How to solve a crossword clue with known letters
- Type the letters you already have, with a ? (or a dot) for each empty square. For a seven-letter answer with A second and E last, type
?A????E. - Optionally list letters you know are not in the answer, which is handy for Wordle-style puzzles and hangman.
- Matching words appear instantly. Common words are in bold; tick "Include rarer words" for a bigger dictionary.
- Use * for any run of letters when you do not know the length, such as
*OLOGY.
Tips for crossword solvers
Count the squares carefully and enter the pattern exactly: the number of characters must match the answer length. Crossings are your best friend, so fill in the shorter answers first and come back with more letters. If a clue is plural, the answer often ends in S; if it is in the past tense, try ?ED. Cryptic crosswords hide definitions at the start or end of the clue, so use the pattern search to test candidate words against the letters you have.
This finder searches an English word list of over 60,000 words, including plurals and verb forms, using the SCOWL word lists. It does not know clues or proper nouns such as place names, so answers that are names or phrases may not appear. It is equally useful for Scrabble, Wordle, hangman, Codewords and word games of all kinds.
The search runs entirely in your browser.
How do I enter missing letters?
Use a question mark, a dot, an underscore or a hyphen for each unknown letter. All are treated the same.
Can it solve multi-word answers?
Enter the words separately, one pattern at a time. Phrases themselves are not in the word list.
Why is the word I expected missing?
It may be a name, an abbreviation or very rare. Tick "Include rarer words" and check the pattern length.