IFEELFIVE

A listening game for two or more

The last letter game: listen to the very end.

Most of us half-listen. While someone is still talking, we are already writing our reply. This little game makes that impossible, in a playful way: your answer has to start with the last letter of the last word you heard. No app, no sign-up, two minutes at the table, in the car or on a walk.

  1. TellOne of you tells a short story: a meal you remember, a dream you had as a child. The others only listen.
  2. Catch the last letterListen to the very end. What was the last word? What was its last letter?
  3. Answer with itYour answer starts with that letter. Then you tell, and the next person listens.

What it sounds like

Mia: My favourite meal was soup in a tiny café while it was pouring with rain.

Sam: Nothing beats food on a rainy day. Mine was my grandmother’s pancakes.

Mia: So who made the better ones, her or you?

Why it works

You can’t prepare an answer to a letter you don’t know yet. So for once your mind stays with the other person until their last word. That is the whole trick, and it is the same thing a good friend, partner or parent does without a game: listen to understand, not to reply. Play it a few times and you may start noticing how often you used to be somewhere else.

Three ways to play

Play it now

Who is playing?

Which round?

Nothing is stored or sent. The game runs on this phone only.

Keep the rules

Save the card to your phone or print it for the fridge, the car or the meeting room.

Rules card (image)More: Let’s play IFEELFIVE

We first heard this game from communication coach Vinh Giang on Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose. The idea is his; this free version to play at home is ours.

More on listening: Social notes · Feelings wheel · Check-in

Questions people ask

What is the last letter game?

A listening game for two or more. One person tells a short story, the listener answers starting with the last letter of the speaker's very last word, then you swap. Because you only know that letter at the very end, you can't plan your reply while the other person is still talking.

Where does the game come from?

We first heard it from communication coach Vinh Giang on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast. We liked it so much that we made a free, ad-free version to play at the table, in the car or on a walk.

Can children play?

Yes. Choose 'With kids': the stories become simple and the round starts with 'Last word', where the answer begins with the speaker's last word instead of a letter. Many children love catching the last word.

Does it work in other languages?

Yes. The cards on this page are in English, but the game works in any language. Tell and answer in the language you speak at home.

Can we play it at work?

Yes. As a two-minute warm-up before a meeting or in a one-to-one it shows quickly how often we listen only to reply. Pick the Work stories, or simply use the topic of your meeting.

Is it free, and do I need an app?

It is free, with no app and no sign-up. Nothing is stored or sent; the game runs on your phone only.

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