WORD FINDER FIELD GUIDE

How to use missing-letter patterns

A pattern records where letters belong. A rack records which tiles are available. You can search with either one, or require a word to satisfy both.

Use one underscore for each unknown position

Enter c_t in Letter pattern and leave Your letters empty. It means exactly three letters: C first, any one letter second and T last. Checked examples in our dictionary include cat, cot and cut. These are examples, not a promise that the result list contains only those words.

Try the pattern c_t

Two underscores mean two positions. For c__t, examples include cart, cast, coat and cost. It cannot match cat because cat has only three letters. An underscore is not a variable-length wildcard. The pattern field accepts 2–17 positions containing A–Z or underscores.

Add a rack only when your puzzle limits the letters

A pattern-only search can use any matching letters in the dictionary. When you add a rack, every letter in the answer must come from that rack or its blank tiles, including the letters already fixed in the pattern.

For pattern c_t + rack cat, cat fits. Cot and cut do not: the rack supplies neither O nor U. With rack ca + pattern c_t, there is no match because the pattern does not give you a free T. Add a blank to make ca?, and that blank can supply the missing T.

Try c_t with the rack cat Try c_t with ca?

Underscores and blank tiles have different jobs

_ belongs in Letter pattern. It marks one unknown position and is not a tile.
? or * belongs in Your letters. Each is a blank tile that can replace one missing letter. You may enter up to 15 A–Z letters plus 2 blanks.
With letter points enabled, a letter supplied by a rack blank scores zero and is underlined. In a pattern-only search, unknown positions receive ordinary letter points because no blank tiles were used.

For example, qu?? can form quiz: Q and U contribute 10 + 1 points, while the blank-supplied I and Z contribute zero, for 11 points. A pattern-only search for qu__ can also find quiz, but its letters total 22 points. These are simple letter totals, not board scores or official game rulings.

Why a pattern produces no results

Every filter applies together. A pattern of c_t has length 3, so a Word length filter of 4 excludes every answer. A Starts with filter of B conflicts with the fixed C. Includes letters does not add tiles to a short rack. Use Clear filters to remove extra restrictions, then check the rack and pattern again.

Use every tile requires a rack. If it is selected, the answer must use the entire rack and still match the pattern length. Clear Your letters for an unrestricted pattern search and turn Use every tile off.

Use the result as a candidate

A matching spelling may not fit your clue’s meaning, tense or plural. Our solver does not interpret clues or provide definitions. The independent American-English ESDB list is not an official Scrabble list and is unfiltered; results may include uncommon or offensive words. Verify suitability and your puzzle’s rules separately.