A worked solving guide
Repeated letters and blanks: count every copy.
A second E is a real constraint. A blank can cover one missing copy, but it cannot supply two different letters at once.
Examples checked
A rack keeps an exact supply of each letter
Before searching a rack, group identical tiles. AELPP supplies one A, one E, one L and two Ps. APPLE uses exactly that supply. Removing either P changes the problem; typing a letter once is not shorthand for an unlimited number of copies. Keep duplicates in the input even when you enter the rack without spaces.
A ? blank changes the supply by one letter. With AEPL?, the blank becomes a second P in APPLE or an N in PLANE. Its replacement can differ between candidates. It is not permanently assigned until you choose a word, and it is not tied to a particular position in the word.
| Candidate | Printed tiles used | Blank supplies |
|---|---|---|
| APPLE | A, E, P, L | A second P |
| PLANE | A, E, P, L | N |
| PUPAL | A, P, L | Would need both P and U — two blanks |
One blank covers one missing tile
25 matchesA E P L ? · use all letters
- APPLEFitsThe blank covers one extra P.
- PLANEFitsThe blank covers N.
- PUPALDoesn’t fitNeeds a second P and U. One blank cannot cover both.
Up to two blanks are supported, and every blank occupies exactly one letter position.
Try this exampleInclude EE means at least two Es in the whole word
Known positions follows minimum counts rather than a finite rack. Include EE asks for at least two Es anywhere. LEVEL fits with separated Es; CHEER fits with adjacent Es. EERIE has three Es and also qualifies. The requirement does not cap the count at two.
A letter already in a numbered box counts toward that same minimum. In _E___ plus Include EE, the known E in position 2 supplies one of the required Es. The word needs one more E, not two more. LEVEL therefore remains a candidate. Treating known letters and included letters as separate inventories would wrongly remove it.
Count the known E toward the total
176 matches_ E _ _ _ · include E E
- LEVELFitsE in box 2 plus E in box 4 meets the two-E minimum.
- GEESEFitsHas E in box 2 and three Es in total; extra copies are allowed.
- PETALDoesn’t fitHas the known E, but only one E in total.
The known position and the minimum count must both be satisfied.
Try this exampleUse position boxes when the repeated letters must touch
EE in Include letters does not mean the consecutive spelling EE. For adjacent Es, put them into neighboring boxes. The pattern __EE_ fixes E in positions 3 and 4. CHEER fits; LEVEL does not, even though both have two Es. If you do not know where an adjacent pair sits, try its possible locations separately rather than pretending its position is confirmed.
When nothing matches, inspect letter counts before replacing the whole search. Check whether a required E is also excluded, whether an anagram length matches the rack, and whether the available blanks cover every missing copy. Then review uncertain positions. A valid query can still return no words because this is one general American English spelling list, not every puzzle dictionary.
Fix the two Es next to each other
48 matches_ _ E E _
- CHEERFitsIts third and fourth letters are both E.
- LEVELDoesn’t fitIts Es are in positions 2 and 4, not 3 and 4.
Placement is a different constraint from the total number of copies.
Try this exampleHow these examples were checked
These explanations were prepared for Word Tile Finder. Each matching count and accepted or rejected candidate is checked at build time with the finder’s own letter matcher against the ESDB 2026.02.25 American English word list. Counts describe this release, not word popularity or official game acceptance. Read the dictionary’s scope and filtering rules or inspect its license notices.
Count copies first, then decide whether their positions matter.
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