How to play Letter Boxed (and find two-word solves)

Twelve letters sit around a square, three per side. Build a chain of words that uses all twelve — with two catches: consecutive letters can't come from the same side, and each word must start with the last letter of the word before it.

The rules

• Words must be at least three letters; letters may be reused freely.
• Consecutive letters never come from the same side of the square.
• Each new word starts with the previous word's final letter.
• Solve by using all twelve letters — in as few words as you can. A new puzzle lands daily at 3am US Eastern Time.

The two-word method

1. Anchor on the rare letters. Find the Q, Z, X or J first. Very few words contain them, which collapses your options fast — today's first word almost always exists to mop up the awkward letters.
2. Plan the bridge letter. You need word one to end with a letter that can start a word covering everything left. Scan for strong starters (S, C, P, T, R) among the letters and aim your first word to finish there.
3. Go long first. A 7–9 letter opener that covers eight or nine unique letters leaves a simple cleanup word. Two mid-length words fail more often than one long + one short.
4. Mind the sides, not just the letters. A word can die because two needed letters share a side. When you're stuck, the blocker is usually a same-side pair — reroute through a letter on another side.

Board facts, word shapes and the official solution for today's puzzle: Letter Boxed answers today →