Overview
Whac-A-Word is a fast-paced reaction game that tests your ability to recognize vocabulary words quickly. It is designed for learners at all levels.
How to play
- Select a song, then choose Whac-A-Word from the game options.
- Choose your mode:
- Solo (for individual play)
- Live Game (for classroom/teacher-led sessions)
- Select your mode to play:
- Custom Words (Roxxem Pro only feature): Customize the keywords that are used for questions. Choose words by difficulty, grammar, or manual selection.
- Random Words: Keywords are chosen randomly from the video.
- Adjust your settings.
- Words from the song’s lyrics appear on screen one at a time.
- For each word, choose the correct definition or translation from the options (you may also hear the word spoken).
- Tap or click the correct answer before time runs out.
- Continue through the set of vocabulary words from the song.
- At the end, view your score, accuracy, and XP earned.
What it teaches
- Rapid word recognition
- Vocabulary recall under time pressure
- Connecting sounds to meanings (when audio is used)
Difficulty
The difficulty setting affects the speed of each round and how similar the wrong answer choices are. Higher difficulty means less time and more similar distractors. See Adjust Game Difficulty to change the level.
Powers
Whac-A-Word has unique powers like Critical Strike, Book of Secrets (arcade only), Rewind (arcade only), Farsight, Second Chance, and Adrenaline, plus shared powers like Energize, Inner Fire, and Resurrection. In Live games, additional player and teacher powers are available, including the Whac-A-Word–exclusive Freeze power.
For a complete list of all powers and what they do, see Game Powers.
FAQ
Does the game use words from the current song only?
Yes. Whac-A-Word draws vocabulary from the lyrics of the song you selected.
Is there a score limit?
No. You earn points for each correct answer, with bonus points for speed and accuracy streaks.