Short answer. A word finder searches a word list with the clues you give: a pattern, letters to include and letters to leave out. More clues make a shorter list.
How to use the boxes
Pattern. Type letters you know and ? for the ones you do not. The pattern c??t finds four-letter words that start with c and end with t.
Starts with and Ends with match the first or last letters. Must include keeps words that have all of those letters somewhere. Leave out removes words that have any of them.
Use Shortest and Longest to set a length range. You can combine all of the boxes.
The words come from the ENABLE list, a public-domain word list used in many word games. Other dictionaries differ a little, so a game may accept or reject a few words that this list does not.
Worked example
Example. The pattern c??t gives 17 words, such as cant, cart, cast, cent and chat.
Questions
Can I use a dot or an underscore instead of ?
Yes. A dot, an underscore and a question mark all mean any one letter.
How do I find words with a double letter?
Type the letter twice in Must include. For example, <em>ee</em> keeps only words with at least two e letters.
Why are some lists very long?
Short patterns match many words. Add a length, a starting letter or a letter to leave out to shorten the list.
Last checked by the StudyCount team.