Finding words containing specific letters sounds simple until you realise there are three different questions hiding inside it. Do the letters need to appear together in order, in any order, or only somewhere in the word? Each version needs a different search, and mixing them up gives you the wrong list.
The fix is to name your version before you search. A sequence search finds QU or TION as a block. A contains search finds words with Q and Z anywhere. An only-these-letters search finds words built from your set alone. Each answers a different puzzle.
The method, step by step
- Decide which version you need: sequence together, letters anywhere, or only these letters.
- For a sequence, type the letters exactly in order, such as PH or OUGH, and nothing else.
- For letters anywhere, list each required letter separately and let the search combine them.
- For only-these-letters, type your full set and respect repeats: two copies of a letter allow two uses.
- Add a length filter when the list is too long, since length cuts results faster than most letter filters.
- Scan the shortlist for the word that fits your puzzle, game, or sentence, and check its meaning.
Worked example
Searching for words containing PH returns phone, elephant, alphabet, and philosophy, since PH appears as a block in each. Searching for words containing Q and J anywhere returns a much smaller and stranger set, including jacquard and jonquil. The same two letters give different answers depending on which version you asked for, which is why naming the version first matters.
Try it faster with the free tool
You can follow every step above by hand, and it works. But when you want the answer in seconds, the free Words With Letters does the same checking for you. Type your letters in, and it lists every word that fits.
Mistakes to avoid
- Searching for a sequence when you need letters anywhere, or the reverse.
- Ignoring repeated letters, which lets impossible words into the list.
- Forgetting to add a length filter when the result list is huge.
Quick tips
- Use sequence search for spelling patterns such as OUGH, GHT, and TION.
- Use contains search for crossword clues where you know scattered letters.
- Use only-these-letters search for rack games where every letter is limited.
- Combine with a starting or ending letter when the list stays too long.
A practice drill that builds speed
Drill by choosing one letter pair a day, such as QU, PH, or OUGH, and listing ten words that contain it, then ten more that contain two chosen letters anywhere in the word. The first list trains sequence search, the second trains contains search, and doing both daily teaches you which version a puzzle needs before you start searching. That distinction, made in the first ten seconds, is what separates a fast search from a long scroll through the wrong list.
Who this helps most
Crossword solvers, game players, and vocabulary learners will use letter search whenever they know part of a word.
Checklist before you finish
- You worked through the steps in order, instead of guessing at random.
- You checked your answer against the rules of the game or puzzle you are playing.
- You read your answer aloud to make sure it sounds right and reads naturally.
- You kept the words or letters you found in a list, so nothing was solved twice or lost.
- You tried the free tool above to confirm your answer before moving on to the next puzzle.
Name the version, search that way, and filter by length. Three decisions turn a flood of words into the one you need. The free words-with-letters tool below runs all three kinds of search from one box.