Word Association Games Ideas and Word List

if you’re not sure what sort of games to play with your newly printed collection of words, don’t fret; we’ve compiled a comprehensive selection of word association games for you to try, each one more enjoyable than the last!

1. Classic Word Association

As you’ll surely agree, you can’t beat a classic, and that maxim applies to word games as much as anything else. This simple but highly effective game is easy to play and lots of fun into the bargain. All you have to do is select one player to come up with a particular word, and the next player has to quickly come up with a word they associate with it.

For instance, if the first player says ‘sea’, the second player might say ‘shells’ or ‘sand’. Then the next player says something that reminds them of the new word – and so on, and so on. The game is over when someone accidentally repeats a word that’s already been given or if they pause for too long while trying to come up with a word.

2. Category Word Association

This game is another super-simple but highly enjoyable activity. As a group, come up with a particular category – it could be flowers, or animals, or colours – and then give each player a chance to come up with a word that fits the category. Whoever can’t manage it in the time limit has to stop playing, and the last player standing wins!

3. Opposites Word Association

As the name suggests, this game involves coming up with words that are opposite to the last word spoken. Easy examples include dark and light, or hot and cold. If a player hesitates for too long or says a word that isn’t an opposite, then they are out of the game.

4. Rhyme Association

This game is perfect for players who enjoy poetry, as it involves coming up with words that rhyme. For example, ‘flight’ and ‘night’, or ‘cat’ and ‘hat’. The aim of the game is to keep up your rhyming rhythm for as long as possible, until someone fails to think of a rhyming word in time and the fun comes to a halt (for the time being, at least).

5. Alphabet Word Association

The alphabet word game seems simple enough but it can be surprisingly tricky – which, of course, only helps to increase the excitement and anticipation as you play!

Essentially, your aim is to come up with consecutive words that each start with the next letter of the alphabet. So the first person says a word beginning with ‘a’ and the next person has to come up with a word beginning with ‘b’, and so on, until you reach the letter ‘z’  – or someone fails to come up with a word within the time limit.

6. Chain Word Association

Here’s another game that sounds simple in theory but is actually much trickier (and more adrenaline-pumping) in practice! All you have to do is create a ‘chain’ of word associations; the first person comes up with a word ending with a certain letter – for example, h. The next person then has to come up with a word beginning with ‘h’, such as ‘horse’. Then the next person has to come up with a word beginning with the letter ‘e’.

Keep going until the chain collapses, either due to someone hesitating too long or coming up with the wrong word!

7. Movie Title Word Association

Movie buffs are sure to relish this word association game! To play, one person needs to think of a movie title – for example, Shaun of the Dead – and the next person has to think of a movie title that includes a common word, such as Dead Poet’s Society. If you can’t come up with a suitable title within your time limit, then unfortunately your starring role has come to an end!

8. Synonym Word Association

The perfect word association game for honing your knowledge of synonyms, this challenge involves the first player coming up with a word and the other players having to think of synonyms for that word.

As an example, a player could say the word ‘happy’ and the next player could contribute the word ‘joyful’. This continues until you run out of steam or someone repeats a synonym.

9. Memory Word Association

Do you have a good memory? Then you’re sure to shine at this word association game. To play, one player says a word and the next player repeats that word and then adds a new one of their own. The third player then says both words and comes up with an additional word of their own. This continues until a player fails to remember the correct words in the sequence.

10. Compound Word Association

Last but certainly not least, it’s time to test your knowledge of compound words. To play this game, one player says a word; for instance, ‘sun’. The next player has to come up with a word that can form a compound word with ‘sun’, such as ‘flower’ (for sunflower). When a player fails to think up a compound word in time, they’re out of the action!