Generate random English nouns instantly — filter by noun type, difficulty, and first or last letter. The only noun generator with abstract, concrete, proper, and collective filters built in.
Every word generator you need, all free
This tool pulls random nouns from a curated list of words (hundreds). Unlike the Random Word Generator, which produces completely random words (parts of speech, etc), the Noun Generator produces only nouns, so it's very targeted. If you're specifically looking for nouns and don't want to bother adjusting the filter setting, this is the tool for you.
Unlike the word generator, which has a different set of filters, the noun generator has specialized filters such as abstract, concrete, or proper nouns, depending on what you need. Each filter significantly changes the word generator's output and can therefore be very useful for each creative challenge.
Writers often hit writer's block when they've exhausted their word choices. The random noun generator helps by expanding their vocabulary with a list of random nouns at their disposal. This tool not only generates words, but also shows each one's meaning, so users don't need to open another window to look up a definition.
Enable the definitions for a very useful word list, and set the filter to Medium or Hard to work through the words step by step. Every generated word is complete with a definition. Save words that you want to come back to later by clicking the heart. Then save the list of words that you want to study later.
Struggling for ideas for word games like Pictionary, charades, or any word association games? Try the random noun generator to expand your word list and add variety; you can also increase the difficulty to challenge seasoned players. By the way, I've created a Pictionary word generator tool if you want something dedicated to this game.
Need random nouns for your lessons as a teacher? You can filter words by difficulty level to suit your class. You can choose from easy for younger students and hard/advanced for your senior high students. Mixing up different types of nouns (common, proper, abstract, etc.) help create a complete exercise that covers a full taxonomy of nouns.
Users can get the most out of this tool by knowing the meaning of each type and when to use it.
Abstract nouns name ideas, concepts, qualities, and states that exist in the mind rather than in the physical world. Examples: freedom, grief, ambition, velocity, justice, nostalgia, courage.
Abstract words are the language of theme and interiority. So when you are brainstorming and trying to get at what your story is really about, using the abstract filter can be very useful.
The 10 nouns that you come up with for each concept will likely include the exact word that you've been circling as the central conflict of your story. Abstract words are also great for essays, philosophical writing, and any other writing that tries to move from the specific to the general.
Concrete nouns refer to physical objects that the five senses can detect (sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell). Some examples include food, weather, a hammer, or a car. I use this filter when a scene is too vague or too abstract. The addition of two or three very specific concrete nouns to the mix immediately anchors the reader in the physical world of the piece and makes the writing real. While fiction writers use concrete nouns to make metaphors work, poets use them to create enduring images.
Proper nouns refer to names of people, cities, companies, basically anything that's a name. Some examples include Wendy's, Seattle, the United Nations, and Beethoven. Hint: these words are always capitalized. You can use this filter for ideas for fictional names in your story.
These are categorized words that refer to people, places, or things rather than names. Some examples include: bridge, dog, cat, teacher, or work. Use the common filter for classroom vocabulary exercises, accessible writing, or when you want results that feel grounded and universal rather than exotic or specialized.
Collective nouns refer to groups of people, animals, or things that refer to more than one noun. Examples include flock, government, colony, and herd. Unfortunately, these words are underused in writing and are something that would add color to your story or research paper.
Abstract nouns: Explore your story's themes by using this tool to generate 10 of them.
Read through them slowly and circle 2 of them that are the most relevant to your story. These 2 nouns may be naming what you're actually writing about, and you hadn't even realized it yet. Use concrete nouns to add physical texture to a vague interior or scene.
One good concrete noun can change a vague, interior-focused piece into a real, physical place. Mix up easy and hard words to spice up your story. The same paragraph can sound wonderful if you use a mix of really easy words and really unusual words to keep your writing alive. Use the list to write 15 or so random sentences using each of the words.
Then read them all and delete most of them. What you are left with should be thoughts you had not had before you used the word. Don't use them all, but use the ones that spark something for you. Collective nouns are so much fun and have so much great potential. Using a list of even 10 of these can bring a wonderful touch of precision to your writing when writing of groups, crowds or even animals. Try limiting the tool to just the Collective filter and reading the output out loud – the results are quite striking.