Words That Start With, End With or Contain

Pattern search for crosswords and word games. Use ? for a single unknown letter in the pattern box.

Pattern (? = any letter, e.g. c?a?e)

Starts with

Ends with

Contains

Length

Crossword patterns

A crossword gives you a length and a few crossing letters. Type the pattern with ? for each unknown: C?A?E finds CHASE, CRANE, CRATE, CHAFE and the rest. The pattern sets the length automatically. Add "contains" or "ends with" when the clue hints at a suffix.

Scrabble hooks and extensions

"Ends with" plus a length finds front hooks and back hooks: every 4-letter word ending in AT, every 8-letter word starting with UN. "Contains" with a two-letter string finds words that play through a pair already on the board.

Spelling bee and letter-restricted puzzles

For games that require a center letter, put it in "contains" and use the unscrambler with the seven allowed letters repeated (type each letter three or four times so the solver can reuse them).

More word tools

Frequently asked questions

How do I find words with a missing letter?

Type the word with ? in place of each missing letter in the pattern box, for example ?ight finds EIGHT, FIGHT, LIGHT, MIGHT, NIGHT, RIGHT, SIGHT, TIGHT, WIGHT.

How do I find words that end in a certain letter?

Put the ending in the 'Ends with' box and optionally set a length. Leave the pattern box empty.

Why are results capped?

Open-ended searches like 'contains E' match tens of thousands of words. The page shows the first 2,000; add a length or another filter to narrow.