Random letter generator

Which letters are hard, and why we leave some out

In a list game, a letter is only fun if everyone can think of a few answers. Q, X and Z start very few common English words; ask a table for "an animal starting with X" and you will mostly get silence. That is why they are off when you first open the page.

J, K, V and Y are the next tier. They work for some categories (K gives you kangaroo and Kenya) and fall flat for others (try naming a sport that starts with Y). Leave them in for experienced players and take them out for kids or a short game. Everything else, from A to W, gives most categories several answers.

Prefer your own rules? Open "Choose letters one by one" and switch any letter on or off. Your choice is remembered next time on this device.

Games that need a random letter

• Category list games. Everyone writes an answer starting with the letter for each category before time runs out. Our category lists page has 24 ready-made lists, a timer and a printable sheet.
• Name, place, animal, thing. The pencil-and-paper version: four columns, one letter, first to fill a row calls stop.
• Alphabet challenges in the car. Draw a letter and race to spot it on a sign, or name a song, a city or a food that starts with it.
• Word chains and spelling games. Use the letter as the starting point, or draw three and make the longest word that uses them all.
• Classroom warm-ups. A random letter for vocabulary practice or a quick "five things that start with" round.

Tips for list-game rounds

• Two minutes per round suits most groups; the timer is set to 2:00 and can go from 1 to 3 minutes.
• Read the letter out loud as well as showing the screen, so nobody starts on the wrong one.
• Tick "Restart the timer with each new letter" so one tap starts the next round.
• Play a set number of letters (say, five) and add up the scores at the end, rather than playing until people drift away.

Random letter questions

Which letters are left out, and why?

By default we leave out Q, X and Z, because so few everyday words start with them that a round on those letters usually ends with blank sheets. You can also leave out J, K, V and Y, which are playable but noticeably harder. Tap any letter in the grid to turn it on or off yourself.

Can I use this as a Scattergories letter generator?

Yes. If your letter die has gone missing, tap "New letter" at the start of each round instead of rolling. Scattergories is a trademark of Hasbro, and this page is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro.

Will the same letter come up twice?

Not until every letter you have turned on has come up once. Then the page starts again, and it never gives the same letter twice in a row. "Start over" clears the history at any time.

Is the letter really random?

Each letter still in play has the same chance. The pick uses your browser's cryptographic random number source and a method that avoids the small bias a plain remainder would add.