Word Chain Game: Last Letter, First Letter
Play the word chain game, a classic last-letter, first-letter word game. Each new word must begin with the last letter of the word before it, and no word can be used twice. Take turns with the computer naming animals, countries or any English word, and see who runs out of ideas first.
Quick answer: Type a word and press Enter. The computer answers with a word that starts with your word’s last letter, and then it is your turn to continue from its last letter. The “Next letter” box shows the letter you need. If you repeat a word, run out of time or get stuck, you lose the round.
How to play the word chain game
- Choose a category: animals, countries or any English word.
- Start with any word in that category, for example TIGER.
- The next word must start with R, the last letter of TIGER, such as RABBIT. Then the next starts with T, and so on.
- Words cannot repeat. A player who cannot think of a valid word in time loses the round.
Word chain example
| Turn | Animals | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiger | Japan |
| 2 | Rabbit | Nepal |
| 3 | Turtle | Latvia |
| 4 | Elephant | Australia |
| 5 | Tortoise | Austria |
Tips to win at word chain
- End on hard letters. Words that end in X, Q, Z or K leave your opponent with few options.
- Watch out for A. Many country names end in A, and the A countries get used up quickly.
- Keep a backup. While the other player thinks, plan a word for each likely letter.
- Play without the timer first to build your list of go-to words.
The game goes by many names around the world, such as shiritori in Japan and antakshari for songs in India. For more word fun, try the word ladder, word scramble or the world capitals quiz.
FAQ
Can I type multi-word countries?
Yes. Type them with spaces, like south africa or new zealand. The chain continues from the last letter.
How does the hard computer play?
It prefers words that end on letters with few words left, trying to leave you stuck.
More free games and tools
See all of them on the QuickOnlineTips free online tools page and the free online games page.