I've always enjoyed word games and I have fond childhood memories of playing them with my parents. Now it is my turn to pass on my love of words to my kids, and board games aren't the only games in town anymore. Here is a sampling of Web word games that take advantage of the Internet's interactive nature.
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Every week the Fake Out! vocabulary words are presented in three lists divided by grade level. One of last week's words was galluses. Are galluses the hard, rough spots of skin on your hands and feet? Are galluses people who wear glasses? Or are galluses suspenders? After you decide, you'll learn if you are right and how many other players chose each possible answer. Also fun is submitting your own wacky definitions for next week's words. Be sure to return to see how many people were duped by your phony definition.
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This is an addictive implementation of the classic word guessing game. The computer conjures up a word, only letting you know how long it is. As you guess letters that are not in the mystery word, your stick figure walks up to the gallows. Game's over after five misses, but a new game is just a mouse click away.
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How many words can you make in three minutes out of the letters in the name "John Lennon"? How many do you think other people can find? Want to try? This live timed game is played across the Internet against other players. You can play in the free-for-all room where you will get points for all words you make, or in the original rooms where only the first player to propose a word gets the point. The original rooms are further divided into beginner, intermediate or advanced levels. Have fun!
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By Barbara J. Feldman. Originally written on May 20, 1997. Last Modified on Nov 30, 2010.
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Honorable Mentions
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
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