How Find Words Fast Works

Enter a pattern. Get matching words instantly.

By David Alexander · Published 26 April 2026 · Updated 6 May 2026

Find Words Fast is a pattern-based word search tool designed to help you quickly discover the exact words you need based on the letters you already know. Whether you are solving a tricky puzzle or strategising your next board game move, our tool gives you instant answers.

How to Enter a Pattern

Use wildcards to represent unknown letters in your search. Use a question mark (?) for exactly one unknown letter, and an asterisk (*) for any number of unknown letters.

  • sc?re Finds 5-letter words starting with "sc" and ending with "re" (e.g., score, scare).
  • *tion Finds words of any length that end in "tion" (e.g., action, constitution).
  • c*t Finds words starting with "c" and ending with "t" with any number of letters in between.
  • ?a?e Finds 4-letter words with "a" as the second letter and "e" as the fourth (e.g., bake, late).

Filter by Word Length

When you have a specific space to fill, use the Word Length field alongside your pattern to show only words of an exact length. Enter a number and the results narrow down instantly — no extra steps.

Advanced Filters

Click the settings icon next to the search box to reveal advanced options. You can filter results by words that start with specific letters, end with specific letters, must contain certain letters, or exclude letters entirely. Combine these with your wildcard pattern for precise results.

Great for Scrabble

Find Words Fast is an essential tool for Scrabble players who need to find words that fit into specific spots on the board. Use wildcards to represent your blank tiles or the unknown spaces between letters already played.

Every word in the results displays its Scrabble point value — the number shown below the word. This is the sum of each letter's standard tile value (A=1, B=3, C=3, D=2, E=1, and so on up to Q=10 and Z=10). You can use these scores to quickly compare plays before choosing your move. Note that the displayed score is the base tile value only and does not include premium board squares.

Click Any Word for Its Definition

Not sure if a word is what you think it means? Click any result and a definition panel opens inline — showing the part of speech and meaning, sourced in real time. A copy button lets you grab the word to use elsewhere. Click the word again (or the × button) to close the panel.

Three Tools — Jump Between Them

Find Words Fast includes three connected tools. The Word Finder matches patterns using wildcards. The Anagram Solver finds valid words you can make from a set of letters, grouped by length. The Wordle Solver filters valid Wordle answers based on your green, yellow, and grey tile constraints.

After a search, each tool offers a jump link to the most relevant next tool — so you can move from a pattern search to an anagram check, or from a Wordle constraint to the word finder, without re-entering your letters manually.

Great for Crosswords

It is also the perfect companion for crossword enthusiasts looking for words that match a specific pattern of known and unknown letters. Just type in the letters you have solved and use question marks for the empty boxes.

Powered by Datamuse

Our word database is powered by the Datamuse API, a fast and reliable word-finding engine that searches across hundreds of thousands of English words to ensure accurate and comprehensive results for every query.

No Account Required

Find Words Fast is completely free to use with no account required. No sign-ups, no paywalls, no intrusive data collection. Just type your pattern and get results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Use ? to represent exactly one unknown letter and * to represent any number of unknown letters. For example, ST????? finds 7-letter words starting with ST, and *tion finds words ending in "tion". You can combine both wildcards in a single pattern, such as c*t??? to find words starting with C, ending with T, with at least three letters after the T.
Yes — it is designed for exactly this. Use ? for blank tiles or unknown board positions and enter the letters you already have. You can also use the Word Length filter to match a specific number of squares, and the advanced filters to exclude letters that won't fit on your board.
Enter a number in the Word Length field next to the search box. The results will be filtered to show only words of that exact length. This is particularly useful when filling a specific number of squares in a crossword puzzle.
Yes, completely free. No account, no signup, no paywall. Just enter your pattern and get results instantly. We are funded by advertising, which keeps the tool free for everyone.
The ? wildcard stands for exactly one unknown letter. The * wildcard stands for any number of unknown letters, including zero. So ?AT matches three-letter words like bat, cat, hat, while *AT matches at, bat, flat, combat, and any other word ending in AT.
Yes. Patterns like S*N? combine wildcards freely — that one finds words starting with S, ending with any letter, with N as the second-to-last letter and any number of letters in between (suns, scans, slogans, and so on). The Word Length filter pairs well with combined wildcards to narrow results down to a usable count.
Must Include narrows results to words containing every letter you enter, anywhere in the word. Exclude Letters drops any word containing any letter you enter. Used together, they are powerful for crossword grids where you know some letters that must appear and others that the crossing words have already ruled out.
Word Finder uses the Datamuse API, which is filtered by frequency to keep results to recognisable English words. A few low-frequency Scrabble-valid words may not appear at certain lengths. If you suspect a word should match, the Anagram Solver and Wordle Solver use different word lists and may surface it instead.