Cryptic crossword solver & helper
Spotted an anagram but can't see the word? Type the fodder letters, add any letters you already have from the grid, and see every real word that fits. Below the tool is a reference list of the indicator words setters use most.
Anagram fodder solver
Enter the letters to rearrange (spaces are ignored). Optionally add the pattern you have so far, with ? for each unknown square.
How to use it on a real clue
Every cryptic clue has a definition at one end and wordplay in the rest. Take this classic:
Dirty room converted into a dormitory? (9)
- Find the indicator. “Converted” signals change, so an anagram is likely.
- Count the fodder. DIRTY ROOM has nine letters, matching the (9) at the end.
- Unscramble it. Enter dirty room above and the solver returns DORMITORY.
- Check the definition. A dormitory is a shared bedroom, which matches. Write it in.
If the fodder gives several words, add the crossing letters you already have in the second box to narrow them down.
Common cryptic crossword indicators
Indicators tell you which kind of wordplay is in a clue. These are the words that appear most often in UK, Irish and American cryptics.
Anagram
The letters of the fodder are rearranged. Usually the most common clue type.
mixed, broken, wild, confused, drunk, crazy, novel, new, reformed, converted, messy, poor, badly, odd, strange, damaged, upset, ruined, cooked, sort of, arranged, designed, revolutionary
Hidden word
The answer is spelled out in consecutive letters across the clue words.
in, inside, within, held by, some, part of, partly, concealed, hides, carries, holds, from, among
Reversal
Read the wordplay letters backwards.
back, returned, returning, about, around, up (down clues), over, reflected, retiring, recalled, from the east, westward
Container / insertion
One set of letters goes inside another.
in, into, inside, holding, keeping, eating, swallowing, embracing, about, around, outside, admitting, boxing
Homophone
The answer sounds like another word.
we hear, reportedly, they say, on the radio, sounds like, said, aloud, broadcast, audibly, in conversation
Deletion
Remove the first, last or middle letters of a word.
headless, beheaded, endless, tailless, heartless, without, leaving, dropping, losing, short, almost, mostly
Initial / final letters
Take the first or last letters of a run of words.
initially, first of, at first, leaders, heads, finally, ultimately, at last, ends, tips
Alternate letters
Take every other letter of a word or phrase.
oddly, odd bits, evenly, regularly, alternately, every other, now and then
Short clue words also stand for single letters: “learner” for L, “about” for C or RE, “nothing” for O. See the full list in our cryptic crossword abbreviations.
Cryptic crossword helper FAQ
What is a cryptic crossword solver?
A cryptic crossword solver helps with the wordplay half of a clue. Once you spot an anagram, you type the letters being rearranged (the fodder) and it lists every real word they can make, filtered by any letters you already have from crossing answers.
How do I know a clue is an anagram?
Look for an anagram indicator: a word suggesting change, damage or movement, such as mixed, broken, wild, confused, drunk, reformed or novel. Then count the letters of nearby words; if they total the answer length, those words are probably the fodder.
Will it give me the answer outright?
No. It shows words that the fodder letters can make. You still check each one against the definition at the start or end of the clue, which keeps the solving yours.
Does it work for UK and Irish cryptics?
Yes. The dictionary includes British and Irish spellings, so it suits The Irish Times Crosaire, Guardian, Times and Telegraph style cryptics.