Random number generator 1-50
This page is a random number generator 1-50: fifty equal slices on a wheel, one spin and one number. Use it to pick a number between 1 and 50 for a state, a raffle, a trivia round, a survey sample or any game that needs a bigger range than a handful of numbers.
It is free, runs in your browser and needs no account. The wheel opens ready on 1 to 50, so press Spin and a window shows your number.
How to pick a number 1-50
- Decide what the numbers mean. Tickets, states, questions or rows in a list.
- 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 number from your visit.
- Draw several winners by switching on No repeats. Each picked number comes off the wheel until you put them back.
Odds on a fifty-number wheel
Each number has a one-in-fifty chance, exactly 2%, on every spin. The number is picked by your browser’s secure random number generator before the wheel starts to turn, and the wheel is then steered to stop on it. The spin is for watching and cannot change which number wins. The how WheelSpinny picks page covers the method.
Fifty slices are narrow, especially on a small phone screen. The result window names the exact number in large text, and the Results tab keeps a plain list, so nothing depends on reading a thin slice.
Fifty states, fifty questions
Fifty is the number of US states, so a spin from 1 to 50 can pick a state from an alphabetical list. It also suits a quiz of fifty questions, a round of fifty cards, or a list of fifty names or songs. Number the list first, so the result needs no interpretation.
If you only need a state, the random state wheel puts the states on the wheel directly. For a country, try the random country wheel.
More ideas for a random number up to 50
- Prize draws. Sell tickets numbered 1 to 50 and draw winners one at a time with No repeats on.
- Survey samples. Number a list of fifty responses and pick a few at random to read in detail.
- Spreadsheet checks. Pick rows to audit from a list of fifty. Copy the Results tab and paste it into a column.
- Large classes and clubs. Number members and spin for a volunteer, a speaker or a team captain.
- Pick a page or a track. Choose a page in a book or a track on a long playlist.
- Fifty-fifty jokes. Call 1 to 25 heads and 26 to 50 tails for a half-and-half decision with extra drama.
Guessing games up to fifty
A guessing game with fifty numbers is long enough to need a plan. A random guess is right one time in fifty. A player who always guesses the middle of what remains will find any number in six guesses or fewer, because six halvings cover up to 64 numbers.
Try playing with a rule that each wrong guess earns a point for the person holding the secret number, and see how many points the guesser can limit it to. Good guessers finish in five or six.
Pick several winners
To draw more than one winner, switch on No repeats and spin once for each. Each picked number leaves the wheel when you close its result, so nobody wins twice. Copy on the Results tab gives the winners in the order drawn, one per line.
For giveaways where you want names and a full record of prizes, the raffle generator is built for it. For a quick fair draw from fifty numbers, this page is faster. You can also change the range at any time: edit From and To, or open the general random number generator for steps and left-out numbers.
Picking rows from a fifty-line list
A list of fifty items is long enough that checking every line is a chore. Number the rows 1 to 50 and spin a handful of times with No repeats on to choose which ones to look at. This works for spot-checking a spreadsheet, reviewing survey answers, or sampling a playlist.
It is an informal sample and not a statistical method. It gives each row the same chance of being picked, which is a good start, but it does not account for bias in how the list was built.
Share your setup
If you change the range, step or left-out numbers, press Copy link to this range to get a link that opens the wheel with the same settings. Send it to a co-organiser, and they will see the same numbers on their screen, ready to spin.
Good to know
- The wheel holds the numbers 1 to 50, 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 meant for games and informal draws, not for regulated lotteries or security.