Here's my list of my ESL student's favorite vocabulary games.

1. Crossword Puzzles. Why do students like them so much? They'll puzzle and work over them whereas a regular vocabulary study assignment, they won't work on for five minutes. This one allows you to put in your own list and then play it online or print out worksheets.

2. Word Find. This game combines vocabulary hints with an anagram or scrabble like word play. Again, the game can be loaded with the list of your choice.

3. English Slang or Idioms. This game has a few hundred of the most commonly used English slang terms. What does it mean to be "as sick as a dog" or "under the weather." The game only uses currently used idioms and every expression is appropriate for business or classroom use (nothing suggestive or obscene).

4. Word Root Games. This game teaches the common word roots in English by focusing on root word as full-fledged word in and of themselves. For example, the word "port" is the root word for export (which has a prefix) and portable (which has a suffix). It's like giving the students the keys to the language.

5. HangMan Games. The mystery of why hangman is so popular is beyond me but I'm sure that it helps kids build fluency in recognizing English words. These versions of hangman are particularly popular.

Fun word games by category for ESL