Need programming help

Trying to 'randomly pick a word' by using Matlab. I set up a column with numerical values 1-4, then I chose a random number generator to pick a number. But now, (the part I need help with) I am trying to set the numerical value to a word associated with the number, I am new at this; please help if you can.

        k=0;
  cols=['WORD'];
  WORD=0;
  for i=1
      for j=1:4
          k=k+1;
          word(j,i)=k;
          used(j,i)=0;
      end
  end
  count=0;
  gameplay=1;
  while gameplay
      pick=0;
      while pick==0
          pick_word=ceil(rand()*4);
          wordplayed=word(pick_word);
          if pick_word==1
              wo=disp('skate');
          elseif pick_word==2
              wo=disp('place');
          elseif pick_word==3
              wo=disp('sleep');
          elseif pick_work==4
              wo=disp('lefty');
          end
          if used(pick_word)==0
              used(pick_word)=wordplayed;
              pick=1;
              count=count+1;
          end
      end
      if pick_word==1
          WORD=WORD+1;
      end
  end

Answer 1

[David Young]

Instead of

wo = disp('skate');

you need

wo = 'skate';

You're mixing up the process of printing something in a window (which is what the disp function does) with a assigning a value to a variable.

I think you may have some other misconceptions too - for example "I am trying to set the numerical value to a word" doesn't make sense - and I think it would be a good investment of time to go over the "getting started" material in the documentation again.

[JG]

Okay, thanks.

Let me try to make sense of my qoute...

"...I am trying to set the numerical value to a word..."

What I mean is, when the program I create, picks one of the random numbers, I want the word I have assigned to the number to be picked. (i.e. random number generates 1-the word picked should be skate; loop back to start, random number generates 3-the word picked should be sleep). Maybe I am making sense, but I will go back to the "getting started" material and see if that helps me.

Thank you again for your input.

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

W = {'skate','place','sleep','lefty'};
r = randperm(length(W));
W(r)