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CW
Codeword
Solver

Codeword Solver with Missing Letters

Use wildcards to find words when you only know some of the letters. Supports ?, ., _ and * for any unknown position in your codeword pattern.

Wildcard support ? . _ * patterns UK dictionary

How Codeword Solver with Missing Letters Helps

Multiple Wildcard Symbols

All four wildcard symbols work: ? . _ and * each represent exactly one unknown letter. Use whichever feels natural from your puzzle type.

Combine Known and Unknown

Mix known letters with wildcards freely: a..le finds all 5-letter words starting with A and ending with LE.

Works with Number Codes

You can mix wildcards with number codes: 1.2.2 uses wildcards alongside repeated number groups in the same pattern.

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Enter known letters

Type the letters you know in their correct positions.

2

Add wildcards for unknowns

Replace each unknown letter with ? . _ or * — all four work the same way.

3

Choose your dictionary

Select Common UK Words for newspaper puzzles, Full UK for rare words.

4

Browse results

Results are sorted by likelihood. Scroll through and tap View Meaning to verify.

Pattern Examples

a..le Known first and last

5 letters: A, two unknowns, L, E

Example match: APPLE

?r??t Middle letter known

5 letters: unknown, R, two unknowns, T

Example match: FRONT

c_d_ Underscore wildcard

4 letters: C, unknown, D, unknown

Example match: CODE

*.*.* Length-only search

5 letters: all unknown (every position)

Example match: ANY 5-LETTER WORD

Tips for Better Results

1

Start with what you know

Even knowing the first and last letter of a 6-letter word narrows results from thousands to tens. Use every known letter.

2

Use ? for single unknowns

? is the most readable wildcard — it clearly represents one missing letter, just like in many puzzle apps and solving guides.

3

Combine with number codes

You can mix wildcards with number codes in one pattern: a11.e means A, then two positions sharing a code, unknown, then E.

4

Try adjacent letters

If A...E gives too many results, try what comes before and after in crossing words to narrow the unknown positions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

!

Using * to mean zero or more letters

In this solver, * means exactly ONE unknown letter — not any number of letters. Each wildcard represents exactly one position.

!

Wrong word length

Count your wildcard and letter positions carefully. The pattern length must match the exact length of the word in your puzzle.

!

Using spaces in the pattern

Do not add spaces between pattern characters. A..LE (with a space) won't match correctly — use a..le without spaces.

!

Mixing up wildcard and word separator

Only use ?, ., _ or * as wildcards. Other punctuation (!, /, \) is ignored or may cause unexpected results.

Related Codeword Tools

UK Codeword Solver

Standard codeword solver with British dictionary.

Repeated Letter Solver

For patterns where the same code appears multiple times.

Multi Pattern Solver

Solve multiple wildcard patterns at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this solver, all four symbols mean exactly the same thing: one unknown letter. Use whichever you find most readable.
Yes — you can mix them freely. For example, 1.2.2 uses number codes for repeated positions and . for genuinely unknown positions.
A 5-letter word starting with A and ending with E has many matches. Add a known letter in the middle (e.g. a.p.e) to reduce results.
Yes — enter a pattern of all wildcards matching your word length (e.g. ????? for any 5-letter word). This returns all words of that length.
Yes — a wildcard matches any letter from A to Z. It places no constraint on that position except that the word must have a letter there.

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