Finding the last word
Six ways to find the last word
Most people find the first ten words quickly and then slow down. These six habits help you find the ones that are left without guessing.
1. Hunt for a rare letter
Letters such as J, Q, X and Z are uncommon. If the word you need has one, find every copy of that letter in the grid and look at the letters around each one.
2. Look for double letters
A pair like LL, OO or TT is easier to see than a single letter. If your word has a double letter, scan for the pair first.
3. Search for the first two letters
Find the first letter, then check its neighbors for the second letter. Only follow a line when both letters match.
4. Sweep line by line
Read each row from left to right, then each column from top to bottom. Diagonals are easy to skip, so sweep them on purpose last.
5. Long words first
A long word has fewer places it can fit. On a 12×12 board, a 12-letter word must run the whole width, the whole height, or corner to corner.
6. Read phrases as one run
A two-word entry is hidden without the space. Search for where the first word ends and the second begins; that join is often an unusual pair of letters.