Looking for a free English word game? UniWords is a free word board game in English, with no ads and nothing to buy in the game. You build words with letter tiles on a 15×15 board against friends, random opponents or the computer, and English words are checked against a dictionary powered by data from Oxford Languages. UniWords runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and in your browser at play.uniwords.io, and you can play in Danish too.
A word game in English, from the dictionary to the menus
You choose the language for each new game, whether you play a friend, a random opponent, the computer or Cosmo the practice coach. Choose English and you play with English words and the English set of 102 tiles, two of them blank. The app itself is available in English and Danish.
English words are checked against a dictionary powered by data from Oxford Languages, so the board settles every argument. Abbreviations, proper nouns, one-letter words and words with an apostrophe or a hyphen are not allowed, while words with accents, such as café, are. When you play a word, you can also see an explanation of it, such as its meanings, where one is available.
How a game of UniWords works
A game of UniWords is a turn-based duel. Each of you has seven letter tiles. On your turn you place a word that connects to the words already on the board, and you score the letter values of every word you form. Double and triple letter squares multiply one tile, double and triple word squares multiply the whole word, and playing all seven tiles in one move earns a 50-point bonus. You can pass or swap tiles instead of playing a word. The game ends when one of you has played all your tiles after the bag is empty, or after three passes in a row.
Before each game, pick the Classic board or a Random board, where the premium squares move around. In a normal turn-based game you have up to 72 hours for each move, so you can play at your own pace.
Ways to play UniWords in English
- Friends. With a free account, search for friends by username or email and play turn-based games with them.
- Random opponents. Get matched with an opponent for a new game.
- The computer. Choose Play vs AI and pick Easy, Medium or Hard.
- Cosmo, the practice coach. Tap Practice and Cosmo plays against you and gives hints step by step. Practice games do not affect your rating. Here is how to get better at word games with Cosmo.
- Live mode. A real-time game you play in one go, with 30 seconds per turn and its own Live rating. Read how Live mode and Cosmo work.
- Tournaments. Official and private tournaments and ELO ranking, plus a Top 50 list.
- Trophies. Unlock trophies for feats such as playing an eight-letter word or four words in one turn.
UniWords vs Scrabble GO, Words With Friends and Wordfeud
Scrabble GO (the licensed Scrabble app from Scopely), Words With Friends and Wordfeud are popular, well-made word games. All three are free to download and are paid for with ads and in-app purchases. This is what their US App Store and Google Play listings showed when we checked them on 19 October 2026.
| UniWords | Scrabble GO | Words With Friends | Wordfeud | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Ads | None | Yes (App Store: Advertising; Google Play: Contains ads) | Yes (same store labels) | Yes (same store labels) |
| What you can buy | Nothing to buy in the game | A Scrabble Club subscription ($4.99 and $7.99 on the App Store), gem packs and bundles; Google Play lists $0.49–$299.99 per item | Coin packs, an Ad Free Bundle ($9.99) and season passes; Google Play lists $0.99–$149.99 per item | A Premium upgrade ($5.99 on the App Store); Google Play lists $6.49 per item |
| How to get rid of the ads | There are none | Scrabble Club, which lists an ads-free experience | An Ad Free Bundle or ads-free season passes | Premium, which the developer’s help centre calls ad-free |
| Languages on the App Store listing | English and Danish | English and 33 more | English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish | 10, including English and Danish |
| Where you can play | iPhone, iPad, Android and the browser (play.uniwords.io) | iPhone, iPad and Android; a separate official Scrabble web game is at playscrabble.com | iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows (listed on Google Play), and on the web according to Zynga | iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows (listed on Google Play) |
Prices are from the US storefronts and can change. Our comparison of free word game apps covers more apps. Coming from one of these games? Read about the free Scrabble alternative with no ads, the Words With Friends alternative or the free Wordfeud alternative.
Why UniWords is the better alternative for English players
If ads and purchases are what spoil a word game for you, UniWords is built the other way round:
- No ads between your moves. There are no banners, no videos and no pop-ups asking you to watch something.
- Nobody can pay to win. There are no coins, upgrades or subscriptions to buy, so everyone gets the same game. Here is what completely free means in UniWords.
- Phone and browser, one account. Sign in with Google or email to keep the same account and games on your phone and at play.uniwords.io. On iPhone and iPad you can also sign in with Apple or Game Center.
- A free coach. Cosmo’s hints are free to use, with no limit you pay to lift. Using a hint lowers that move’s 0–100 score.
Want to see more options? Read our guide to the best free word games with no ads.
Where to get it
Play free in your browser, or get the app on the App Store or Google Play. You can try it as a guest first, and when you start a game, choose English. All links are on our download page, and more answers are in the UniWords FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free English word game with no ads?
Yes. UniWords is a free word board game in English with no ads and nothing to buy in the game. You can play it on iPhone, iPad, Android and in your browser at play.uniwords.io.
Which dictionary does UniWords use for English words?
English words are checked against a dictionary powered by data from Oxford Languages. Abbreviations, proper nouns and one-letter words are not allowed. You can also play in Danish, which uses a word list based on Retskrivningsordbogen.
Is UniWords a good alternative to Scrabble GO, Words With Friends and Wordfeud?
Yes, if you want a word game without ads. When we checked their US store listings on 19 October 2026, all three were labelled as containing ads and sold a subscription, coins or a premium upgrade. UniWords has no ads and nothing to buy in the game.
Can I play UniWords against the computer in English?
Yes. Choose Play vs AI and pick Easy, Medium or Hard, or tap Practice to play Cosmo, a free coach who gives hints step by step. Practice games do not affect your rating.
Is UniWords connected to Scrabble, Words With Friends or Wordfeud?
No. UniWords is an independent game made by Axel Software ApS in Denmark. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the owners of Scrabble, Words With Friends or Wordfeud.
SCRABBLE® is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. in the USA and Canada and of J.W. Spear & Sons Limited, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., elsewhere. Words With Friends and Wordfeud are trademarks of their respective owners. UniWords is an independent game by Axel Software ApS and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Hasbro, Mattel, Scopely, Zynga or Bertheussen IT.
