Word chain facts for kids

A word chain is a fun word game where players take turns saying words. The trick is that each new word must start with the same letter or letters that the previous word ended with. It's also known by other names like grab on behind, last and first, alpha and omega, and the name game.

Usually, players pick a topic, like "food" or "animals," to keep the words related. There's often a time limit, maybe five seconds, to think of a word. You can't use the same word twice in one game. If you play with city names, the game is often called geography.

For example, if the topic is "food," a word chain could go like this:

• Soup
• Peas
• Sugar
• Rice

This game is great for learning new words and is often used to help people learn English as a second language. It's also a popular car game to pass the time on long trips!

Games Like Word Chain

Many countries have their own versions of word chain games. They all follow a similar idea of linking words together.

Shiritori in Japan

In Japan, there's a game called Shiritori. In this game, the new word must start with the last sound (or mora) of the previous word. There's one special rule: you lose if your word ends with the letter "N." This is because words in Japanese almost never start with "N."

Antakshari in India

In India, Pakistan, and Nepal, people play a game called Antakshari. The name means "end letter." Instead of just words, players use verses from movie songs, especially Bollywood songs. One person sings a line, and the next person has to sing a line from a different song that starts with the last letter of the previous line.

Words in Russia

A game similar to Word Chain in Russia is simply called Words (or Slova in Russian). It follows the same basic rules of linking words by their letters.

Marabout in France

In French-speaking countries, the game Marabout is played. This game focuses on the last syllable of the word. The next word must start with that syllable.

Capping Verses

Sometimes, people write poetry using this same idea. It's called capping verses. This means each new line or verse of the poem starts with a word or idea from the end of the previous one.

Word Chain in Pop Culture

Word chain games sometimes appear in video games and other media.

Tomodachi Life

In the European version of the video game Tomodachi Life, there's an event called "Word Game." This is the English version of the Japanese Shiritori Tournament. In the North American version of the game, this event was replaced with a "Rap Battle," but the European version includes both the "Word Game" and the "Rap Battle."

See also

• In Spanish: Palabras encadenadas para niños