LETTERS: a daily word puzzle
LETTERS is a daily word-deduction puzzle. There is one hidden six-letter word a day, the same for everybody, and you have seven tries to find it.
Every guess must be a real word. After each one, each letter is marked as placed (right letter, right spot), present (in the word, but somewhere else) or absent. The marks use symbols as well as shading, so they never rely on colour alone.
What makes LETTERS different is the probe. Once per game you can ask how many times one letter appears in the answer. It costs points rather than a try, so the skill lies in knowing when it is worth it.
How to play LETTERS
- Guess the hidden six-letter word. You have seven tries.
- After each guess, every letter is marked: ● placed (right letter, right spot), ◐ present (in the word, wrong spot) or ○ absent.
- Once per game you may probe one letter to learn how many times it appears. A probe costs points, not a try.
- On Sundays the answer comes from a stated theme.
Tips
- Open with a word that has three different vowels and common consonants such as R, S, T, L and N.
- Use your second guess to test fresh letters rather than rearranging the ones you already know about.
- Six-letter words often have a doubled letter. If the answer will not come, the probe can tell you whether a letter appears twice.
- A letter marked present cannot go where you just tried it. Rule that position out before you guess again.
- On Sundays the answer fits a stated theme, which narrows things down a great deal. Read the theme first.
Common questions
How many tries do I get?
Seven. A probe does not use one up.
What does the probe do?
You pick one letter and are told how many times it appears in the answer, including none. You can do this once per game and it takes points off your score.
Are American spellings accepted?
Yes as guesses. The answers themselves use British spellings.
Can the answer have the same letter twice?
Yes. Double letters are fair game.
How is LETTERS scored?
Out of 1,000. Solving it earns most of the points; solving in four guesses or fewer and in good time earns the rest. Using the probe costs 75 points.
A new puzzle every day
LETTERS has one puzzle a day, released at midnight UK time and the same for everyone. It is free, and you can play without an account. Finish it to keep your streak going and to see where you stand on the leaderboards.