Word Pattern Finder
Use ? for unknown letters. Find every word matching your pattern!
About Word Pattern Finder
A word pattern is a template where known letters are fixed and unknown positions are marked with a wildcard symbol. Pattern matching is a core skill in crossword solving, codeword puzzles, and word-deduction games like Wordle. When you know some letters but not all, a pattern search instantly narrows thousands of possibilities down to a handful of candidates.
Our Word Pattern Finder uses the ? symbol for unknown letters. Enter?IGHT and get EIGHT, FIGHT, LIGHT, MIGHT, NIGHT, RIGHT, SIGHT, TIGHT, WIGHT. Enter TR??K and find TRACK, TRICK, TROCK, TRUCK. Every match is drawn from our 72,000-word dictionary.
How to Use
- Type the letters you know in their correct positions.
- Use ? for every letter you don't know yet.
- Click Find Matches — known positions highlight normally, wildcard fills are shown in purple.
- Use the quick-example buttons at the top to see sample patterns instantly.
Examples
Tips & Strategies
- Crossword use: When you have crossing letters, enter exactly what you know and let the pattern do the filtering — one crossing letter often eliminates 90% of candidates.
- Wordle use: Use confirmed green letters in their positions to narrow your next guess dramatically.
- Start with length: The number of characters in your pattern equals word length — a 5-character pattern only matches 5-letter words.
- Try multiple wildcards: Even one known letter in a 6-letter word cuts results from 20,000 to under 2,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ What's the difference between this and the Crossword Solver?
Both tools do pattern matching. The Crossword Solver uses _ (underscore) while this tool uses ? (question mark). Both are equivalent — choose whichever feels natural.
❓ Can I mix known letters and wildcards freely?
Yes — any combination works. C?T matches CAT, COT, CUT, CIT. ?A?T matches BAIT, CART, CAST, DART, EAST, FACT, FAST, GAIT, LAST, MAST, PAST, RAFT, SALT, VAST, WART…
❓ Does it work for proper nouns or names?
Our dictionary contains common English words only — no proper nouns, abbreviations, or names. If you're solving a puzzle that allows proper nouns, some answers may not appear.