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Whack-a-Word: play a reading game for kids online free

Whack-a-Word
Play free nowFree · No download · No sign-up

Whack-a-Word is a reading game for kids. Friendly critters pop up from nine holes, each one holding a word. A clue at the top tells you which words to pick, like animals, colors or words that rhyme with cat.

Tap the words that fit the clue. There are no hammers, only a soft boop, some sparkles and a squish. There are five levels, from Kindergarten to Grade 4, with word lists written for each grade. The words pop up a little faster as the grades go up.

Also called: reading game for kids, word game for kids, phonics game for kids, rhyming game for kids, whack a word

How to play

  1. Open the game and pick a grade, from Kindergarten to Grade 4.
  2. Read the clue at the top. It might be a kind of word, like animals, or a rhyme, like -at.
  3. Words pop up from the nine holes. Tap the words that fit the clue. On a keyboard, press 1 to 9 for a hole, or use the arrows and Space.
  4. A wrong tap costs a heart. In Grades 3 and 4, a matching word that gets away costs one too.
  5. Finish every clue to clear the level. The clue changes as you go, and each one is a little faster.
  6. The more hearts you keep, the more stars you earn. If the hearts run out, the game says Good try and you can play again. Esc or P pauses.

Tips

Questions

Is Whack-a-Word free, and do I need to download anything?

Yes, it is free. Whack-a-Word plays right in your web browser with no download, no sign-up and no ads on the site. Just open the page and start.

Can I play on my phone or tablet?

Yes. Tap the word with your finger. On a computer, click a word, press 1 to 9, or use the arrows and Space.

What will my child practice?

Picking words by a clue. Kindergarten has animals, colors, food and first letters. Grade 1 adds rhymes, sh and ch sounds, numbers and body words. Grade 2 adds clothes, weather and more rhymes. Grades 3 and 4 move on to action and feeling words, two words in one, more than one, and words that mean the same.

Can I lose?

Yes, but gently. If the hearts run out, the game says Good try and you can play the level again. You earn stars for the hearts you keep.

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