Word finder

Crossword helper: find words with missing letters

Got some letters of an answer from the words that cross it? Type them in place with a ? for each empty square and see every word that fits, the everyday ones first.

Play these on the shared board Try today's Daily Seven Word finder

Type a pattern like c_o_s or qu*, or letters the word must have.

Filling a gap, step by step

Count the squares of the answer and write one character per square: the letter where you have it, a ? where you don't. If the clue says the answer can't contain a letter you have already tried, put it in the not box. Start with the crossing that gives you the rarest letter: a K or a Z narrows the list far more than an E.

Examples

`B??K` (18 words)

Four squares, B first and K last.

BACK11
BALK9
BANK9
BARK9
BASK9
BEAK9
BECK11
BILK9
BOOK9
BUCK12
BULK10
BUNK10

See all 18 in the finder

`_A_E` (128 words)

Four squares, A 2nd and E last.

BAKE9
CAKE9
CAVE10
FACE9
FAKE10
FAME9
GAVE9
HAVE10
MAKE9
MAZE14
WAKE10
WAVE11

See all 128 in the finder

`C?T` (3 words)

Three squares, C and T known.

CAT5
COT5
CUT6

`S___E` (133 words)

Five squares, S first and E last.

SCOPE9
SERVE9
SHAKE10
SHAME9
SHAPE9
SHOVE11
SLAVE9
SMOKE10
SOLVE9
SPACE9
SPIKE10
SPOKE10

See all 133 in the finder

`_X_` (3 words)

An X in the middle of three squares.

AXE9
OXO9
OXY11

Short words that are mostly vowels

Grids lean on short words full of vowels because they cross easily. When a three to five letter answer has vowels at both ends, it is often one of these.

ABIDE8
ABOUT8
ABOVE11
ABUSE8
ACE5
ACUTE8
AGAIN6
AGE4
AGO4
AGREE6
AHEAD8
AID4
AIDED7
AIM5
AIMED8
AIR3
ALIAS5
ALIEN5
ALIKE8
ARE3
AREA4
ATE3
AXE9
BAA5
BEE5
BOO5
CUE6
DIE4
DOE4
DUE5
EAR3
EASE4
EAT3
EGO4
ERA3
EYE5
FEE6
ICE5
IDEA5
ION3
LIE3
MOO5
OAR3
OIL3
ONE3
OUR4
OUT4
OWE6
PIE5
SEA3
SEE3
SUE4
TEA3
TIE3
TOE3
TOO3
USE4
VIA7
WEE6
YOU6

More word tools

Daily Seven

Same 7 letters for all · 3 tries · best word counts

Play today's Daily Seven

Questions

How do I find a crossword answer with missing letters?

Count the squares, then type the letters you have from the crossing answers in their places and a ? for each empty square: four squares with B first and K last is b??k. Every word that fits is listed, everyday words first.

Does it solve the clue?

No. It finds every word that fits the letters you have, and you pick the one that matches the clue. That keeps the fun part of the puzzle yours.

Are phrases and names included?

No. The list is single English words (the public-domain ENABLE list Wordtide's board uses), so proper names, abbreviations and multi-word answers are not in it.

Play these words on the shared board

Wordtide is a free word game on one endless board shared by players around the world. Build off anyone's words, claim bonus squares and grow your own island: no download, no sign-up. Every word on this page is valid in the English world.