Crossword Helper

Never leave a square blank.

Enter your known letters and answer length to instantly find matching words. Use black squares to split multi-word answers.

7 letters
Drag to set length, then type away. Hit space to leave a square blank. Click a square or hit tab to set it as a word delimiter.

The Crossword Helper matches word patterns against around 394,000 English words, plus about 7,000 names, abbreviations and run-together phrases that appear in real puzzles but not in dictionaries – OREO, ETAL and ISEE among them. Set the answer length, click tiles to enter known letters, and the tool instantly filters for every valid match. Results are ranked by how often each answer has actually been used in published crosswords since 2000, not by how common the word is in ordinary English, which is why ERIE comes before BRIE. Black-square tiles let you split the grid into segments for multi-word answers.

The interactive tile grid is designed to reflect the way a crossword actually looks. You build the pattern visually rather than typing a format string, which makes it easy to try different letter positions without losing track of what you've already filled in. For any result you're considering, a dictionary definition is available inline so you can confirm the word before committing to it.

Need to build a crossword instead of solve one? Try the Crossword Maker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Crossword Helper free to use? +

Yes, completely free. No account or signup is needed.

How do I enter a crossword pattern? +

Set the answer length using the number buttons, then click any tile in the grid and type a letter to fill in a known position. Leave tiles blank for unknown letters. The tool searches for every word that fits the pattern.

Can it handle multi-word crossword answers? +

Yes. Click any tile and toggle it to a black square to split the grid into separate word segments. Each segment is matched independently, and results show the full multi-word combination.

How many words are in the dictionary? +

The Crossword Helper searches about 401,000 entries: around 394,000 English words plus 7,000 names, abbreviations and run-together phrases that crosswords use constantly but dictionaries do not list. Results are ranked by how often each one has actually been used as a crossword answer since 2000, measured across 5.8 million answers from 46 publications, so the answer a constructor would pick appears first.

Can I share my crossword pattern with someone else? +

Yes. The URL updates automatically as you fill in the pattern, so you can copy and share the link. Opening it restores the same grid setup.

What language does the Crossword Helper support? +

Currently English only. Multi-language support is planned for a future update.