Random Partner Generator
Paste a list of names and press Pair up to put everyone with a random partner.
12 names → 6 pairs
Your pairs will appear here
Add names, then press Pair up.
Make random pairs in one click
Type one name per line, or paste a list straight from a spreadsheet, a class register or a chat message — bullets, numbers and commas are tidied up automatically. Press Pair up and every name is placed into a numbered pair: Partner 1, Partner 2, Partner 3 and so on. There's nothing to configure and no wheel to watch; the whole class is paired at once, ready to read out or put on the board.
What happens with an odd number of people
With an odd list, someone would normally be left over. By default the generator makes one group of three, so everyone still works with someone. If a trio doesn't suit the activity, switch to Leave one person out: one person is chosen at random and shown clearly under Sits out, so they can help you, join a pair later or take the next turn. Nobody is ever dropped from the list without being shown.
Classroom partner work
Think-pair-share, reading buddies, maths talk and quick discussion tasks all start with the same question: who works with whom? Letting the generator decide saves time and avoids students always choosing the same friend. If you need larger groups for a project, the random team generator splits the class into any number of teams instead.
Study buddies and peer review
Pair students to swap drafts, check each other's homework or quiz one another before a test. Random pairs mean feedback comes from a different classmate each time, rather than from the same person every week.
Labs and group activities
Science labs, language conversation practice, sports drills and workshop exercises often need pairs. Paste the attendance list for the day, remove anyone who's away, and pair up in seconds. For choosing a single student to answer or demonstrate, use the random student picker; for giving everyone a turn over a lesson, the classroom wheel works in rounds.
Reshuffling partners
Press Reshuffle for a completely new random pairing from the same list. Each reshuffle is independent, so the same two people can occasionally end up together again — the generator doesn't yet remember previous pairings. If a pair doesn't work for your group, simply reshuffle.
How the random pairing works
The list is shuffled with a Fisher–Yates shuffle that draws from your browser's cryptographic random generator, so every arrangement is equally likely, and the shuffled list is then dealt into pairs. Pairs are random, not matched by ability or personality. The randomness page explains the method in more detail.
Privacy for names
Names stay in this browser on this device. They aren't uploaded, stored on our servers or sent to analytics, and neither are the pairs. Copy pairs puts a plain-text list on your clipboard, and Present shows large partner cards for a projector.
Questions
What happens if I have an odd number of people?
By default one group of three is made, so everyone has a partner. You can choose Leave one person out instead; that person is picked at random and shown as Sits out.
Can I stop the same people from being paired again?
Not currently. Each Reshuffle creates a new, independent random pairing, so a previous pair can occasionally come up again.
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