Mad lib generator
Choose a story, then fill in each blank with the kind of word it asks for (a noun, a verb, an animal) without reading the story first. Press Make my story to see your words dropped into place, or Fill randomly for instant silly answers. You can also write your own story with bracketed blanks.
Example: The Science Fair
This year's science fair was sparkly. My project was a teapot that could sing all by itself. I spent five weeks building it in the garage. On the big day, the judges walked over and my invention started dancing suddenly. One judge shouted "Yikes!" and dropped her soup. In the end I won a bright pink ribbon and a coupon for marshmallows.
Worked example: filling "The Science Fair"
"The Science Fair" has 11 blanks. The player only sees the word types, in order, and answers each one. These are the words that produced the example story above:
| Blank | Asks for | Word given |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adjective | sparkly |
| 2 | Noun | teapot |
| 3 | Verb | sing |
| 4 | Number | five |
| 5 | Place | the garage |
| 6 | Verb ending in ing | dancing |
| 7 | Adverb | suddenly |
| 8 | Exclamation | Yikes |
| 9 | Food | soup |
| 10 | Color | bright pink |
| 11 | Plural noun | marshmallows |
The generator then puts each word into its bracket, in the same order, and highlights it. The joke comes from the mismatch: the player chose "teapot" as a noun without knowing it would become a science-fair invention.
How the mad lib generator works
How to play
- One person is the reader. They pick a story and ask the others for each word on the list ("Give me an animal!") without saying what the story is about.
- Type each answer into its box, or press Fill randomly for instant silly words.
- Press Make my story and read it aloud. Your words are highlighted so everyone can see who said what.
Any box you leave empty shows its word type in brackets, so you can still read the story and fill the gap aloud.
Word types, quickly explained
Noun: a thing, like teapot or rocket. Plural noun: more than one, like pickles. Verb: an action, like juggle; "verb ending in -ing" is like juggling. Adjective: describes something, like squishy. Adverb: describes how, and often ends in -ly, like loudly. Exclamation: something you shout, like Yikes! The stories also ask for specific things such as an animal, a food, a colour, a body part or a place, which are easier for young kids.
A tip for readers: if a child gives a verb that doesn't fit ("ran" for "verb"), take it anyway. Odd grammar often makes the funniest line.
The random words
Fill randomly picks from 15 word banks (194 words in total), one for each word type the built-in stories use. In your own stories, a blank whose label matches a bank (such as [ANIMAL] or [COLOR]) gets a word from that bank. Any other label, like [ICE CREAM FLAVOR], gets a random noun, which you can then edit.
Write your own mad lib
Choose Write my own in the story list. Write a short story, then swap some words for a label in square brackets: [NOUN], [VERB], [ADJECTIVE], or anything specific like [TEACHER'S NAME]. Labels can be up to 30 characters. Press Use this story and each bracket becomes a blank. The funniest mad libs have a clear setting, 8 to 12 blanks, a few very specific ones, and a strong last line. Leave the most important nouns as blanks; the story's shape should stay readable.
About the stories
The 10 built-in stories (school, animals, adventure, silly, holiday, food) are original and written for kids and families. The game itself was invented in 1953 by Leonard Stern and Roger Price, and the first Mad Libs book came out in 1958. Mad Libs is a trademark of Penguin Random House; this generator is independent and not affiliated with it. Your stories stay in your browser and are not saved or sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play mad libs?
The reader asks for words by type (a noun, a verb, an animal) without showing the story. The words go into the blanks in order, then the reader reads the finished story aloud.
Are the stories OK for kids?
Yes. All 10 stories and the random word banks were written for children and families, with no rude or scary content.
Can I make my own mad lib?
Yes. Choose Write my own…, type your story with blanks like [NOUN] or [FAVORITE SNACK], and press Use this story.
What is the difference between a noun and a plural noun?
A noun is one thing (a pickle). A plural noun is more than one (pickles). Most plurals end in -s or -es.
Can I save or print my story?
There is no save button. Select the finished story and copy it, or use your browser's print option.