Holidays and seasons · hangman category
Mother's Day Hangman Words
Mother's Day hangman words for cards, flowers, brunch and thanks, with room for grandmothers and carers. Play online or print a free sheet.
Read the word list
Children make a lot of cards in the weeks before Mother's Day, and this list gives them words to put in them. It covers the traditional gifts and treats (bouquet, brunch, carnation), the family words (grandmother, daughter, aunt) and the qualities children are asked to name when they write about someone they love: patient, gentle, generous, wise.
Because not every child has a mother at home, the list also includes words that fit grandmothers, aunts and other carers, and teachers can adapt it as needed. Difficulty runs from mom, hug and tea up to appreciate, thoughtful and grandmother. Words such as mama and mom look easy but have so few distinct letters that they can be slower than expected. The phrases, such as breakfast in bed and thank you, work well for whole-class rounds.
68 entries. Our solver needed 3.3 wrong guesses on average: 24 easy, 26 medium and 18 hard. The toughest is love you (14 misses), the quickest appreciate (0).
- mother Medium · 2
- mom Medium · 3
- grandma Medium · 2
- grandmother Easy · 1
- aunt Hard · 6
- flowers Easy · 1
- bouquet Medium · 4
- carnation Easy · 1
- tulip Hard · 5
- card Hard · 6
- brunch Hard · 5
- breakfast Easy · 1
- gift Hard · 7
- hug Hard · 7
- love Hard · 7
- thankful Medium · 3
- gratitude Easy · 1
- appreciate Easy · 0
- cherish Easy · 1
- kindness Easy · 1
- caring Medium · 3
- nurture Medium · 2
- strong Medium · 3
- wise Hard · 8
- patient Easy · 1
- gentle Medium · 3
- generous Easy · 1
- family Hard · 6
- daughter Easy · 1
- handmade Easy · 1
- craft Medium · 4
- poem Hard · 6
- jewelry Medium · 3
- necklace Medium · 2
- bracelet Easy · 1
- chocolate Easy · 0
- tea Easy · 0
- garden Easy · 1
- picnic Medium · 3
- sunday Medium · 3
- may Hard · 13
- celebrate Easy · 0
- honor Medium · 2
- special Easy · 1
- tradition Easy · 1
- memories Easy · 1
- lullaby Hard · 5
- cuddle Medium · 4
- bedtime Easy · 1
- recipe Medium · 2
- apron Easy · 1
- cookies Medium · 3
- surprise Medium · 3
- thoughtful Medium · 2
- ribbon Medium · 4
- mama Medium · 2
- breakfast in bed Easy · 1
- thank you Hard · 11
- second sunday Easy · 1
- homemade card Medium · 2
- best mom Medium · 2
- bunch of flowers Hard · 6
- special day Hard · 6
- love you Hard · 14
- handmade gift Medium · 3
- garden party Hard · 5
- favorite recipe Medium · 2
- warm hug Hard · 7
Words worth a closer look
- carnationAnna Jarvis, who campaigned for a national Mother's Day, chose white carnations because they were her own mother's favorite flower. The flower has been linked to the day ever since.
- motherDescended from the Old English modor. The d became th over time, and close relatives survive in Dutch moeder and German Mutter.
- mamaFour letters but only two different ones, m and a. It is solved in two correct guesses, though a player who never tries m can take several misses.
- bouquetPronounced boo-kay: the qu spells a k sound and the t is silent. A useful spelling word to have on hand when children write their cards.
- lullabyThree l's in seven letters, so one correct guess of l fills three spaces. The word is thought to come from lull plus bye.
- grandmotherEleven letters: grand and mother, so each half can be solved separately. Players who find the g and the m get the rest quickly.
- appreciateDouble p, and the ciate ending is not obvious from the sound. Worth a look on the printed answer key.
- thoughtfulThe ough in the middle is one of the least reliable spellings in English, sounding differently in though, through and tough.
Using this list in class
In the weeks before the second Sunday in May, the list pairs naturally with a card-making session. Students pick three words from the sheet, such as patient, gentle and wise, and use them in a short verse. Younger children can choose from the easy words, while older ones can use appreciate, thoughtful and gratitude.
Because families look different, many teachers rename the activity as a card for someone who cares for you. The list is flexible enough for that, since grandma, aunt and mama are all included. Printed sheets also work as a take-home activity for a family evening.
Print a Mother's Day Hangman worksheet
Eight puzzles on one US Letter page, with a clue, letter blanks, an empty frame to draw in, an alphabet strip to cross off and circles to count misses. Page two is the answer key.
Need another sheet?
Draw eight different words from this list, right here. Same layout, new answer key.
Keep going
- Valentine's Day Hangman WordsValentine's Day hangman words covering cards, flowers, kindness and friendship. Play online or print a free sheet with the answer key included.
- Family Hangman WordsFamily members and home words for hangman, from mom to great grandmother. Play online with this list or print a sheet with an answer key for class or home.
- Spring Hangman WordsSpring hangman words on flowers, rain, growing things and baby animals, with phrases and teaching notes. Play online or print with an answer key.
- Desserts Hangman WordsDessert hangman words from cake and pie to meringue, tiramisu and cannoli. Play online with this list or print a sheet with an answer key.
- Christmas Hangman Words56 Christmas hangman words and 15 phrases, sorted by how hard they are to guess. Play online with this list or print a sheet with an answer key.
- Thanksgiving Hangman WordsThanksgiving hangman words covering the feast, the harvest, family traditions and early American history, from short table words to long, tricky ones.