Random number generator 1-30
Thirty is the length of a long month, a typical class size and a handy round number for a draw. This page is a random number generator 1-30: thirty equal slices on a wheel, one spin and one number. Use it to pick a number between 1 and 30 for a date, a student, a prize or a game.
It is free, runs in your browser and needs no account. The wheel opens ready on 1 to 30, so you can press Spin and get a number straight away.
How to generate a random number from 1 to 30
- Decide what the numbers mean. Dates, students, tickets or questions.
- 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 comes off the wheel until you put them back.
Odds and fairness on a 30-number wheel
Each number has a one-in-thirty chance, about 3.3%, on every spin. The number is chosen by your browser’s secure random number generator before the wheel turns, and the wheel is steered to land on it. The spin is for you to watch and cannot change which number wins. The how WheelSpinny picks page covers the method.
Repeats arrive sooner than most people expect. With No repeats off, there is a better than even chance that some number has come up twice within seven spins. That is a normal property of random choice, and a good example for a lesson on probability.
Pick a day of the month
Thirty numbers cover almost every day of a month. Call the numbers dates, and a spin picks a day for a deadline, a payment reminder, a trip or a challenge. Most months have 30 or 31 days, so for a 31-day month, change To to 31 beside the wheel.
February is shorter, so change To to 28 or 29 for a pick that always lands on a real date. The wheel works with whichever range you type, and the number of slices updates to match.
More ways to use a number between 1 and 30
- A class of thirty. Number the register and spin to call on a student. Switch on No repeats to give everyone one turn.
- A thirty-day challenge. Pick which day to start a task, or which task goes on which day.
- Raffle and prize draws. Sell tickets numbered 1 to 30 and draw winners one by one.
- Survey samples. Number a list of thirty responses and pick a handful to read first.
- Photo and writing prompts. Number thirty prompts and spin for the next one.
- Game nights. Number thirty trivia cards and let the wheel pick the next card.
Guessing games on a larger scale
A guessing game with thirty numbers lasts a little longer than with ten. A random guess is right one time in thirty. A player who always guesses the middle of what remains will find any number in five guesses or fewer, because five halvings cover up to 32 numbers.
It is a pleasing size for a classroom game, because it is large enough to need strategy and small enough to finish in a minute.
Other ways to pick from thirty
If you want a log of winners with names, use the raffle generator. To put names on the wheel, use the random name picker. To shuffle a whole list of thirty in one click, use the list randomizer. Need a different size? Try 1 to 25 or 1 to 40.
You can change the range on this page by editing From and To, or open the general random number generator to count in steps or leave numbers out.
Fair draws with a group of thirty
A group of thirty is too large for everyone to remember who has had a turn. The No repeats switch keeps track. Each picked number comes off the wheel when you close its result, and the count beside the wheel shows how many are left. When the wheel is empty, everyone has been picked once, and Put picked numbers back starts a new round.
If someone arrives late or leaves early, you do not need to start over. Open the general random number generator, type their number into the leave-out box, and continue with the numbers that remain.
A month of random choices
Thirty numbers can plan a month. Make a list of thirty small tasks, such as thirty things to declutter, thirty words to learn or thirty songs to listen to. Spin with No repeats on, and the order of the results gives the order in which to do them, one per day.
Copy on the Results tab puts the plan on your clipboard, ready to paste into a calendar or a note.
Good to know
- The wheel holds the numbers 1 to 30, with both ends included.
- Every slice is labelled, and the result window names the exact number in large text.
- 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.