Pick a number 1-8 with a spinner
This page is a random number generator 1-8: a spinner with eight equal slices that picks one number at random. Eight is the size of a quarter-final bracket, the number of points on a compass, and the number of faces on an eight-sided die. Whichever you need, press Spin and a window shows the number.
It is free, runs in your browser and needs no account. The wheel opens ready on 1 to 8.
How to get a random number 1 to 8
- Decide what the numbers stand for. Teams in a bracket, compass points, die faces or people.
- Press Spin. You can also click the wheel or press Ctrl (⌘ on a Mac) plus Enter.
- Read the number in the result window.
- Fill a whole bracket by switching on No repeats and spinning eight times. Each picked number leaves the wheel.
Odds for a number between 1 and 8
Each number has a one-in-eight chance, exactly 12.5%, on every spin. Eight is a power of two, so the wheel splits cleanly into halves, quarters and eighths, and every number is as likely as any other.
Your browser’s secure random number generator picks the number first, then the wheel is turned to stop on it. The animation never changes the result. The how WheelSpinny picks page has the details.
Draw a tournament bracket
Eight is the usual size of a quarter-final knockout: eight teams, four matches, then two, then a final. To draw one, number the slots 1 to 8 from top to bottom. For each team in turn, spin to give it a slot. With No repeats on, no two teams land in the same one.
After eight spins, the Results tab holds a full draw, and Copy puts it on your clipboard in the order picked. If your event has fewer than eight teams, change To to the number of teams, so that every slice stands for a real slot.
Other ways to use an eight-number wheel
- Roll a d8. Tabletop games with an eight-sided die can use this page when the die is lost.
- Pick a direction. Number the compass points clockwise from north: north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west, north-west.
- Choose a note. An octave on a piano holds eight white keys, so a spin can pick a note to play or sing.
- Swimming and running lanes. Many pools and tracks have eight lanes, so a spin can assign a lane.
- Pool and snooker games. Number the balls for a practice drill, or play the 8-ball game with a stand-in draw for the break.
- Maths practice. Spin to pick a times-table question, such as 8 times a number of your choice.
A 1-8 spinner for classrooms and teams
A group of eight is easy to work with: it splits into four pairs, two teams of four, or eight individuals. Number the people, then spin with No repeats on to get the order for presentations or a relay. Because everyone watches the wheel, there is no suspicion that the teacher or captain picked favourites.
For pairs, spin twice in a row with No repeats on. The first two numbers are partners, the next two are partners, and so on. If you need balanced teams from a list of names rather than numbers, the random team generator is built for it.
Other ways to pick from eight
If your eight choices are words rather than numbers, type them into the random name picker. To shuffle all eight into a complete order at once, use the list randomizer. For more dice, including d4, d6, d10, d12 and d20, the dice roller offers each of them.
You can change the range on this page by editing From and To beside the wheel, or open the general random number generator for steps and left-out numbers.
A random draw or a seeded bracket?
Formal tournaments often seed their brackets, putting the strongest players on opposite sides so they meet late. A random draw does the opposite and treats every team the same. Neither approach is wrong, but a casual event with friends, a school club or a family game night usually wants the draw, because nobody can complain it was rigged.
If you want a mix, seed the top two teams by hand into slots 1 and 8, then use the wheel for the rest. Leave those two numbers out of the wheel by typing them into the leave-out box on the general random number generator, or simply switch on No repeats and skip any result that is already taken.
Pairing up eight players
For partner games, spin four times with No repeats on, and read the results in pairs. The first two numbers are one pair, the next two are another. Write the pairs down as they come, and nobody can claim they were swapped later. If someone drops out, change To to 7 or 6 so that the wheel matches the people who are left.
Good to know
- The wheel holds the numbers 1 to 8, 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.