About
What is a Codewords puzzle?
Codewords puzzles are like crosswords but without the usual clues. Instead, every box is numbered 1 to 26, where each number corresponds to a single letter. Puzzles guarantee that every letter of the alphabet is used at least once, and always start with just three letters given.
With only that information, you can identify patterns and use logic to complete each puzzle. It’s a great game for expanding your vocabulary and improving your spelling.
Dictionary curation
American words
All words in the game use UK spellings, with non-UK variations omitted. Here’s some examples. Only the UK versions of the below are used by the game’s dictionary:
| UK | US |
| AESTHETE | ESTHETE |
| ANALOGUE | ANALOG |
| ARTEFACT | ARTIFACT |
| CARAT | KARAT |
| DISTIL | DISTILL |
| FLAUTIST | FLUTIST |
| FLAVOUR | FLAVOR |
| INSTIL | INSTILL |
| SKILFUL | SKILLFUL |
| SOMBRE | SOMBER |
| TAP | FAUCET |
While curating the dictionary, some American words have been retained. Here’s a few examples that you might find used in puzzles:
- BALLPARK
- BASEBALL
- BELLHOP
- CANDY
- DIAPER
- ESCROW
- FELON
- JUNK
- RODEO
- ROOKIE
- ZUCCHINI
Accented words
Words with accented letters have been curated according to editor’s discretion. Here are some an examples:
- ATTACHÉ removed
- CAFE retained
- CANAPÉ removed
- CRÊPE removed
- FACADE retained
- FETE retained
- FIANCÉ removed
- MACRAMÉ removed
- MATINEE retained
- MOIRE retained
- NAIVE retained
Word endings
The dictionary has been curated to use -ise rather than -ize word endings. At the time of writing, these are the only words ending in -ize:
- BAIZE
- CAPSIZE
- DOWNSIZE
- MAIZE
- OVERSIZE
- PRIZE
- SEIZE
- SIZE
Expansive vocabulary
Interesting and uncommon words are also included. Here are some examples you might encounter in Codewords:UK
- ABSCISSA
- ACOLYTE
- ARGOT
- ARPEGGIO
- BATIK
- BODGE
- CALLIOPE
- CREDENZA
- DIATRIBE
- EXECUTRIX
- FERRULE
- FIXITY
- FOOLSCAP
- JEROBOAM
- KANJI
- LAMBENT
- NEOPHYTE
- OEUVRE
- PLOSIVE
- ROTUNDA