Pick a number 1-20 on a spinning wheel
This page is a random number generator 1-20. Twenty equal slices sit on a wheel, one spin picks one of them, and a window shows the result. It is a quick way to pick a number between 1 and 20 for a tabletop roll, a class activity, a prize draw or a decision that needs more than a handful of options.
It is free, runs in your browser and needs no account. The wheel opens ready on 1 to 20, so press Spin and read the number.
How to get a random number 1 to 20
- Decide what the numbers mean. Dice rolls, students, questions, prizes or days.
- Press Spin. You can also click the wheel or press Ctrl (⌘ on a Mac) plus Enter.
- Read the number in the result window. The Results tab lists every spin from your visit, newest first.
- Draw several different numbers by switching on No repeats. Each picked number leaves the wheel until you put them back.
A d20 stand-in for tabletop games
Many tabletop role-playing games ask players to roll a twenty-sided die. A fair d20 gives each face a one-in-twenty chance, and so does this wheel: every number has a 5% chance on every spin. That includes the lucky 20 and the unlucky 1, each of which turns up one time in twenty.
Use one spin per roll and let the Results tab serve as the roll log. If a modifier applies, add it to the number in your head or on paper, as you would with a real die. For several different dice, or notation like 1d20+5, the dice roller works out the total for you.
Is a 1 to 20 wheel fair?
Yes. The number is picked by your browser’s secure random number generator before the wheel starts moving, and then the wheel is steered to stop on it. The spin only lets you watch the result arrive. The how WheelSpinny picks page explains each step.
Fair does not mean evenly spread. In twenty spins, you would expect each number once on average, but in practice some numbers will appear twice or more and several will not appear at all. Over twenty spins, the chance of at least one repeat is very high, so a repeat is a sign that the wheel is working, not that it is broken.
Ideas for a random number between 1 and 20
- Call on a student. Number a class of up to twenty and spin for who answers next. Switch on No repeats so everyone gets a turn.
- Twenty questions. Number twenty trivia questions, then spin to pick the next one.
- Chores and prizes. Number twenty jobs or twenty small gifts and spin for each person.
- Challenge calendars. Pick which day of a twenty-day challenge to try first.
- Maths drills. Spin for the number to double, halve, add to or take away from.
- Pick a page. Choose a page of a short book or a chapter in a long one.
Guess the number from 1 to 20
The classic guessing game scales well to twenty. One person spins and keeps the number secret. The others guess, and the spinner answers “higher” or “lower”. A random guess is right one time in twenty, but a player who always guesses the middle of the remaining range will find any number in five guesses or fewer.
Try it with children, and then show them why the strategy works: each guess halves the numbers that are left. After one guess there are about ten, then five, then two or three, then one.
Other ways to pick from twenty
If your twenty options are names, use the random name picker so the wheel shows words. To shuffle twenty names into an order in one click, use the list randomizer. To draw winners with a log of prizes, the raffle generator is a good fit. Need a smaller or larger wheel? Try 1 to 12 or 1 to 50.
You can change the range on this page at any time. Edit From and To beside the wheel, or open the general random number generator to count in steps or leave numbers out.
Skip numbers you do not want
Sometimes a few numbers must be left out. A student is away, a prize has gone, or a superstitious friend refuses to take part in anything involving 13. The general random number generator has a leave-out box for exactly that. Type the numbers or ranges, such as 13, 18-20, and the wheel is rebuilt without them.
The remaining numbers still have equal chances. Leaving out three numbers from 1 to 20 leaves seventeen, and each of those has a one-in-seventeen chance. Use Copy link to this range on that page to send your exact setup to someone else.
Good to know
- The wheel holds the numbers 1 to 20, with both ends included.
- Your range and settings are saved in your own browser, and the Results tab lasts until you close or reload the page. Nothing is sent to a server.
- It works on phones, tablets and desktop browsers, and with a keyboard. The result is announced to screen readers.
- A device set to reduce motion skips the long spin.
- It is for games and everyday decisions, not for security or regulated draws.