WordChainGames
Today's chain

Word chain, the spoken way

The last letter game

The computer says a word. You answer with a word that starts with its last letter. Keep the chain going until someone runs dry or runs out of time.
Last letterWords 0 · Best 0

The computer says a word. You reply with a word that starts with its last letter. No repeats, three letters or more, 15 seconds a turn.

Loading the word list…

How to play the last letter game

It is the word chain most people learn as kids, on long car journeys or in a classroom. Someone says apple, the next person needs an E word, elephant, then a T word, and so on. No word can be used twice.

  • Three letters minimum, so “ox” doesn't count.
  • Plurals and other forms are fine, but each exact word only once per game.
  • Pick 10, 15 or 30 seconds a turn, or switch the timer off for a relaxed game.
  • The Tricky computer tries to end its words on letters that leave you few options.

Word chain examples

Animals: cat, tiger, rabbit, turtle, eagle, eel, lion, newt. Food: bread, donut, tomato, onion, noodle, egg, grape. Countries: Spain, Norway, Yemen, Nepal, Laos. You can find longer lists, and the compound-word kind of chain, on our word chain examples page.

Last letter vs. shiritori

The Japanese version is called shiritori and adds a twist: a word ending in N loses, because almost no Japanese words begin with that sound. Our shiritori mode plays in English with that rule switched on.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is the last letter game?

A word game where each word has to start with the last letter of the previous word. CAT, then TIGER, then RABBIT, then TURTLE. It is also called word chain, the first letter last letter game, or the alphabet chain game.

What words are allowed?

Any English word of three letters or more that is in our word list and hasn't been played yet in the game. Names of people and places aren't in the list. Plurals and verb forms are fine.

How do you win the last letter game?

You win if the computer can't find a reply. You lose if the timer runs out on your turn. Most games are about how long you can last, so your best run is saved on this device.

What letters are hardest to end on?

Few common words start with X, Q, Z, J or K, and Y can be awkward. End your word on one of those and your opponent has fewer options. Set the computer to Tricky and it will try the same on you.

Can I play with categories, like animals only?

Online we accept any word, but at home the category version works well: pick animals, countries or food and play out loud. The rules on this page apply the same way.

Keep playing

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