Enter a letter pattern and find every matching English word instantly. Use known letters in their exact positions and a question mark (?) for each unknown position. The length of the pattern fixes the word length. Use the length filter to override or narrow further.
Letters fix exact positions · ? matches any single letter · pattern length sets word length automatically.
Enter a pattern above and press Find Words.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Word Pattern Finder?
A Word Pattern Finder searches a dictionary for words that match a positional letter pattern. You specify the letters you already know in their exact positions and use a question mark (?) for every position you do not know. It returns every valid English word that fits the pattern.
How does the pattern syntax work?
Each character in your pattern corresponds to one letter position in the target word. A specific letter (A–Z) means that position must be that letter. A question mark (?) means that position can be any letter. The total number of characters in your pattern — including question marks — determines the word length. For example, ??AT finds all 4-letter words whose last two letters are A and T.
What is the Length override dropdown for?
By default the word length is taken directly from your pattern. The Length override lets you filter results to a specific length regardless of pattern length — useful when your pattern contains only wildcards (e.g. all ?) and you want words of a particular size. If you enter both a pattern and a length, both constraints are applied together.
Can I use this for crossword puzzles?
Yes — this is one of the most common uses. In a crossword you often know the word length and some letters from crossing words. Enter those letters in their exact grid positions and use ? for each blank square. For example, if you have a 6-letter word with T as the 3rd letter, enter ??T???.
How is this different from the Word Finder?
The Word Finder offers multiple independent filters — starts with, ends with, must contain, and length — that you combine freely. The Word Pattern Finder is specialised for single-field positional matching: you enter one pattern string and every character in it either fixes that position or wildcards it. For pure pattern work the Word Pattern Finder is faster; for multi-constraint searches the Word Finder gives more flexibility.
Can I use this for Wordle or Scrabble?
Yes to both. For Wordle, enter your known letters in their confirmed positions with ? everywhere else. For Scrabble, find board words that must start or end with a specific letter by placing that letter and using ? for the remainder. For rack-based Scrabble play with point values, the Scrabble Solver is more suited.
Why are some expected words missing?
The tool uses a curated English word list. Very obscure, highly specialised, or proper-noun terms may not be included. If a word you expect is missing, confirm the pattern is correct and that the word appears in a standard English dictionary. The list covers the large majority of common and Scrabble-valid words.
Is this tool free and does it work on mobile?
Yes on both counts. The Word Pattern Finder is completely free with no account or sign-up required and is fully responsive across phones, tablets, and desktops.