A little wordplay, every day
How to play 9 Words
Turn a handful of mixed-up letters into a word. Do it nine times. That's your daily challenge.
The daily challenge
Choose the daily puzzle and start when you're ready. Each round shows the letters of one English word. Arrange every letter into the answer and submit it before the 30-second timer reaches zero. Each new word gets its own full 30 seconds.
The puzzle has nine rounds. Everyone playing the same UTC date gets the same set of words. A new daily puzzle becomes available at midnight UTC; the date may differ from your local date.
Make your word
- Select letter tiles in the order you want to spell your answer, or type on your keyboard.
- Use every letter once, including any repeated letters.
- Your answer is checked automatically as soon as you select every letter.
- If an answer isn't accepted, change your arrangement and try again while time remains.
Tap a filled answer position to remove that letter, or press Backspace to remove the last letter.
When you get stuck
You have one shuffle per word. It changes the order of the available tiles without changing the answer or adding time. Select Shuffle or press Space. Use Pause to hide the letters and stop the clock. Resume when you are ready, or skip the word from the pause menu to reveal its answer. When time runs out, that round is also marked as missed. After a brief answer reveal, the game moves to the next word automatically.
Your result is the number of words you solve out of nine. A quick answer doesn't give extra time to the next round. Try to finish the whole set, then share your result without giving away the words.
Practice at your own pace
Practice mode gives you another set of nine words whenever you want to play again. Choose the untimed option if you'd like to think through each arrangement without a countdown. Practice is separate from your daily result.
Keyboard controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| A–Z | Select an available letter |
| Backspace | Remove the last selected letter |
| Enter | Check your word (answers also check automatically) |
| Escape | Pause or resume the game |
| Space | Shuffle the available letters once |
On a phone or tablet, use the on-screen letter tiles and buttons.
Three ways to spot an anagram
- Find a familiar pair. Combinations such as SH, CH, and TH can give your word a starting point.
- Try an ending. ING, ED, and ER can turn a collection of letters into a useful pattern.
- Move the vowels. Placing A, E, I, O, or U between consonants can help you hear a possible word.
Letters can make more than one real word. The game accepts the puzzle answer and selected common alternatives; it doesn't use a complete dictionary.
Your progress stays in your browser
Daily progress and statistics are saved on this browser when local storage is available. Refreshing the page won't reset an active countdown. A puzzle paused with the Pause button remains paused when you return. Clearing site data, using another browser, or blocking storage may remove or prevent saved progress. No account is required.