Tombolio

Random letter wheel

Press “Spin the wheel”.

Session history

No spins yet.

    All 26 letters are already on the wheel: spin it and get a random letter in seconds. Perfect for starting a round of a categories game, choosing the first letter for a word game or mixing up a vocabulary exercise.

    How to use it

    1. Keep all 26 letters or delete the ones that make the game too hard, such as Q, X, Y or Z.
    2. Tick “Remove the winner after each spin” so the same letter is never played twice in a game.
    3. Spin the wheel and call out the letter shown below it: the round begins.
    4. Before you start, copy the share link: opening it again brings back the full alphabet for the next game.

    Ways to use it

    • Play a categories game

      Name, country, animal, job: the wheel gives the letter for each round of a Scattergories-style game, and winner removal stops it landing on the same one twice.

    • Practice vocabulary in class

      Students list as many words as they can that start with the drawn letter, in English or in the language they’re learning.

    • Kick off a party word game

      Players take turns naming a word, song or movie that starts with the drawn letter; the first one stuck passes the turn.

    • Choose an initial

      To name a project, a team or a character, start from a letter chosen by the wheel and let creativity do the rest.

    How the randomness is guaranteed

    The letter is drawn by your browser’s cryptographic generator (crypto.getRandomValues). With all 26 letters, each has exactly a one-in-26 chance: Z comes up as often as E.

    Values that would introduce modulo bias are thrown away during the draw, so no letter is favored, even after you remove some letters from the wheel.

    The letter is known before the wheel starts turning, and the draw takes place entirely on your device.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does every letter have the same chance?

    Yes. The wheel ignores how common letters are in English: each slice has the same probability, which means rare letters come up just as often as the others.

    How do I remove the hard letters?

    Delete the matching lines in the list, for example K, Q, X, Y and Z. The wheel redraws straight away with the remaining letters.

    How do I avoid getting the same letter twice in one game?

    Tick “Remove the winner after each spin”. Each drawn letter disappears from the wheel and the session history shows the letters already played.

    Can I use only vowels or add other characters?

    Yes. The list is yours to edit: keep only the vowels, add accented letters for another language, or put syllables in place of letters.

    How do I get the full alphabet back after a game?

    If you removed letters, reload the page from a share link created before the game, or type the missing letters back into the list.

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