Letter Boxed Solver

Enter the three letters from each side of today’s square. The solver checks every entry in a dictionary of more than 270,000 words against the two Letter Boxed rules: a word may only use the twelve letters on the box, and no two consecutive letters can come from the same side. Letters can repeat within a word as long as each step of the spelling hops to a different side.

From that pool of playable words, it then searches for two-word solutions — pairs where the second word starts with the last letter of the first, and the two together use all twelve letters. Those pairs are what you are really after, because the NYT par for most puzzles is two words. The shortest solutions are listed first, followed by every playable word ranked by how many of the twelve letters it covers.

The rule that trips most people up: consecutive letters in a word cannot sit on the same side of the box. If A and B share a side, no playable word can contain “AB” or “BA” — the line you draw must always cross the square, never run along an edge. This is why perfectly ordinary words are often illegal on a given day, and why the solver may reject a word you were sure should count.

A useful mental shift: stop thinking about letters and start thinking about sides. Every word is a zig-zag path across the box, bouncing from one side to another. Letter pairs that live on the same side are dead ends, so scan for those forbidden pairs first and prune them from your thinking.

Almost every two-word solution follows the same shape: one long “workhorse” word that soaks up most of the letters — especially the awkward ones like J, Q, V, or W — and a second word that mops up whatever is left while starting on the right letter.

• Start with the rarest letters on the box. Far fewer words contain a J or a Z, so building around them first shrinks the search dramatically.
• Hunt for one long word that covers seven or more of the twelve letters. The fewer letters it leaves behind, the easier the second word is.
• Note the last letter of your first word — the second word must start there. Words ending in common starters (S, T, R, E) leave you the most options.
• If no pair clicks, a clean three-word solution still beats staring at the box. Chain short, high-coverage words instead.

The most satisfying way to use this tool is after an honest attempt: solve the puzzle in three or four words yourself, then check what the optimal pair was. Over time you will start spotting the long, high-coverage words on your own — the skill the puzzle is really testing. The word list is also great for a nudge without a spoiler: skim the top few high-coverage words and see if one unlocks the rest for you.

• Words must be at least 3 letters long.
• Words may only use the 12 letters on the box (letters can repeat).
• Consecutive letters cannot come from the same side.
• Each new word must start with the last letter of the previous word.
• To solve the puzzle, use all 12 letters — in as few words as possible.