Tips for solving the daily word puzzle faster
Before placing any letters, look at what's already there. The revealed letters and blank positions tell you a lot — word length, common letter patterns, and possible word structures.
Ask yourself: what English words fit this skeleton? If you see S_ND, your brain will naturally suggest SAND, SEND, SIND. If you see _OOK, it's probably BOOK, COOK, HOOK, or LOOK.
The more blanks a word has, the more possibilities exist — but even partial patterns narrow things down fast. Scan both words together, since they'll relate to each other in a way that clicks once you see it.
Many Letter Fill puzzles use compound words — a single word that splits into two meaningful halves. These are some of the most satisfying puzzles because the connection is instant once you see it.
BALL + ROOM = BALLROOM. Once you recognize the compound word, the split becomes obvious and both halves fill in instantly.
You don't have to fill in both words at once. If one word is nearly complete or immediately obvious, fill it in and hit CHECK.
Why this works: correct letters lock in place. If Word 1 is right, those letters get removed from the bank — leaving you with fewer options for Word 2, which makes it much easier to deduce.
Be thoughtful though — each wrong check costs you 10 seconds off the clock. It's worth being fairly confident before hitting CHECK, but don't overthink it either. A quick wrong guess early is better than burning 30 seconds deliberating.
English words need vowels, and most blanks in Letter Fill will require at least one. Scan the letter bank for vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and think about where they naturally fit in each word.
This is especially useful on longer words (levels 4 and 5) where you have more blanks. Placing the vowels first creates a skeleton that makes the consonants fall into place.
KETCHUP and MUSTARD. Spotting where E, U, U fit narrows things down fast — most consonant positions become obvious once the vowels are placed.
You have 5 minutes for 5 puzzles. That's roughly 60 seconds each. If a puzzle isn't clicking after 30 seconds, consider skipping it.
The early levels (4- and 5-letter words) are usually quick wins. Bank your time there so you have breathing room for the longer, trickier words in levels 4 and 5.
You get 2 hints per game. Each hint reveals one correct letter placement. On short words with only 1-2 blanks, a hint basically solves the whole thing — which is a waste.
On 7- and 8-letter words, a single revealed letter can be the difference between seeing the word and being completely stuck. That's where hints earn their value.
It's tempting to stare at the letter bank and try to form words from the available letters. This usually leads to slow, frustrating guesswork.
Instead, think of the bank as a filter. Look at the revealed letters and blanks to form word candidates first, then check whether those candidates work with the available bank letters. This is the same approach that works well in crossword puzzles — solve the pattern, then verify the fit.
As you play more puzzles, you'll start to notice recurring structures:
Opposite pairs: PUSH/PULL, LOVE/HATE, HOT/COLD. If one word suggests a contrast, the other is likely its antonym.
Compound splits: SUIT/CASE, FIRE/WORK, BLUE/BERRY. If the letters and blanks could form halves of a bigger word, try the split.
Same-group pairs: KETCHUP/MUSTARD, FORK/KNIFE, SOCKS/SHOES. Two things that naturally go together.
Part-of-whole pairs: WHEEL/CAR, PAGE/BOOK, PETAL/FLOWER. One word is a component of the other.
Recognizing which type of pair the puzzle uses helps you generate candidates much faster.
Letter Fill gets easier the more you play — not because the puzzles get simpler, but because your brain starts to recognize word pair patterns automatically.
After a few weeks, you'll notice that certain categories instantly trigger the right pair. "LAUNDRY" makes you think WASH/DRY. "MUSIC" makes you think DRUM/BEAT. The "aha" moment comes faster each time.
The archive lets you replay past puzzles if you want extra practice on longer word lengths without waiting for the daily puzzle.