How to play Connected Words

Connected Words shows you sixteen words. Hidden among them are four groups of four words that share something in common. Your job is to find all four groups.

• Select four words you think belong together, then press Submit.
• If you’re right, the group is locked in and its connection is revealed.
• If you’re wrong, you use up one of your mistakes remaining, so think before you submit.
• Use Shuffle to rearrange the board and Deselect all to start a guess again.

What kinds of connections are there?

Groups can be almost anything: a category (types of fruit, card suits), a meaning (words for “trick” or “fraud”), a hidden word, a word that can follow or come before another word, or a sound-alike. Each puzzle usually mixes easy and tricky groups.

Tips and strategy

• Watch for red herrings. Puzzles often include five or six words that seem to fit one category. Only four belong. The extras belong somewhere else.
• Solve the most specific group first. A narrow link like “card suits” is safer than a broad one like “things that are sweet”.
• Read every word two ways. CON might mean a swindle, or it might be the start of another word. Double meanings are the heart of the game.
• Shuffle before you guess. A fresh layout breaks false patterns your eyes have settled on.
• Don’t guess too early. Mistakes are limited, so be sure of a group before you submit it.

Frequently asked questions

How many puzzles are there? There’s a large archive of numbered Connected Words puzzles, so there’s always another grid to try.

Is this the same as other daily grouping games? Connected Words is our own independent puzzle series, with original grids written for wordletz.com.

Want to get better? Read Connected Words Insights and Behind the Puzzle: How We Write a Connected Words Grid.