A LITTLE WORD KNOW-HOW
How to Use Word Lists Without Losing the Pattern
Use word lists to narrow a real puzzle, with dictionary and letter constraints kept clear.
Choose the constraint that matters
A length list answers “which words have five letters?” A starting-letter list answers a different question. Begin with the condition you know, then add only the conditions your puzzle actually supplies. Too many guessed conditions can hide the correct word.
Keep position and presence separate
A word containing S does not necessarily start with S. If your clue fixes S in the first position, use a starting-letter list or a positional pattern. For guessing games, an excluded position is different from an excluded letter.
Read the dictionary label
Our lists come from a named English reference release. A list is useful for discovering candidates, but it is not a promise that every current branded game uses identical vocabulary.