How to play Word Grid

Word Grid is a fast word search played on a 4×4 board of letter tiles. Find as many words as you can before the timer runs out. You can choose a 3-minute game, a 5-minute game, or play with no time limit.

• Make words by joining letters that touch each other: up, down, sideways or diagonally.
• Words need at least 3 letters.
• Each letter tile can be used only once in the same word.
• The “Qu” tile counts as two letters.

Swipe across the letters, or tap them one at a time and press Enter. You can also type on a keyboard. Tap the last letter again to submit a word quickly.

Scoring

Longer words are worth much more: 3–4 letters = 1 point, 5 letters = 2, 6 letters = 3, 7 letters = 5, and 8 or more letters = 11 points.

Tips and strategy

• Look for common pairs. TH, ST, CH, SH, ER and ING are great places to start building words.
• Grab the easy points first. Short words add up quickly. Don’t spend half the timer hunting one long word.
• Add an S. If an S sits next to the last letter of a word you found, you may have a free plural.
• Rotate the grid. Turning the board shows the same letters from a new angle and often reveals words you missed.
• Then chase long words. One 8-letter word scores as much as eleven short ones.

Frequently asked questions

Why didn’t my word count? The letters may not be touching, a tile may have been used twice, or the word may be a proper noun or not in our word list.

Can I share a board? Each board has a code (such as #X82YLC) so you can tell friends which board you played.

Like Word Grid? Try Word Hive or Anagram Challenge, or read How to Spot an Anagram in Seconds.