Word Solitaire
What is Word Solitaire?
Word Solitaire is a solitaire game played with letters instead of suits. The letter cards are laid face up in 4 to 6 piles, and only the top card of each pile is in play. You spell a word from those top cards, press Play, and the cards you used leave the table. Whatever sat underneath comes into play, and the next word starts to show itself. Clear every pile and both set-aside slots and the deal is yours.
You are never hunting for one secret answer here. Any real word in the game’s word list counts, not only the hidden words a deal was built from. Those hidden words are also the reason every deal can be cleared.
This free online version gives you the first 50 deals, played in order, plus a daily deal. Any deal you have already reached can be replayed. For the full rules, see how to play.
A few tips for clearing the table
- Read the table as one set of letters. Cards in the slots count too, so take them into account before you tap.
- Reach for longer words. Par is how many words went into building a deal, and longer words let you beat it.
- Mind your vowels. They are printed in red with a small mark under them. Spending three on one short word can leave a table of hard consonants.
- Keep a slot free when you can. A set-aside card stays playable, but it only returns to a pile through Undo.
- Work down the tall piles. A pile left until last gives you fewer choices at the end.
Why it feels relaxing
Nothing here is counting down. There is no timer, there are no lives, and a deal cannot be failed. Painted landscapes sit behind the table and the sounds stay soft. If you do run out of moves, the game offers Undo and Back on track, which takes you to the last table that can still be cleared.
Who it is for
Word Solitaire suits people who enjoy a game of cards, a crossword or an anagram, and who like to take their time. You can pick from three text sizes, turn on high contrast or reduced motion, use a left-handed layout, or play entirely from the keyboard. Our page of word games for seniors explains each of those settings.
Prefer your phone? The Word Solitaire app is on iOS now, with 200 deals and more after that.