How to Solve Codeword Puzzles Step by Step

These codewords tips and tricks will help you find answers faster and work through the harder parts of a code-cracker puzzle. The examples show how to choose between words that look equally possible at first.

Try common word endings

When several words end with the same numbers, try -ING, -ED or -ER, depending on the length. Check a word that shares one of those numbers before keeping the ending.

Here, -ING gives THING and SWING across. The same I also completes THIS down. That crossing gives you a reason to keep the ending.

Watch the repeated numbers in longer endings too. -NESS needs a double S; -MENT uses four different letters.

Look for a missing vowel

You can sometimes narrow a number down to a few vowels without knowing the answer. In B·T, the familiar options BAT, BET, BIT, BOT and BUT all need a vowel in the gap.

Check that number in another word to choose the vowel. Keep Y in mind elsewhere: words such as MYTH and RHYTHM don't contain A, E, I, O or U.

Look for double letters

Look for pairs such as LL, SS, EE or OO when a number repeats in neighbouring cells. Then check the crossing before deciding which pair belongs there.

Try SS in BA··. That makes the lower word S·MB, which doesn't fit a familiar word. LL leaves L·MB: LIMB gives you I.

That I completes LIME down. All three words now work: BALL, LIMB and LIME.

Check repeated letters that aren't next to each other too. LEVEL needs its first and last numbers to match, and its second and fourth to match.

Use Q to look for U

Q is usually followed by U, as in QUEEN and QUICK. If you're trying Q, check the next number for U and see whether it fits the other words too.

Near the end, check which letters are still available. A rare letter such as J or X is easier to test in a nearly complete word. There's no need to save it if the answer is clear.

Use frequent letters when you're stuck

If you have no better clue, try E for a number that appears often. A, I, O and T are also worth considering. The most frequent number won't be E in every puzzle.

Give more weight to what happens in the words than to the count. If E creates awkward combinations in several places, erase it and try another letter.

Try one letter at a time

If two possible answers differ by one letter, test that letter first. Look at the word where it leaves the fewest gaps before entering anything else.

In our game, select a cell and enter the letter you want to try. If it doesn't work, select that number again and use Erase. This removes the letter from all cells with that number.

Also erase any letters you added because of that guess before trying something else. Checking one change at a time makes it much easier to find where you went wrong.

Practise on a free online codeword puzzle. For grids that come with a word list, see our fill-in crossword strategies.