Wheel of Fortune puzzle maker
Type a phrase and a category, press Make the board, and your puzzle appears on a game-show style board: 4 rows, 52 squares, words never split. Press Hide letters & play to turn it into a game where players tap letters to reveal them, or print it for a paper version.
Phrase
Worked example: "Practice makes perfect"
"PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT" is 22 characters. It does not fit on one 14-square row, so the maker splits it at a space and uses the two middle rows:
| Row | Squares | What goes there |
|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | 12 | (empty) |
| Row 2 | 14 | PRACTICE MAKES |
| Row 3 | 14 | PERFECT |
| Row 4 | 12 | (empty) |
Each line is centred on its row. In play mode, guessing a letter reveals every copy at once. For this puzzle: E ×4, C ×3, A ×2, P ×2, R ×2, T ×2, F ×1, I ×1, K ×1, M ×1, S ×1. The vowels players would have to "buy" are E (4), A (2), I (1).
A longer puzzle such as "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" needs 4 lines, so it fills all four rows: "A BIRD IN" / "THE HAND IS" / "WORTH TWO IN" / "THE BUSH".
How the puzzle maker works
The board
The TV show's board has four rows: 12, 14, 14 and 12 squares, 52 in total. The top and bottom rows are shorter because the corners are cut off. This maker copies that shape. Words are never broken across rows, each row is centred, and a puzzle that fits on one or two lines sits in the middle two rows. Three-line puzzles add the top row; four-line puzzles fill the whole board.
That gives two hard limits. The longest single word is 14 letters, because a word has to fit on one middle row. And a long puzzle tops out at roughly 50 characters including spaces; the exact limit depends on where the line breaks fall. If your phrase does not fit, drop a small word or choose a shorter wording.
Letters and punctuation
Letters A to Z and digits fill squares. The punctuation marks & ' - ? ! . , and : are also kept and stay visible during play, as on the show, so players see the shape of the phrase. Anything else is removed, including accented letters, so type "cafe" rather than "café". Digits stay visible in play mode too, because the letter keys only cover A to Z.
Playing a round
- Type the puzzle and a category. The category list has common TV categories, but you can type any category you like.
- Press Hide letters & play. All letters turn into blank lit squares.
- Players take turns calling a consonant. Tap it: every square with that letter lights up and the board says how many there are. A miss ends that player's turn.
- On the show, a vowel costs $250 of the player's winnings. In a classroom you could charge a point, or ask a review question instead. Vowel keys are marked so they are easy to spot.
- A player can try to solve at any point on their turn. When every letter is showing, the board says Solved!
Writing good puzzles
Well-known sayings, titles and places are easiest to guess from a few letters, because players recognise the word shapes. Puzzles packed with rare letters (Q, Z, X, J) are much harder. Very short puzzles get solved after one or two letters, so aim for at least two words. For a bonus round, reveal R, S, T, L, N and E for free and let the player pick three more consonants and one vowel, which is how the show's bonus round starts.
Game ideas
For a classroom review, use vocabulary or key terms as puzzles and let teams earn vowels by answering questions. At parties, make puzzles about the guest of honour. Press Print for a paper board that players fill in as they guess.
This is an independent fan tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of the Wheel of Fortune TV show.
Frequently asked questions
How many squares are on a Wheel of Fortune board?
52, in four rows of 12, 14, 14 and 12. The maker uses the same layout.
Why does it say my phrase is too long?
Either one word has more than 14 letters, or the phrase needs more than four rows once words are kept whole. Shorten the phrase or swap a long word for a shorter one.
Can I show the puzzle on a projector or print it?
Yes. Open the page full screen on the projector and play from there. Print opens your browser's print dialog with the menus, form and keypad left out, so the board and category come first. Hide the letters before printing for a blank board to fill in by hand.
How do vowels work in play mode?
Any letter can be tapped. Vowels are marked on the keypad so you can apply your own rule, such as the show's $250 charge or a point from the team's score.
Can I use numbers or accented letters?
Digits work and stay visible during play. Accented letters are removed, so write them without the accent.