Play Christmas hangman online
Christmas hangman is the classic letter-guessing game with a holiday twist: every secret word is something from Christmas, from SNOWMAN to MISTLETOE. On this page you can play Christmas hangman online straight away, and you can also make your own Christmas hangman for a friend, with a message that appears when they solve it.
It is free, works in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer, and needs no app or account.
How to play Christmas hangman
- Press Play, then Play a Christmas hangman. You get a random Christmas word and a hint.
- Guess one letter at a time. Tap the on-screen keys or type on a keyboard.
- A right letter fills in every place it appears in the word.
- A wrong letter costs a life. You have six, shown as red baubles.
- Solve the word before your baubles run out, then press Play another for a new word.
There are 42 Christmas words in the game, from 5 to 11 letters, so you can play several rounds in a row.
Send a Christmas hangman to a friend
The best part is that you can make one for someone else. It turns a holiday message into a little puzzle.
- Press Make one for a friend (or Make a secret word on the start screen). The Christmas theme is already selected.
- Type your name and pick the word. Tap one of the suggestions, such as REINDEER or GINGERBREAD, or type your own word of 3 to 12 letters.
- Add a hint and your message, up to 160 characters: a Christmas greeting, plans for the holidays, or a clue to where their present is hidden.
- Send the link by WhatsApp, X, Telegram, your phone's share menu or a copied link.
Your friend opens a snowy Christmas hangman with your hint. When they solve it, a gift box opens and your message appears, signed with your name. If they run out of baubles, they still get the word and the message. Open your own link to see who played and how many lives they had left.
Christmas hangman words
Need ideas for a class, a family game or a message to a friend? These are the words used in our game, each with the hint the game shows. Short words are not always easier: a word with unusual letters, like COCOA or ICICLE, can take more guesses than a long one.
Easy Christmas hangman words (3 to 6 letters)
| Word | Letters | Hint |
|---|---|---|
| ANGEL | 5 | Sometimes on top of the tree |
| BELLS | 5 | Jingle all the way |
| CAROL | 5 | Sung door to door |
| COCOA | 5 | Hot chocolate |
| ELVES | 5 | The workshop crew |
| HOLLY | 5 | Green leaves, red berries |
| SCARF | 5 | Wrapped round your neck |
| EGGNOG | 6 | A creamy holiday drink |
| FROSTY | 6 | Very cold |
| ICICLE | 6 | Hangs from the roof |
| JINGLE | 6 | The sound of bells |
| LIGHTS | 6 | Strung along the roof |
| RIBBON | 6 | Tied in a bow |
| SLEIGH | 6 | Santa rides in it |
| TINSEL | 6 | Shiny strands on the tree |
| WREATH | 6 | A ring on the front door |
Medium Christmas hangman words (7 to 8 letters)
| Word | Letters | Hint |
|---|---|---|
| CHIMNEY | 7 | The way down |
| COOKIES | 7 | Left out with milk |
| MITTENS | 7 | Warm hands, no fingers |
| SNOWMAN | 7 | Built in the yard, carrot nose |
| BLIZZARD | 8 | A big snowstorm |
| CAROLING | 8 | Singing door to door |
| ORNAMENT | 8 | Hangs on a branch |
| PINECONE | 8 | Found under an evergreen |
| PRESENTS | 8 | Under the tree |
| REINDEER | 8 | Pulls the sleigh |
| SLEDDING | 8 | Down the hill on snow |
| SNOWBALL | 8 | Thrown in winter fights |
| STOCKING | 8 | Hung by the fireplace |
| WORKSHOP | 8 | Where the toys are made |
| WRAPPING | 8 | Paper and ribbon |
Hard Christmas hangman words (9 letters or more)
| Word | Letters | Hint |
|---|---|---|
| CANDYCANE | 9 | Striped and hooked |
| EVERGREEN | 9 | A tree that keeps its needles |
| FIREPLACE | 9 | Cosy and crackling |
| FRUITCAKE | 9 | The gift everyone jokes about |
| MISTLETOE | 9 | Stand under it for a kiss |
| NORTHPOLE | 9 | Where Santa lives |
| SNOWFLAKE | 9 | No two are alike |
| SNOWGLOBE | 9 | Shake it and it snows |
| NUTCRACKER | 10 | A ballet and a soldier |
| POINSETTIA | 10 | A red holiday plant |
| GINGERBREAD | 11 | A cookie that can be a house |
Tips for winning at Christmas hangman
- Start with vowels. E and O appear in many Christmas words, such as SNOWMAN, ORNAMENT and MISTLETOE.
- Then try S, N, R and T. They show up again and again in holiday words.
- Read the hint first. "Pulls the sleigh" or "Hung by the fireplace" narrows things down fast.
- Think in Christmas themes. Food, decorations, weather, music and the North Pole cover most of the list.
- Count the blanks. In this game the only 11-letter word is GINGERBREAD, and the 10-letter ones are NUTCRACKER and POINSETTIA.
Christmas hangman for classes and families
It works well on a classroom screen or a TV for a family game: open the page, play a round together and let everyone shout out letters. For a quieter version, each person can make one on their phone and send it to the others, then compare who solved the most with lives to spare.
For hangman puzzles any time of year, see make your own hangman, or play our daily word guessing game.
Christmas hangman FAQ
How do you play Christmas hangman?
Guess the hidden Christmas word one letter at a time. Right letters fill in the blanks; each wrong letter costs one of six lives. Solve the word before your lives run out.
Can I play Christmas hangman online for free?
Yes. Press Play, then Play a Christmas hangman for a random holiday word with a hint. It is free and needs no account or app.
How many Christmas words are there?
42, from 5 to 11 letters, each with its own hint. The full list is on this page, grouped into easy, medium and hard words.
Can I make my own Christmas hangman?
Yes. Press Make one for a friend, choose your word, add a hint and a message, and send the link. Your friend sees a snowy Christmas hangman, and solving it opens a gift box with your message.
What are some hard Christmas hangman words?
Long or unusual words such as GINGERBREAD, NUTCRACKER, POINSETTIA and MISTLETOE. Short words with rare letters, like COCOA, can be surprisingly tricky too.
Is Christmas hangman good for kids and classes?
Yes. The words are everyday Christmas words with simple hints, and it works on a classroom screen or a family TV where everyone calls out letters.