Alias / Guide
Alias words to explain: examples and clues
Get examples of easy and tricky words, plus clue ideas that help your team guess without giving away the answer.
Good Alias words are familiar enough to guess but leave room for a creative clue. Match the difficulty to the people playing.
SHORT ANSWER
Start with familiar words such as umbrella, bicycle and library. Explain what each does or where it is used without saying the word or its root; use harder abstract ideas when your group is ready.
KEY POINTS
- Use everyday objects for a warm-up.
- Describe a purpose, place, or example.
- Avoid the answer and words with the same root.
Easy words for a first round
Try umbrella, bicycle, library, pillow and sandwich. For umbrella, describe something you open over your head when it rains without saying the answer.
Words for a harder round
Try curiosity, deadline, tradition, secret and imagination. Abstract words often need a situation or contrast rather than a physical description.
Make clues fair and useful
Describe what the word does, where it belongs or when people use it. Avoid the answer, its root and direct translation; switch approaches when a clue is not working.
Sources and further reading
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Set up teams, explain words without saying them, and score a round in a few simple steps.
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No big group? Take turns explaining and guessing with one phone and adjust the timer for a relaxed two-player game.
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