You have three plays. In each play, put tiles from your rack in one row or column to make words of three letters or more. The first play covers the center; later plays join the tiles on the board. Letter values add up, colored squares multiply them, and using all seven tiles earns a bonus. Beat par.
The board is 7 by 7 and starts empty. Your rack holds 7 letter tiles.
You have three plays. In a play, put tiles from your rack in one row or one column, with no gaps (tiles already on the board can fill a gap).
The first play covers the center star. Later plays must join the tiles on the board.
Every word the play makes, across and down, needs 3 letters or more and must be in the word list.
After each play your rack refills to 7 from the day’s tile sequence.
After three plays the game ends. Beat par to win the day.
Scoring
Letters
Points
A E I O U L N R S T
1
D G H M
2
B C P Y
3
F K V W
4
J X
6
Q Z
8
2× and 3× letter squares multiply the letter on them. 2× and 3× word squares, and the center, multiply the whole word.
A bonus square counts only on the play that covers it.
A play scores its main word plus every word it makes across it. Use all seven tiles in one play for +20.
How to play here
Drag a tile onto a square, or tap a tile and then a square. Tap a tile you just placed to take it back.
The word and its points show under the board while you build the play. If the play is not allowed, the reason shows instead.
Play scores it, Recall takes all placed tiles back, Shuffle mixes your rack, Pass skips the play (take placed tiles back first).
Keyboard: Enter picks a tile, the arrows move to a square, Enter places it, Escape cancels.
Hints show where a good play goes, then its size and score, then the word. There is no undo.
Difficulty levels
Level
Letters
Par
Easy
Common letters only
50% of the computer’s score
Medium
Common letters only
60%
Hard
All letters, with rare ones (J, Q, X, Z)
70%
Expert
All letters, with rare ones (J, Q, X, Z)
85%
Tips
Put high-value letters on the letter bonus squares, and long words across the word bonus squares.
A play across the end of a word, or through a gap between tiles, can make a cross word too, and each word scores. A tile right beside a word makes a 2-letter run, and that play is refused.
Keep a good mix of vowels and consonants on your rack for the next play.
FAQ
Which words count?
English words of three letters or more from our word list. Every word a play makes, across and down, must be in the list.
Can I skip a play?
Yes. Pass uses up one of your three plays and scores nothing. A pass keeps your rack as it is.
How is par set?
The computer plays the puzzle three times in a row, taking the best-scoring play each time. Par is part of that score: half on easy, 60% on medium, 70% on hard and 85% on expert.
Is there a new puzzle every day?
Yes. Each puzzle is built from the date, so every day brings a new tile draw at each of the four levels: easy, medium, hard and expert. Everyone gets the same puzzle that day, and earlier puzzles are in the archive.
Do I need an account to play?
No. You play right in your browser, with no sign-up and no cookies. Your progress is saved in your browser.