Editing Hangman (game)

{{Short description|Word game}}
{{original research|date=December 2016}}
[[File:hangman_example.svg|thumb|Example game in which the letters ''A'' and ''N'' but not the whole word ''HANGMAN'' were guessed &ndash; incorrect guesses are noted at the bottom]]
'''Hangman''' is a [[guessing game]] for two or more players. One player thinks of a [[word]], [[phrase]], or [[sentence (linguistics)|sentence]] and the other(s) tries to guess it by suggesting [[Letter (alphabet)|letters]] or [[Number|numbers]] within a certain number of guesses. Originally a [[paper-and-pencil game]], there are now electronic versions.

==History==

Though the origins of the game are unknown, a variant is mentioned in a book of children's games assembled by [[Alice Gomme]] in 1894 called Birds, Beasts, and Fishes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41727/41727-h/41727-h.htm#GameI_50|title=Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol. I), by Alice Bertha Gomme}}, via [[Project Gutenberg]]</ref> This version lacks the image of a hanged man, instead relying on keeping score as to the number of attempts it took each player to fill in the blanks.

A version which incorporated hanging imagery was described in a 1902 article in ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', which stated that it was popular at "White Cap" parties where guests would wear "white peaked caps with masks".<ref name=AWCP>{{Cite news
|title=A White Cap Party
| newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer 
| date =16 February 1902
| page=39
|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/168213335 | via=Newspapers.com
}}</ref>

==Overview==
[[File:A White Cap Party.webp|thumb|1902 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a hangman-themed children's party]]
The word to guess is represented by a row of [[dash]]es representing each [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] or [[number]] of the [[word]]. Rules may permit or forbid [[proper noun]]s (such as names, places, or brands) or other types of words (such as [[slang]]). If the guessing player suggests a letter which occurs in the word, the other player writes it in all its correct positions. If the suggested letter does not occur in the word, the other player adds (or alternatively, removes) one element of a hanged [[stick figure]] as a [[Tally marks|tally mark]]. Generally, the game ends once the word is guessed, or if the stick figure is complete—signifying that all guesses have been used. 

The player guessing the word may, at any time, attempt to guess the whole word.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kapoor |first1=Leena |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PnA-EAAAQBAJ&dq=hangman+game+The+player+guessing+the+word+may%2C+at+any+time%2C+attempt+to+guess+the+whole+word&pg=PA46 |title=Solutions to GET Smart Book for Class 4 |last2=Prakashan |first2=Goyal Brothers |date=2021-01-01 |publisher=Goyal Brothers Prakashan |language=en}}</ref> If the word is correct, the game is over and the guesser wins. Otherwise, the other player may choose to penalize the guesser by adding an element to the diagram. If the guesser makes enough incorrect guesses to allow the other player to complete the diagram, the guesser loses. However, the guesser can also win by guessing all the letters that appear in the word, thereby completing the word, before the diagram is completed.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sahoo |first=Reeta Sahoo, Gagan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOVBDAAAQBAJ&dq=hangman+game+guesser+can+also+win+by+guessing+all+the+letters+that+appear+in+the+word&pg=RA1-PA13 |title=Computer Science with Python |publisher=New Saraswati House India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-5199-980-5 |language=en}}</ref>

==Variants==
[[File:Classroom game of hangman.jpg|thumb|left|A classroom game of hangman]]
As the name of the game suggests, the [[diagram]] is designed to look like a [[hanging]] man. This has led to some controversy.<ref>Foreign English Teacher Under Attack For Playing Hangman Game] {{Cite web |url=http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/07/23/foreign-english-teacher-under-attack-for-playing-hangman-game/ |title=Foreign English Teacher Under Attack for Playing Hangman Game &#124; Japan Probe |access-date=2011-03-11 |archive-date=2010-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225154041/http://www.japanprobe.com/2010/07/23/foreign-english-teacher-under-attack-for-playing-hangman-game/ |url-status=dead }}, ''Japan Probe'', July 23, 2010</ref> In situations where drawing a public execution may not be advisable, alternative methods to keep track of the number of incorrect guesses can be used, such as crossing [[Apple|apples]] off of a tree.{{cn|date=September 2023}}

Some modifications to game play ([[house rule]]s) to increase the difficulty level are sometimes implemented, such as limiting guesses on high-frequency [[consonant]]s and [[vowel]]s. Another alternative is to give the definition of the word; this can be used to facilitate the learning of a [[foreign language]].

How many incorrect guesses are allowed in the game can also be modified. This can be done by adding extra elements to the stick figure, like a face or shoes, or by first drawing elements of the [[gallows]] for every mistake before starting to draw the stick figure.

==Strategy==
The fact that the twelve most commonly occurring letters in the [[English language]] are [[Etaoin shrdlu|e-t-a-o-i-n-s-h-r-d-l-u]] (from most to least), along with other [[Letter frequency|letter-frequency]] lists, are used by the guessing player to increase the odds when it is their turn to guess. On the other hand, the same lists can be used by the puzzle setter to stump their opponent by choosing a word that deliberately avoids common letters (e.g., ''rhythm'', ''zephyr'', ''qi'', ''nth'') or one that contains rare letters (e.g., ''jazz'').

Another common strategy is to guess vowels first, as [[English language|English]] only has five vowels ([[a]], [[e]], [[i]], [[o]], and [[u]], while [[y]] may sometimes, but rarely, be used as a vowel) and [[English words without vowels|almost every word has at least one]].

According to a 2010 study conducted by Jon McLoone for [[Wolfram Research]], the most difficult words to guess include ''jazz'', ''buzz'', ''hajj'', ''faff'', ''fizz'', ''fuzz'' and variations of these.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.wolfram.com/2010/08/13/25-best-hangman-words/|title=25 Best Hangman Words|last=McLoone|first=Jon|date=13 August 2010|publisher=[[Wolfram Research]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815092214/http://blog.wolfram.com/2010/08/13/25-best-hangman-words/|archive-date=15 August 2010|url-status=live|access-date=14 March 2015}}</ref>

==Derivations==
The American game show ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' was inspired by hangman. [[Merv Griffin]] conceived of the show after recalling long car trips as a child, on which he and his sister played the game.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Griffin |first1= Merv |last2= Bender |first2= David |name-list-style=amp |title= Merv: Making the Good Life Last |year= 2007 |location= New York |publisher= Simon and Schuster |isbn= 978-0-7434-5696-8 | pages=99–100}}</ref>

[[Brazil]] also had a show in the 1960s and again from 2012 to 2013 called ''Let's Play Hangman'', hosted by [[Silvio Santos]]. Brazil would later get its own version of ''Wheel of Fortune'', running from 1980 to 1993, again from 2003 to 2012 (during which the new ''Let's Play Hangman'' aired), and again since 2013 to the present. These shows were also hosted by Santos.

== See also ==

* [[Wordle]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hangman (Game)}}
[[Category:Guessing games]]
[[Category:Paper-and-pencil games]]
[[Category:Word games]]