Crossword Solver
Enter your crossword letter pattern with underscores for unknown letters. Find every word matching your pattern — instantly. Supports up to 3 wildcards (? or space).
Enter known letters. Use underscore (_) for each unknown letter.
Pattern Examples
_ A _ _ E5-letter word with A and EC R O S _Starts with "CROS"_ _ _ _ _Any 5-letter wordS _ _ _ SStarts and ends with SWhat is a Crossword Solver?
A crossword solver is a tool that helps you find words matching a specific letter pattern when you're stuck on a crossword puzzle. If you know some of the letters in an answer but not all of them, enter the pattern with underscores for the unknown positions and the solver finds every matching word from our dictionary.
The crossword solver is different from a word unscrambler: unscramblers find words from a set of letters without caring about order, while a crossword solver finds words matching a specific pattern where you know some positions and not others.
How to Use the Crossword Helper
Enter your letter pattern
Type the letters you know and use underscores (_) for each unknown position. For example: _A_E matches 5-letter words where you know the 2nd and 4th letters.
Set the word length
Select how many letters the answer should have from the dropdown (2-10 letters).
Add letters you know exist (optional)
Use the "Include letters" field to enter letters that must appear in the word, even if you don't know their position.
Find your answer
Click Find Words to see every word matching your pattern, sorted by relevance. Combine with the clue definition to find the right answer.
Pattern examples: _A_E = 5 letters, 2nd=A, 4th=E ·
__ING = 6 letters, ends with ING ·
S__T = 4 letters, starts S, ends T
Crossword Solving Tips
1. Start with pattern-first clues: Crossword clues that describe a specific letter pattern are the easiest to solve with our tool. Enter the pattern immediately and find your answer before reading the definition.
2. Use the include filter for repeated letters: If you know the word has two identical letters (like "ELEPHANT" with two E's), enter that letter in the "Include" field. This filters out words that don't have the repeated letter.
3. Check both directions: In a crossword grid, the same cell is part of two different words — one horizontal, one vertical. If you're stuck on one direction, solve the other first.
4. Think about word families: If your pattern matches multiple words, use the clue's part of speech (noun, verb, adjective) to narrow.
5. Use our word unscrambler for the crossing letters: If you're stuck on a crossing word, use our word unscrambler to find words from those letters.
Common Crossword Patterns
These common crossword word patterns appear frequently. Use them to quickly identify answers:
__ING Present participle
__ED Past tense
__ER Agent/noun
__LY Adverb
__TION Noun ending
__NESS State of being
UN___ Opposite + root
RE___ Again prefix
_O_ 3 letters, O is middle
__ (2 letters) AT, OF, IN, ON, TO, BY
___ (3 letters) THE, AND, FOR, ARE, BUT
____ (4 letters) THAT, WITH, HAVE, FROM
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does the crossword solver work?
The crossword solver takes your letter pattern (with underscores for unknown positions) and searches a comprehensive dictionary for every word that matches. For example, if you know the answer is a 5-letter word with A as the second letter and E as the fourth — pattern _A_E — the solver finds every word matching that pattern.
What do underscores mean in the crossword solver?
Each underscore (_) represents exactly one unknown letter at that position. You can use as many underscores as you need — one underscore per unknown letter. For example, "__ING" matches any 6-letter word ending in -ING.
Can I solve crossword clues with this tool?
This tool solves the letter pattern part of crosswords. It doesn't have a clue database — but once you parse the clue definition, the letter pattern is often the hardest part. Use the Crossword Solver to find all words matching your pattern, then cross-reference with the clue meaning.
What's the best strategy for difficult crossword patterns?
1. Start with position clues — If you know a letter at any position, enter it. Even one confirmed letter dramatically narrows results. 2. Use the include filter — If the word has a repeated letter, enter it in the "Include" field. 3. Work systematically — Try the most common letters in the unknowns. 4. Think about word families — Once you narrow the pattern, consider what types of words fit the clue: verb, noun, adjective, etc.
Does the crossword solver work for any word length?
Yes! Our crossword solver works for word lengths from 2 to 10 letters, covering the vast majority of standard crossword grid sizes. For longer words (10+ letters), try our main word unscrambler.
How is this different from a word unscrambler?
A word unscrambler takes a set of letters and finds every word you can make from them — order doesn't matter. A crossword solver finds words matching a specific pattern where you know some positions and others are unknown.