THE WORD GAME

Both of you start with a piece of paper with the alphabet at the top, and a pen or pencil.
( Note: beginners may choose to eliminate letters like Q or X or Z O or double letters in the same word.)

You each secretly choose a 5 letter word - write it down for easy reference, but don't show your opponent.

Now using 4 letter words you try to guess, by a process of elimation and reasoning skills, the other players word.

EXAMPLE:

My secret word is caper

Your guess is SLIT , but I don't have a 'S' 'L' 'I' or 'T' in my word, so I would say "ZERO".
You then cross out the 'S' 'L' 'I' and 'T'.

Write down your word SLIT and write a 0 next to it - to help you keep track - you'll need it by the end.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

It is then my turn - but we'll just focus on 'your' turn for examples.

Your next guess is PAID, since I have a 'P' and 'A' in my word I would say "TWO".

Write down the word PAID and place a 2 next to it.

So then you try to use what you already know and build on it.

Try to use the 'S' 'L' 'I' and 'T' - which you know I don't have with some of the letters you're not sure about.

Your next guess could be STOP - and I would say "ONE". You know that it's not the 'S' or the 'T'.
Could it be the 'O' which is new here, or the 'P' used in the previous guess.

Be sure to write down your word with a "ONE" next to it.

On your next guess you could try SPIT - you know it's not the 'S' 'I' or the 'T' so my letter MUST be the 'P' , and then it MUST NOT be the 'O' in the previous guess.

Be sure to write down your word, with my answer on "ONE".

So now cross out the 'O' in your alphabet, and circle or highlight the 'P'.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Continue building on what you know - go back to PAID and work with the D in the same way. You could choose another letter to work with, but D might be the smarter move.

And the game continues until you have all of my letters.

Once you have all of my letters P E C R A you still have to unscramble it. You get ONE guess per turn, and then it's my turn to continue, play goes back and forth this way. It is possible that I could beat you, even though YOU got all of my letters first. Believe me - it's been known to happen.

This is what you would have so far:

This game was created years ago by two little girls who lived in Southern California while they were on a bus ride home from shopping. Those two little girls were sisters, and they have grown up to be very close friends. They still believe in faeries! This web site is dedicated to them, and to the child that still lives within them. ~ Fae

Want to print a tally sheet of your own?