🎮 Learning games and sites · 🕹️ Games and platforms kids play · 💬 Social apps and messaging
Words With Friends
By Zynga (Take-Two Interactive). Visit Words With Friends
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A free online word game, started in 2009, in which two players take turns laying letter tiles on a crossword-style board for points. The mobile app adds solo games against computer opponents, daily puzzles (word search, word wheel, crosswords), monthly events, power-ups and Clubs where players chat and team up. Families often play it together across devices; it practices spelling and vocabulary.
Our take: Works for families who want a shared word game with older kids and will manage chat and spending; younger children or kids who should not meet strangers online are better off with an offline word game.
| Ages it suits | about 10-adult |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Take-Two's terms say a minor (under the age of adulthood where they live) must have a parent or guardian review the terms and agree on their behalf; that adult is responsible for the minor's use and purchases. No fixed minimum age is given. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free to play; coins, boosts and other items sold in the app store (Oct 2026) |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | The child's own account |
| Ads | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | No AI |
What's good
- Easy way for relatives to play together at a distance
- Real spelling and word-building practice
- Solo modes and daily puzzles
Watch for
- Ads and in-app purchases of coins and boosts
- Chat with other players in Clubs and games
- Targeted advertising and data sharing
- Events and rewards push daily play
Data and privacy
Take-Two's privacy policy lists collecting advertising IDs, gameplay and purchase history, and chat contents; it says it sold or shared identifiers and activity data with ad providers in the past 12 months, including for known under-18s with settings or permission. Some services are age-gated for children. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
No independent study found; the site claims it can help strengthen vocabulary.
In the Big Index
- On the list 16 word games the whole family can play
Alternatives to Words With Friends
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
99math
99math (Estonia) · ages about 5-14 (grades K-8)
A low-effort, free way for teachers to make fact practice lively; parents of kids who dislike timed competition may want a calmer tool.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ABCya
ABCya.com LLC (a division of IXL Learning) · ages about 4-12 (pre-K to grade 6+)
Handy for quick grade-level practice in class or at home; skip if you want an ad-free experience without paying.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Adventure Academy
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages grades 3-8 (about 8-13)
Good for kids who love online games and need a nudge toward school subjects; families wanting no social contact should set chat to off or choose a solo app.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Arcademics
Arcademics · ages about 6-14 (grades 1-8)
Fine for quick fact-fluency races at school or home; families who want no ad tracking or who have a child anxious about speed should skip it.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Be Internet Awesome: Interland
Google · ages about 7-12
A good free starting point for online safety with kids 7-12, best paired with family talks since the game alone did not change behavior in testing.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Blob Opera
David Li with Google Arts & Culture · ages about 4 and up
A delightful five-minute music toy for any age; not a music course.
Where these facts come from
- https://wordswithfriends.com/
- https://www.take2games.com/legal/en-US/
- https://www.take2games.com/privacy/en-US/
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/words-with-friends-word-game/id1196764367
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zynga.words3&hl=en_US
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.