Word Solitaire
The same letters, more than one word
The pleasure of an anagram is that a few letters can hold several words. Look at these sets of letters. If they were the top cards on the table, each word in the row would be a legal play.
| Letters showing | Words hiding in them |
|---|---|
| A, D, E, R | READ, DEAR, DARE |
| A, E, L, T | LATE, TALE, TEAL |
| A, E, R, S, T | STARE, TEARS, RATES |
| A, E, G, L, N | ANGEL, ANGLE, GLEAN |
| E, I, L, N, S, T | LISTEN, SILENT, TINSEL, ENLIST |
These are examples of how letters behave, and you won’t find them all on one table. They do show something useful, though. When two words use exactly the same cards, they do the same thing to the table. Playing READ or DARE removes the same four cards. So for this game, the first word you spot is usually good enough, and your thinking can go to the question that matters more.
How this differs from a classic anagram
In a classic anagram puzzle, you get a fixed set of letters and must use them all. Word Solitaire lets you choose. With A, E, R, S and T showing, you might play STARE, or you might play STAR and leave the E on top because you can see it would help the next word.
That choice is the heart of the game. Each word uncovers new cards, so the jumble in front of you keeps changing, and a letter you hold back now may complete a longer word later. Two set-aside slots give you extra room, since a slot card stays available and whatever it was covering joins the jumble.
You aren’t working toward a single answer that the puzzle maker had in mind, because every real word on the game’s list is accepted.
How to see words more easily
Spotting words in letters is a knack, and these habits can help.
- Start with the vowels. The red letters are easy to find. Try each one in the middle of a short word and build outward.
- Look for pairs that belong together. CH, SH, TH and ST often sit at the start of a word. Spot one and you have already narrowed things down.
- Check the endings. ER, ED and S turn up everywhere. If you have them, set them to one side in your mind and look at what remains.
- Grow a word. Find a short word first, then see if another letter fits. RATE becomes STARE or TEARS as soon as you notice the S.
- Move the first letter. Try each card as the start of a word in turn. It is often the only change you need for a stuck jumble to fall into place.
- Look away for a moment. Nothing is counting down, so a pause costs you nothing, and words often appear when you come back.
On a computer you can type your guesses, using Backspace to pull a letter back and Enter to play. Trying letters out loud can work just as well.
Anagram games compared
We host just this one game, so the other types below are ones you will find elsewhere. Each gives you a different kind of anagram fun.
| Type of game | What you do | What it does well | What it lacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word Solitaire | Spot words in top cards to clear a table | Letters keep changing, and choices matter | A single satisfying answer |
| Classic anagram puzzle | Rearrange one set of letters into one word | A clean moment of discovery | Anything to do once it is solved |
| Letter-wheel games | Make as many words as you can from a few letters | Finding every word in a set | Planning, as letters don’t change |
| Word scramble | Unscramble a list of mixed-up words | Short rounds that are easy to pick up | Many versions add a timer |
Put your eye to work
The deal on this page is a good place to try these habits. You can also play Word Solitaire from deal one, or take on the daily deal, a different set of letters each calendar day. If you run through the website deals, the iOS app has 200 and goes on from there.
For more on building words in the right order, see our spelling games page. If it is the cards you like, have a look at our word card game page.