Can’t think of the word?
Describe it instead.

Why it happens

A tip-of-the-tongue moment is when you know the meaning of a word, and maybe its first sound or length, but the word itself won’t come. It’s very common, it happens more when you’re tired, and the word usually turns up later on its own.

You don’t have to wait. WordAha works from whatever part you do remember: what the thing is, what it’s used for, or roughly how the word sounds.

Clues that work

• the little plastic thing on the end of a shoelaceaglet
• the space between your eyebrowsglabella
• the dot over a lowercase itittle
• when you see a face in a cloudpareidolia
• the feeling of already having lived this momentdéjà vu
• tou tou thing that ballerinas weartutu

Tips for a better clue

• Say what it is, not what it isn’t: “the plastic tip of a shoelace” beats “not the lace part”.
• Mix in anything you half-remember, such as a sound (“starts with a g”) or a related word.
• Typing it the way it sounds is fine. Spelling doesn’t need to be right.
• On a phone, tap Speak a clue and just say it.

Try WordAha