Rare Letters Are Your Best Clues: Q, Z, X and J

In a word search, some letters are easy to spot. Use them as anchors.

Why rare letters help

Letters like Q, Z, X and J appear far less often than E, T or A. If a word contains one, you only have to find that letter in the grid, and then check its neighbours.

An example

Suppose you are looking for QUARTZ.

1. Scan for Q. There may be only one or two in the whole grid.
2. Check the neighbours: is there a U next to it?
3. Follow the line in that direction.

Letter frequency

In English, the most common letters include E, T, A, O, I, N, S, H, R. The least common include Z, Q, X, J and K. A word with several common letters is harder to anchor, so look for its rarest letter.

Useful pairs

• Q is almost always followed by U in English words.
• X often appears inside or at the end of words, such as BOX or MIX.
• J is often at the start: JUMP, JOKE.
• Z appears in words like ZOO, PIZZA and QUIZ.

Make a mental note

When you scan the grid, keep an eye out for rare letters even if you are searching for another word. Remember where they are.

When the word has none

For words made only of common letters, use a different anchor, such as a double letter like the LL in BELL.

Tips

1. Anchor on the rarest letter.
2. Remember where rare letters sit.
3. Use double letters as a second clue.

Relax with an endless word search in Crossword - Word Search Game →