Skip to content
FreeClassTool.
EN — Language: English

Word Cloud Generator

Paste a text or word list and get a colorful word cloud sized by how often each word appears. Download as PNG or PDF.

Literacy & VocabularyGrades 2–12
What to use
773 / 10,000
Try a sample:
Max words
Colors
Shape
Word direction
Size difference
Font weight
Letter case
Paper size (PDF)

Your word cloud

Building your word cloud…

The PNG is 2000 × 1250 pixels. The PDF puts the cloud on one landscape page with your title.

Word list

How many times each word appears. Tap a word to take it out of the cloud.

How to Use the Word Cloud Generator

This word cloud generator turns a reading passage or a vocabulary list into a picture of its words, where the words used most often are drawn biggest. Paste up to 10,000 characters of text and it counts every word for you, ignoring capital letters and punctuation, or switch to Word list and type one word per line with an optional weight such as “oxygen, 4”. You can remove common words like “the” and “and”, set a minimum word length, show 20 to 150 words, and tap a word in the word list to take it out. Choose colors, a shape and a font weight, then download a PNG or a one-page PDF. It runs free in your browser, with no sign-up.

Make a word cloud in 3 steps

  1. Add your words. Choose Paste text and paste a passage, or choose Word list and type one word or short phrase per line, with a comma and a number after it to make a word bigger. Try The Water Cycle, Our Class Garden or Science word list to see how it works.

  2. Pick what to show and how it looks. Set Max words, turn Remove common words on or off, choose a Minimum word length and type any words to leave out under Ignore these words. Then pick Colors, Shape, Word direction, Size difference, Font weight and Letter case.

  3. Shuffle, download or project it. Press Shuffle layout until you like the arrangement. Press Download PNG for a 2000 × 1250 pixel image or Download PDF for a landscape page with your title, or press Classroom Presentation Mode to show the cloud full screen.

Ways to use the Word Cloud Generator in class

  • Preview a text before reading

    Paste a chapter, article or poem and show the cloud before students read it. Ask them to predict what the text is about from the biggest words, then check their predictions after reading.

  • Find the big ideas in student writing

    Paste a student’s draft to see which words they use most. A word that fills the cloud may be one to replace with a stronger choice, and missing key terms show what the writing still needs.

  • Vocabulary word walls

    Choose Word list, type this unit’s vocabulary and give the most important terms a higher weight, such as “photosynthesis, 5”. Download the PDF to print for the wall, or project it as a warm-up and ask students to define the biggest words.

  • Class brainstorm or exit question

    Collect one-word answers to a question like “How did today’s experiment make you feel?” and type each answer on its own line. Repeated answers add up and grow bigger, so the class can see the most common responses at a glance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the word cloud decide how big each word is?

In Paste text mode each word is counted, so a word used eight times is drawn bigger than a word used twice. In Word list mode the number after the comma sets the size. Size difference is Gentle (based on the square root of the count) or Strong (based on the count itself), which makes the top words stand out more.

Can I remove words like the, and or was?

Yes. Remove common words is on by default and skips a built-in list of common English words. Type other words under Ignore these words, separated by commas, or tap any word in the word list below the cloud to take it out. A Restore button above the word list brings removed words back.

Is the text I paste saved or sent anywhere?

The word cloud is made in your browser. Your text and options are saved only in this browser, so they are still there next time you open the page, and the text is not uploaded to a server.

Why didn’t some of my words appear in the cloud?

Words can be skipped by Remove common words, Minimum word length, Ignore these words or Max words, which keeps only the most frequent ones. If a word didn’t fit, it is marked “didn’t fit” in the word list; pick fewer Max words, the Rectangle shape or Horizontal words to make room.

Can I make every word the same color?

Yes. Under Colors, choose One color, then pick Indigo, Navy, Black, Teal, Red or Purple. The other palettes are Rainbow, Ocean, Forest, Sunset and Candy.

Can I use the word cloud in a slideshow or on a worksheet?

Press Download PNG to save a 2000 × 1250 pixel image on a white background that you can add to slides or documents. Download PDF puts the cloud on one landscape page in US Letter or A4, with your title at the top.

Teaching guides

Keep learning — try these next