Each game is played by a single contestant who earns money incrementally based on a payout ladder by completing missing song lyrics on up to ten songs, testing the contestant's memory on songs. The following description of the show is based primarily on the
American version of ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'', though the general format applies to all international versions. The contestant is presented and chooses from a set of nine different
genres or categories. Two different songs (some versions presented three) were then presented to the contestant to choose one to sing, then the host informs the number of missing words the contestant will have to provide. The band or an ensemble will play the music and sings along, karaoke-style until the music stops, in which the monitor will display blank lines. The contestant then fills in the missing lyrics and chooses to either risk their accumulated winnings by locking in the lyrics or end the game and keep any accumulated winnings. To advance to the next level, all the lyrics must be correct, otherwise the game ends and the contestant leaves with the last guaranteed amount or nothing depending on the level they lost. The contestant is also presented with three "Backups" to help, each usable once throughout a game: • Backup Singer: The contestant receive assistance from one of two support members (or in some versions, an audience member) to help the contestant. The contestant may opt to choose their own lyrics or go with their backup singer's lyrics if it is different. • Two Words: The contestant chooses any two of the missing words; the correct words for those positions are shown. • Three Lines: The contestant is shown three lines of lyrics, among which one is correct. The contestant has no choice over the tenth and final song (usually with the generic genre mentioning the top prize amount, such as the "Million Dollar Song"), which is not revealed unless they risk their winnings and play on. In most versions, any unused backups before the final song are rendered unavailable to use. If the contestant completes the final lyric correctly, he or she wins the grand prize that varies from country to country. ==International versions==