How to use the word finder
This tool suits any game where you build words from a limited set of letter tiles. Follow these steps:
- Type the letters from your rack into the first box. Use
?(or*) for a blank tile that can stand for any letter. - Optionally set a starting or ending letter group, letters that must appear, and the minimum and maximum word length.
- Tick Use every tile to find words that use your whole rack, which earns a bonus in many games.
- Read the list. Each word shows its length, its letter score and how many blanks it needs.
To work with letters already on the board, add them to your rack, or use the starts-with, ends-with and must-contain fields to match the hook you are aiming for.
Worked example
Say your rack is C A T ?, with a blank, and you tick Use every tile. The finder lists the four-letter words in its list that can be built from C, A, T and any one other letter:
Rack: C A T ? Use every tile: on cart cast cats chat coat fact pact scat tack taco tact 11 words, each using the blank once, each scoring 5 points
Take tack: C, A and T come from real tiles (3 + 1 + 1 = 5 points) and the blank stands in for K, which scores 0. Every word here scores 5, so the list falls back to alphabetical order. With tiles that have different values, the highest score is listed first.
A seven-tile rack shows the list's limits. For A E I N R S T the finder returns 115 words of 2 to 7 letters, with insert, retain, satire and strain at the top with 6 points, but none that uses all seven tiles, because our list does not contain the seven-letter words that rack makes. A full dictionary would.
How scoring works
Each letter has a point value. We use the standard English Scrabble letter values: most vowels and frequent consonants are worth 1 or 2 points, b, c, m and p 3, f, h, v, w and y 4, k 5, j and x 8, and q and z 10. Other games assign some letters different values, so check yours. A blank tile is worth zero, so a word that needs blanks scores less than the same word built from real tiles. When a word has repeated letters and you hold only some of them as real tiles, the real tiles are counted first and a blank covers the rest.
The score shown is the plain sum of letter values. It does not include double or triple letter squares, word multipliers, bonus for using all tiles, or the value of tiles you keep for the next turn. A lower-scoring word can be the better play once the board is considered, so use the list to spot options and then judge them yourself.
About the word list
The finder uses 7,270 words of 2 to 8 letters that we generated for this site. It was not copied from any game, dictionary or published word list, and we have not checked it against one. It is not an official tournament dictionary. The words are mostly common ones, and the counts by length show where it is thin: 46 two-letter words, 433 three-letter, 1,821 four-letter, 3,603 five-letter, 673 six-letter, 682 seven-letter and only 12 eight-letter words. There are no one-letter words. Official dictionaries contain far more, including obscure words and many inflections we left out, and some games use their own dictionaries.
Treat the output as a quick brainstorming aid: a word that appears here is probably valid, but a word missing here is not necessarily invalid, and a listed word may be rejected by your game. Check any disputed word in the dictionary your game or tournament specifies.
Strategy ideas
- Look for short words that use high-value letters rather than only the longest option.
- Keep a balanced rack. Trading away duplicate vowels or awkward letters can set up a better next turn.
- Use the ends-with field to find words that extend an existing word on the board with a hook such as
sored. - Blanks are most valuable for bonus plays that use your whole rack; spending one for a few points is often a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enter a blank tile?
Type a question mark (or asterisk) for each blank. A blank can stand for any letter and scores zero points.
Is the word list an official dictionary?
No. It is our own list of 7,270 common English words and is not an official tournament dictionary. Some valid words are missing, so check your game's dictionary for disputed words.
Why does a word score less than I expected?
The score is just the sum of letter values, with zero for blanks, and it ignores board bonuses. A word that needs blanks will always score lower than the same word made from real tiles.
Can I search for words that use letters already on the board?
Yes. Add the board letter to your rack, then use the starts-with, ends-with or must-contain fields to require it in the right place.
What does Use every tile do?
It restricts results to words whose length equals the number of tiles you entered, counting blanks, so you can find plays that empty your rack. Our list stops at 8 letters, so racks of 9 or more tiles cannot match.
Are my letters stored anywhere?
No. The search runs in your browser and your letters are never uploaded.