolent – kind and generous
- Eloquent – speaking clearly and persuasively
- Gregarious – enjoys being with others
- Pragmatic – practical and realistic
- Tenacious – not giving up easily
- Unanimous – agreed by everyone
- Whimsical – playful and unusual
- Zealous – full of energy for a cause
- Lethargic – sleepy and slow
- Mitigate – to make less severe
- Rejuvenate – to make fresh again
- Scrutinize – to examine closely
- Altruistic – caring about others
- Ameliorate – to make something bad better
- Cacophony – a harsh, jarring mix of sounds
- Capricious – changing mood or mind suddenly
- Equanimity – calmness, especially under stress
- Esoteric – understood by only a small group
- Fastidious – very fussy about detail or cleanliness
- Laconic – using very few words
- Loquacious – very talkative
- Magnanimous – generous and forgiving, especially to a rival
- Serendipity – finding something good by lucky chance
- Superfluous – more than is needed
Questions people ask
Can I add my own word list?
Yes: clear the list and paste your words, one per line, with or without meanings. Press 💾 Save to keep the list.
Is it suitable for exam preparation?
It's a fun way to revise. Paste the words from your course list and spin through them with No repeats until everyone is picked.
Can I hide the meaning?
Yes: press Words only. The wheel then shows just the words, while the meanings stay in the full list below the picker, so students can explain each word first and check afterwards.
Who are the three levels for?
As a rough guide, Starter words suit ages 8 to 11 and newer English learners, Intermediate words suit ages 11 to 14, and Advanced words suit older teenagers and adults. The right level is one where a few words are familiar and most are new.
How do I make a new word stick?
Use it within a day, out loud and in writing, then meet it again a few days later and once more after a week. Spacing out short reviews works far better than cramming them into one sitting. Linking the new word to one you already know also helps: tranquil with calm, daunting with scary.
Where do words like nostalgia and serendipity come from?
Many have a story. Nostalgia joins the Greek nostos (homecoming) and algos (pain), and was coined in 1688 by a Swiss medical student to describe severe homesickness. Serendipity was invented in 1754 by the writer Horace Walpole, after a fairy tale about three princes of Serendip who kept making lucky discoveries. Ubiquitous comes from the Latin ubique, "everywhere".