?A?E?
Five letters, A in slot two, E in slot four.
Crossword Pattern Matcher
Find words that fit a known letter pattern using blanks, fixed letters, and simple include/exclude filters. Useful for crosswords, clue solving, and word games when you know part of the answer.
Match a crossword pattern
Use ? for blanks. For example,?A?E?looks for five-letter words with A in the second slot and E in the fourth. The matcher also accepts _ and. if you prefer those blank symbols.
How to use the matcher
Start with the answer length and any fixed letters you already know. Use ? for blanks, then add include or exclude letters only when the crossword clue or crossings justify them.
TH???
Five-letter entries starting with TH.
?R?I?E
Seven letters with R, I, and E already fixed in place.
If you do not know any fixed letters yet, start with the 7-letter hub or go back to the full Word Lists hub to browse by length before you narrow further. If the clue is broader than one strict pattern, try the Word Finder.
Related tools
Switch when you need broader mixed filters, a looser rack solve, or a quick one-word dictionary check.
Crossword Pattern Matcher FAQ
Start with a fixed-length pattern, then narrow it with include or exclude letters when the clue gives you more to work with. If you want a broader browse, the related Word Lists pages below are the next step.
What symbol should I use for blanks?
Use ? as the recommended blank symbol. The matcher also accepts _ and . if that matches the crossword app or notation you already use.
Does this tool search the full Xfire word-reference corpus?
Yes. It uses the same broad English corpus that powers Xfire's Word Lists pages, so it is useful for crosswords, clue solving, and general letter-pattern searches. It is not an official tournament dictionary.
Why are the results alphabetical instead of ranked by popularity?
Results are sorted alphabetically so they are easy to scan. The score column is there as extra context, not as a hidden popularity rank.