Hangman Solver
Solve hangman puzzles — enter the pattern and excluded letters for best guesses.
Results
The 7ESL Hangman Solver works out which word you are chasing and, just as usefully, which letter to call next. Tell it the letters you have already revealed and where they sit, add the wrong letters you have burned through, and it returns the words that still fit along with a short list of the best letters to guess. It is the smart way to claw back a losing game of hangman before the figure on the gallows is complete.
How to use the Hangman Solver
Fill in the Known letters box with the word's pattern, using a question mark for every position you have not uncovered yet -- for example h??se when you know the first letter is h and the last two are s and e. Then put every letter you have already guessed wrongly into the Wrong letters box. The solver matches the pattern against its word list, throws out any word that contains one of your wrong letters, and updates the moment you change either field.
Reading the results
You get two things back. First, a Try next row of suggested letters appears above the word list; these are the letters that occur most often across the remaining candidates, each shown with a count, so guessing one of them gives you the best chance of a hit. Below that sits the list of candidate words that fit your pattern and avoid your wrong letters, ranked so the more common words come first, since hangman answers are usually everyday words. If nothing matches, the tool tells you to recheck the pattern or remove a wrong letter.
Winning at hangman
Good hangman play is about information, not luck. Early on, when many words still fit, guess the high-frequency letter the solver puts at the front of the Try next row, because it rules out the most words if it misses and reveals the most if it lands. As the pattern fills in, the candidate list usually narrows to just a few words, and you can often read the answer straight off. The same pattern-with-blanks idea powers the Crossword Solver, while the Wordle Solver applies it to the five-letter daily puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Hangman Solver work?
Enter the revealed letters as a pattern with a question mark for each unknown position, then add the letters you have already guessed wrongly. The solver lists the words that fit the pattern and avoid your wrong letters, and suggests the best letters to try next.
How do I write the pattern?
Use the letters you have uncovered in their correct positions and a question mark for every blank. For example, h??se means a five-letter word starting with h and ending in se, with three letters still unknown.
What are the suggested next letters?
They are the letters that appear most often across the words still in play, shown in a Try next row with a count each. Guessing one of these gives you the best chance of revealing more of the word.
Why are the candidate words in that order?
The words are ranked by how common they are, with the most frequent words first, because hangman answers are usually everyday words rather than obscure ones.
Is the Hangman Solver free?
Yes, it is completely free to use in any modern web browser, with no sign-up required.
Includes data from the Open English WordNet and WordNet 3.1, used under their respective open licences.