Random Word Generator
- anchor
- whistle
- thunder
- opal
- carve
The random word generator draws from 94 words split into 40 nouns, 30 adjectives and 24 verbs, or all three combined. Words were chosen for being concrete and picturable, "lantern" and "thicket" rather than "aspect" and "factor", because abstract words are close to useless for writing prompts, word games and naming.
How it works
Selecting a word type narrows the pool to that list; selecting Any merges all 94. Within a single draw no word repeats, so asking for 20 words gives 20 different ones.
- Nouns (40): anchor, balcony, canyon, compass, ember, harbour, lantern, thicket, and similar.
- Adjectives (30): amber, brisk, cobalt, jagged, placid, tidal, velvet, wistful, and similar.
- Verbs (24): assemble, carve, drift, flourish, kindle, tether, unfold, and similar.
Examples
Ten nouns
Word type
Nouns
How many
10
Result
lantern, thicket, compass, ember, harbour, ladder, quarry, ribbon, tunnel, whistle
Every result names something you can picture, which is what makes the list usable as a writing or drawing prompt.
Five words of any type
Word type
Any
How many
5
Result
placid, orbit, satchel, jagged, kindle
Mixing types gives a spread of parts of speech, which suits prompts where you want a phrase rather than a list of objects.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the words all concrete rather than abstract?
Because abstract words fail at the tasks people use this for. As a drawing prompt, "concept" gives you nothing; as a naming seed, "factor" is inert. Every one of the 94 words names something with a physical form or a visible action.
Can I get more than 94 words?
Not in a single draw, the pool caps at 94 with Any selected, and asking for more returns the whole list. Draw repeatedly for more variety, since each draw is independent.
Are the words weighted by how common they are?
No. Every word in the selected pool is equally likely, so an uncommon word like "wistful" appears as often as "window". Frequency weighting would collapse the output onto the same handful of words.