How to use the spin the wheel name picker
- Type your names or options in Entries (one per line), or paste a list from a spreadsheet. Blank lines are ignored.
- Use Shuffle or Sort A–Z to rearrange the slices if you like.
- Press Spin, tap the centre of the wheel, or press Space or Enter.
- When the wheel stops, the Winner appears. Choose Remove winner to take that entry off the wheel, or Spin again.
- Turn on Remove winners automatically to pick each name only once, for example to set a speaking order. The Last 10 winners list keeps track.
- Press Full screen to show the wheel on a projector or a shared screen.
Is the wheel fair?
Yes, and not because of the animation. When you press Spin, the tool first picks the winning entry with crypto.getRandomValues, the cryptographically secure random number generator built into your browser. It uses rejection sampling, which throws away the few random values that would make some entries slightly more likely than others, so with n entries each one has exactly a 1 in n chance. Only then does the wheel spin, easing out so it comes to rest inside the chosen slice. How long you hold the button, how fast your device is or where the wheel stopped last time has no influence on the result.
The same entry typed twice gets two slices and twice the chance. That is a simple way to weight an option. With 8 entries, each has a 12.5% chance; if one of them appears twice among 9 lines, that option has 2 in 9 (about 22%).
Ideas for using a random name picker
| Situation | How to set it up |
|---|---|
| Calling on students | Paste the class list and turn on Remove winners automatically so everyone gets a turn before anyone is asked twice. |
| Stand-up or presentation order | Enter the team, then spin until the wheel is empty and read the order from the winners list. |
| Raffle or giveaway | One line per ticket. Use full screen so everyone can watch the draw. |
| Decisions | Lunch places, film night, which task to do first: list the options and let the wheel decide. |
| Games and quizzes | Put topics or forfeits on the wheel to choose the next round. |
The wheel shows up to 100 entries. Long names are shortened on the slice to keep the text readable, but the full name appears in the winner announcement. On a projector, press Full screen and use Space to spin from the keyboard or a presentation clicker that sends Space or Enter. If you would rather not have motion, your device's reduce motion setting makes the spin much shorter.
Need numbers instead of names? Use the random number generator. For a full classroom game, try the live Team Quiz, and keep activities on time with the online timer. More ideas are in Team & Classroom tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is spin the wheel really random?
Yes. The winner is chosen with your browser's cryptographically secure random generator before the animation starts, and every slice has the same chance. The spinning is only there so everyone can watch the result arrive.
Can I make one option more likely to win?
Add it more than once. Each line is one slice with an equal chance, so an option on three lines out of ten has a 30% chance of being picked.
How do I stop the same name being picked twice?
Turn on Remove winners automatically. Each winner is taken off the wheel when you close the result or spin again. You can also press Remove winner after a single spin.
How many names can I put on the wheel?
Up to 100. With many entries the slices get thin and the text gets smaller, so for big groups full screen on a large display works best.
Will my list be saved?
Yes, on this device only. The entries are kept in your browser's local storage and are never uploaded, so they will not appear on another computer or for anyone else.
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