Spin the Wheel
This free spin the wheel page is a wheel of names and a random name picker in one: type or paste a list, press Spin, and the wheel turns for about three seconds before it eases to a stop on one entry. Every slice is an equal size, so the draw is as fair as a coin toss — and it all runs inside your browser.
Press Spin to draw a name from the wheel.
Results history
What is a spinning wheel picker?
A spinning wheel picker is a circle divided into equal slices, one per name on your list, with a pointer fixed at the top. When you spin, the wheel turns fast, slows down and eases to a stop, and whichever slice finishes under the pointer is the winner. If the circle is cut into equal slices then every name has exactly the same chance: with 8 names each slice spans 45 degrees and carries a 1-in-8 chance, which is 12.5%.
That is why a random wheel feels fairer than picking. When a person chooses, small biases creep in — the first name on the list gets read most often, the loudest voice wins the argument, or the same volunteer is chosen twice because nobody is tracking who already had a turn. A wheel makes the decision visible and mechanical: everyone can read the list on screen before the spin, the pointer decides, and nobody has to argue with the result. Because the winner is drawn with the browser's cryptographic random source, the outcome does not depend on the order of your list, how many times you spin, or who is watching.
How to use
- Type or paste your names into the Names (one per line) box — one entry per line. Eight friendly defaults are filled in so you can try a spin straight away.
- Watch the wheel redraw as you type. The entry count updates live, and a warning appears once you pass about 24 entries, because the slice labels get too small to read.
- Press Spin — or focus the wheel with the Tab key and press Enter or Space. The wheel turns for about three seconds and eases to a stop on one slice.
- Read the winner in the big line, with a notice underneath it and the draw added to the Results history. Tick Remove winner after each spin for a no-repeat draw, or press Reset list to restore the defaults.
Example
Say your list holds 8 names — Alice, Ben, Chloe, Dan, Elena, Farid, Grace and Hana. The circle is split into eight equal slices, so every slice spans 45 degrees and every name owns 12.5% of the wheel. Spin once and the chance that any particular name wins is exactly 12.5%, or 1 in 8.
Now spin five times. The chance that one specific name is not picked in any of those five spins is (7/8)^5 = 16,807 ÷ 32,768 ≈ 0.5129, or about 51.29%. So a name that has not come up in five spins is not "due" — it is still a shade better than a coin flip away from staying unseen, and on the next spin it wins with the same 12.5% chance as everybody else. Flip that around and the chance that a specific name is picked at least once across five spins is 1 − 0.5129 ≈ 48.71%.
Who is this for?
- Teachers picking a student: load the class roster once, spin, and let the wheel choose who answers — no hands up, no favourites, and the no-repeat mode makes sure everyone gets a turn.
- Teams choosing who goes first: settle who presents, who drives, or who takes the first coffee run with one visible, uncontested spin instead of a long debate.
- Giveaway and raffle hosts: paste the entrant list, spin on screen or on a stream, and show a fair draw — the results history keeps a record of every winner you announced.
- Groups deciding where to eat: add the shortlist of restaurants, spin once, and end the "you choose" loop before anybody gets hungry.
Wheel odds at a glance
The table lists evenly divided wheels. The chance per slice is 1 ÷ entries, and the survival columns show (1 − 1/entries)^spins — the probability that one specific entry is never picked across that many independent spins.
| Entries on the wheel | Chance per slice | Survives 3 spins | Survives 5 spins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 25.00% | 42.19% | 23.73% |
| 8 | 12.50% | 66.99% | 51.29% |
| 12 | 8.33% | 77.03% | 64.72% |
| 20 | 5.00% | 85.74% | 77.38% |
A shorter wheel concentrates the odds. On a 4-name wheel each slice takes a quarter of the circle, so a given name almost always appears within a few spins; on a 20-name wheel each slice is a thin 18-degree wedge and a name can easily miss five spins in a row.
Common use cases
- Classroom turns: pick which student reads next, presents, or answers the next question, with the whole class watching a fair draw.
- Team standups and meetings: choose a speaking order or a note-taker when nobody volunteers.
- Giveaways and streams: draw a winner from a pasted entrant list while viewers see the wheel stop on a slice.
- Everyday decisions: what to cook, which film to watch, whose turn to pay — commit to the wheel and move on.
Pro tips
- Add or remove names as needed: edit the list between spins and the wheel redraws instantly, so latecomers and drop-outs are one line away from being included or excluded.
- Remove the winner after each spin: tick the checkbox for a no-repeat draw — ideal for raffle housekeeping or making sure every student is called once before anyone repeats.
- Keep the list short so the wheel stays readable: up to about 24 entries works well; past that the labels shrink, so split a huge list into two rounds instead.
- Use it for classroom fairness: spin with the roster on screen so the class sees that the choice is random, then keep the results history as a record of who has already had a turn.
FAQ
Is the spin wheel really random?
Yes. The winning slice is drawn with the browser's cryptographic random source (crypto.getRandomValues), not with a counter or a fixed order, and every slice on an evenly divided wheel has the same chance.
How many names can I add to the wheel?
There is no hard limit, but the wheel stays readable up to about 24 entries. Above that the tool shows a warning and the slice labels become too small to read comfortably.
Can I remove a name after it wins?
Yes. Tick 'Remove winner after each spin' and the winning name is deleted from your list after it is announced, so the next spin is a clean no-repeat draw from the remaining names.
Does the wheel work on my phone?
Yes. The wheel is drawn with CSS and shrinks to the screen width, the Spin button is a full-size tap target, and the same randomness is used on mobile and desktop.
Can I save my list for next time?
The tool does not store anything on a server or in the browser, so a reload starts from the eight defaults. Keep your roster in a note or spreadsheet and paste it back in when you need it.
Is spin the wheel free?
Yes, completely free. There is no sign-up, no usage limit and no paywall, and the page is supported by advertising instead of a subscription.
Does it need an internet connection?
Not once the page has loaded. All of the drawing, the animation and the random pick happen inside your browser, so you can keep spinning if the connection drops.
Is this the same as wheel of names?
It does the same job: a wheel of names that picks one entry at random. The difference is the detail — this page adds a results history, an optional no-repeat mode, a fixed three-second spin with easing, and a plain name list you can paste from anywhere.
How do I make a no-repeat draw?
Tick 'Remove winner after each spin' before you start. Each winner is taken off the list, so the wheel gets smaller with every draw and nobody can be picked twice until you press Reset list.
What if I add the same name twice?
Each line is treated as its own slice, so a name listed twice gets two slices and double the chance. Keep your list to one line per person for an even draw.
Is my name list private?
Yes. Nothing you type is uploaded, saved or shared — the list lives only in the textarea on your own screen and disappears when you close the page.
What happens when only one name is left?
The wheel shows a single full-circle slice and that name wins every spin. Press Reset list to restore the eight default names and start a fresh draw.
Related searches
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