How to use the wheel
- Type your options into Entries, one per line. The wheel is redrawn as you type, with one equal slice per line, and the counter below the box shows how many entries there are. Blank lines are ignored.
- Click Spin, or click the wheel itself. It turns for five to six seconds, slows down and stops with the winning slice under the pointer at the top. The result is shown in large text below the button.
- Click Remove from the wheel to take the winner off before the next spin, or simply spin again to leave it on.
Shuffle mixes up the order of the slices, and Sort A–Z puts them in alphabetical order, with numbers in natural order so that “Group 2” comes before “Group 10”. The last ten results are listed under the box, newest first, and your entries are saved in this browser for your next visit.
How the result is chosen
The outcome doesn’t depend on simulated physics or on how you click. The moment you press Spin, the winner is chosen with the browser’s cryptographically secure random number generator, giving every slice exactly the same chance. The animation is then worked out to land on that slice: at least five full turns, easing to a stop at a random point well inside the slice – never on a dividing line, so there is no doubt about which slice the pointer is on. If your device is set to reduce motion, the spin is shortened to well under a second.
Giving some options better odds
All slices are the same size, so the way to weight an option is to enter it more than once. With the entries Pizza, Pizza, Sushi and Ramen, pizza has a 2 in 4 (50%) chance and the other two 25% each. Click Shuffle afterwards to spread the copies around the wheel; it doesn’t change the odds, but the wheel looks more even.
Examples
- What’s for lunch: the sample list has eight dishes, so each has a 1 in 8 (12.5%) chance on every spin.
- Presentation order for six groups: enter Group 1 to Group 6, spin, and click Remove from the wheel after each result. Five spins settle the order, and the group left on the wheel goes last.
- A prize wheel: list three prizes and add “Try again” five times. Each prize then has a 1 in 8 chance and “Try again” 5 in 8. Changing the number of “Try again” slices is an easy, transparent way to set how often people win.
- Yes or no: two entries, “Yes” and “No”, make a fair coin toss that is easier to show on a projector than a real coin.
Tips for classrooms, streams and events
- Short labels read best. Long entries are shortened with “…” on the slice so they fit, but the full text appears in the result.
- With dozens of entries the slices get thin and the text small. For long lists of participants, the Random Name Picker is easier to follow and can draw several winners at once.
- On a projector or shared screen, show the list of entries before you spin, so everyone can see that their name is on the wheel.
- For quiz games, put question categories or point values on the wheel and remove each one once it has been played.
- For a forfeit or chores wheel at home, enter the tasks and let each person spin in turn.
FAQ
Do slices near the pointer have a better chance?
No. Where the wheel starts makes no difference, because the winner is chosen before the animation begins and every slice is equally likely.
Can the same entry win twice in a row?
Yes, if it stays on the wheel. Each spin is independent of the last, just like rolling a die. Click Remove from the wheel after each win if you need a different winner every time.
How many entries can the wheel hold?
There is no fixed limit, but the labels become hard to read once you go beyond a few dozen entries.
Will my list still be here tomorrow?
Yes, in the same browser on the same device, unless you clear this site’s data. The list isn’t stored online, so a wheel you made on your laptop won’t appear on your phone; copy the entries across instead.
Can I pick a random number with the wheel?
For a small range you can enter the numbers as entries. For anything larger, the Random Number Generator is quicker and can draw many numbers without repeats.