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Letter Box Puzzle is a free online word game played on a square of twelve letters — three on each side. You spell a word by tapping letters, with one rule that changes everything: two letters in a row may never come from the same side, so every step has to jump the box. Each new word must begin on the letter the previous word ended with, which turns a list of words into a single chain. The puzzle is solved when all twelve letters have been used, and each of the six hand-built boxes gives you a word budget — six words on the opening boards, four on the last two. Every board ships with its own dictionary of everyday words, and each one is proved solvable in three words before it ever reaches you, so there is always a short answer hiding in there. Play with the mouse or just type; Undo takes back a whole word, and Hint names one word that still leads to a finish from wherever you have got to.
How to play Letter Box Puzzle
- Press Play. Twelve letters appear around an open square, three to each side.
- Tap letters to spell a word, or just type them on a keyboard. A line draws itself across the box as you go, showing the path your word is taking.
- The one rule that shapes everything: two letters in a row may never come from the same side. A letter that is illegal right now fades out, and it comes back the moment you delete the letter before it.
- Words need at least three letters. Press Enter — or the Enter button — to bank the word.
- The next word has to start on the letter your last word ended with. The board tells you which letter that is, and only that letter will accept the first tap.
- Letters you have banked turn green. The puzzle is solved the moment all twelve of them are green.
- Each box has a word budget — six words on the first two, five on the next two, four on the last two. Run out with letters still white and the round ends.
- Undo takes back a whole banked word, and you can use it as often as you like. Delete removes a single typed letter.
- Hint names one real word that still leads to a finish from exactly where you are standing, so it stays useful after you have already played two words.
- Clear a box to unlock the next one. The level picker at the top jumps back to any box you have already opened.
Tips
- Look at the awkward letters first. Every box has two or three letters that only a handful of words touch — decide where those go before spending the easy ones.
- A long word is worth more than a good word. Eight letters in one go leaves four to clean up; three three-letter words leave you chained to whatever they ended on.
- The last letter of a word is a commitment, not a detail. Ending on a letter that starts almost nothing is how a promising board runs out of budget.
- Reusing a letter is free. Nothing says a letter may only be used once — it just stops helping once it is green, so use it to reach the ones that are not.
- When you are stuck with three letters left, try to fit all three into one word rather than chaining two more. Par is counted in words, not letters.
- The fading is a hint in itself. If you tap a letter and half the board dims, you have painted yourself onto one side of the square.
- Undo costs nothing but the word. There is no penalty and no timer, so backing out of a bad chain is always better than spending a word on it.
- Use Hint late, not early. It answers from your current position, so it is more useful once the board has narrowed than as an opening move.
FAQ
Is Letter Box Puzzle free to play?
Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account. Your unlocked boxes are saved on your own device.
What are the rules?
Spell words using the twelve letters around the square. Two consecutive letters may never come from the same side, every word after the first must begin on the letter the previous word ended with, and you win by using all twelve letters within the word budget.
Can I use the same letter twice?
Yes, as often as you like — within one word and across words. The only restriction is on sides, not on letters, so a letter can appear in several words with no penalty.
How many words am I allowed?
It depends on the box: six on the first two, five on the next two and four on the last two. Every box has a three-word answer in its own word list, so the budget is generous rather than tight.
Why was my word rejected?
One of four reasons, and the line under the box says which: it was under three letters, it did not start on the required letter, it used two letters from one side in a row, or it is not in this box's word list.
Which words does it accept?
Each box carries its own hand-checked list of everyday English words. It is deliberately not a full dictionary — obscure and proper-noun entries are left out so a rejected word is almost always a rule problem, not a vocabulary one.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The square scales to the screen and every letter is a tap target; the Delete, Enter, Undo and Hint buttons sit under the board so no keyboard is needed.
Is this the same as the New York Times game?
No. It is the same family of letter-square word puzzle, but these six boxes, their word lists and their word budgets were built for this site, and there is no daily puzzle or streak — you can replay any box as often as you like.