How to Unscramble Words: 6 Simple Tricks
A scrambled set of letters looks random, but English words follow patterns. Once you know what to look for, most jumbles unscramble in seconds. Here are six tricks that work for word games, puzzles and anagrams.
1. Look for common beginnings
Many words start with the same few letter groups. If your letters contain one of these, set it aside and try to build the rest of the word after it:
| Beginning | Everyday words | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| RE | 495 | REALLY, RESEARCH, REMEMBER |
| CON | 247 | CONTROL, CONSIDERED, CONTINUE |
| PRO | 178 | PROBLEM, PROBABLY, PROGRAM |
| DIS | 127 | DISTRICT, DISEASE, DISTANCE |
| UN | 111 | UNDER, UNTIL, UNITED |
| PRE | 99 | PRESIDENT, PRETTY, PRESENT |
| IN | 346 | INCLUDING, INFORMATION, INTERNATIONAL |
| ST | 245 | STILL, STATE, START |
The counts are everyday words of five letters or more that start with each group.
2. Look for common endings
Endings are even more useful, because so many words share them. Spot ING, ED or ER in your letters and the remaining letters often make the start of a word:
| Ending | Everyday words | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ING | 987 | BEING, GOING, SOMETHING |
| ED | 1,134 | CALLED, BASED, UNITED |
| ER | 498 | OTHER, AFTER, NEVER |
| TION | 357 | INFORMATION, QUESTION, EDUCATION |
| LY | 346 | REALLY, FAMILY, ACTUALLY |
| MENT | 96 | GOVERNMENT, DEVELOPMENT, MOMENT |
| EST | 61 | INTEREST, BIGGEST, LATEST |
| ABLE | 65 | AVAILABLE, TABLE, COMFORTABLE |
3. Pair up consonants that go together
Some consonants appear side by side again and again: TH, CH, SH, ST, TR, BR and PL, for example. Joining them first leaves fewer pieces to arrange. A Q is almost always followed by U, so put those two together straight away.
4. Move the vowels around
Most words alternate between consonants and vowels. Lay your consonants out first, then try slotting the vowels between them in different places. Saying the result out loud helps, since a real word usually sounds right.
5. Find short words first
You don't have to find the longest word straight away. Short words build confidence and often point to a longer one. Take the letters P, L, A, N, E and T: they make 89 words, including these:
Spotting PLAN and NET makes it easier to see the six letter words PLANET and PLATEN.
6. Shuffle the letters
Looking at the same order for too long makes it harder to see new words. Rearranging the letters, on paper or with the Shuffle button in the word unscrambler, breaks the pattern and often reveals a word you missed.
When to use a word unscrambler
These tricks get faster with practice, but some jumbles have only one answer that's hard to spot. Type your letters into the word unscrambler to see every word they make, grouped by length. To find only the words that use every letter, use the anagram solver.