THE DAILY WORD CIPHER

Looks like a code. Thinks like a crossword.

Five clues. Five words. One shared cipher.

Start with a clue you know. Tap a symbol, then type its letter.

PICK A SYMBOL ABOVE
A quick reminder
01 / SPOT THE WORD

Clues get you started. Numbers and symbols hide the letters.

02 / FOLLOW THE CODE

Decode one symbol and watch that letter appear in every word.

03 / COMPARE YOUR CRACK

One puzzle for everyone, every day. Share your score. Keep the secret.

How to play

Decode five words. Matching glyphs always stand for the same letter.

  1. Pick a clue. Tap a tile, then type or choose its letter.
  2. Follow the shared symbols. Your guess appears everywhere the same symbol is used. Entering letters does not show whether they are right.
  3. Check a complete word. Amber dots mean a letter belongs elsewhere in that word. No glow means no remaining match. Correct words lock in; solve all five to finish.
Understanding checked answers

Letter feedback appears only after you check a complete word. Confirmed correct positions glow; amber dots indicate a letter elsewhere in that word. Editing clears outdated feedback until you check again. Solved words, revealed letters, and the starting letter stay locked. Matching-symbol highlighting shows which symbol you are editing, not correctness. Screen readers receive the same checked feedback.

Correcting guesses & keyboard controls

Tap a symbol and type a new letter to replace a guess everywhere. If that letter is already guessed elsewhere, it moves automatically. Confirmed letters stay locked.

Use Erase or Backspace to remove a guess, arrow keys to move, or Undo last move to restore guesses. Clear guesses asks first and keeps solved words, revealed letters, your starting letter, and revision history. Undo does not refund revision penalties.

Words, hints & symbols

Hints may point to everyday words, real places, historical surnames, folklore, or mythology. Easy puzzles can include three-letter words. Other expanded puzzles use 4–12-letter words. Longer answers wrap onto readable tile rows. Older archive puzzles keep their original words and may share a theme.

Cipher symbols are numbers, punctuation, shapes, and celestial signs. Letters appear only as your decoded answers. One symbol always represents one letter, and no two symbols represent the same letter.

Your stats

Saved on this device. Daily results count toward streaks; Extra Play and archive results stay separate.

TRY IT FIRST · NO POINTS AT STAKE

Try a three-letter word.

Solve the pet. Watch its shared symbols fill the next word.

Your daily puzzle and score stay untouched.

Clear unconfirmed guesses?

Solved words, revealed letters, and the free starting letter stay. Your points and streak do not change. Previous guesses stay remembered: changing them later costs 1 point.

Scoring rules

MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE

Accessibility & preferences

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MORE PUZZLES, WHEN YOU WANT THEM

Keep puzzling.

Today’s daily puzzle

The shared puzzle that counts toward your daily stats and streak.

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Earn points on new puzzles. Your daily streak stays separate.

Play a previous daily puzzle. Your current streak stays separate.