Random number wheel

How do I make a number wheel with my own range?

Use the three boxes above the options panel. From is where the wheel starts, To is where it ends, and both numbers are included, so 1 to 20 gives twenty slices. Press Build wheel and the slices are redrawn straight away, with a line underneath confirming the count.

The boxes take whole numbers, including zero and negative numbers, so a range of −10 to 10 works fine. If you type the numbers the wrong way round, with a bigger From than To, the wheel simply swaps them for you. Decimals are rounded to the nearest whole number.

What does the Step box do?

Step sets the gap between one slice and the next. With a step of 1 you get every number in the range. With a step of 2 starting at 2, you get only even numbers; start at 1 instead and you get only odd numbers. A step of 5 from 5 to 100 makes a tidy twenty-slice wheel for scores, minutes or prices.

If the step does not divide the range exactly, the wheel stops at the last number that fits. For example, 1 to 20 in steps of 3 gives 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19.

How many numbers can one wheel hold?

A number wheel can hold up to 1,000 slices, which is five times the limit for a wheel of words. If your range would need more than that, the summary line tells you so and the wheel stays as it was. Try a bigger step, or split the range across two wheels.

Big wheels have one practical catch. Up to roughly 80 slices the numbers are printed on the wheel; beyond that the slices are too thin for text, so you see a ring of colours instead. The result pop-up and the Results list always show the winning number in full, so nothing is lost.

Can I draw numbers without repeats?

Yes. Open Settings and tick Remove the winner after each spin, or press Remove it and spin again in the result pop-up. Each number drops off the wheel once it has been drawn, which is how you call numbers for a bingo-style game or work through a set of numbered questions in random order. Open Results to see every draw so far and copy the list.

When should I use the random number generator instead?

The wheel is the better choice when people are watching and the spin itself is part of the fun. The random number generator is the better choice when you need something the wheel cannot do: a range bigger than 1,000 numbers (it goes up to a trillion), several numbers in one go, a guarantee that none repeat, or results sorted from low to high. It gives you the numbers instantly, without an animation.

For numbers from 1 to 6, or any standard gaming die, the dice roller is quicker still and can add up several dice for you.

Ready-made number wheels

If you keep coming back to the same range, start from a wheel built for it. The 1 to 10 wheel has big, readable slices for quick games, the 1 to 100 wheel is set up for draws and guessing games, and the multiplication wheel is ready for times-table practice. Whichever you use, the draw itself is fair; how SpinDecide picks a winner explains the method.