puzzlerplazaWhat is 18 Words?
18 Words is a daily unscrambling puzzle. Each day you face 18 scrambled words, and your goal is to rearrange the letters into the correct word before that word's timer runs out. Every word comes with a fresh 30-second clock — there is no single overall timer and no banking of leftover seconds — so each word is its own short race. If time expires on a word, the answer is revealed and play simply moves on to the next one; there is no game-over, and all 18 words are always attempted. Your score is the number of words you solved out of 18. On the result screen you can see that score alongside a daily percentile showing how you compared with other players, and you can share an emoji grid of your results. If you get stuck on a word, you can spend one of three hints available per run to reveal a letter. The same puzzle is served to every player each day and resets at midnight, and past days can be replayed from the Archive, where old puzzles also play once per day. The game is free, runs on the web, has no ads and no sign-up, and is designed with ESL players in mind as a vocabulary sharpener.
How 18 Words works
- Goal
Solve as many of the day's 18 scrambled words as you can before each word's 30-second timer expires.
- Your moves
- Rearrange the scrambled letters into the correct word
- Spend a hint to reveal a letter
- Share an emoji grid of your results
- Replay a past day from the Archive
- Reading the feedback
- Word timer
- 30 seconds remain for the current word; expiry reveals the answer and moves you on.
- Score out of 18
- How many words you solved in the daily puzzle.
- Daily percentile
- How your score ranks among that day's players, e.g. 18/18 is Top 1%.
- When a round ends
A run ends after all 18 words have been attempted — solved or revealed — and the result screen shows your score and daily percentile. A new puzzle arrives at midnight.
Your first round
- Open the daily puzzle and face the first scrambled word with its own 30-second timer.
- Tap or type the letters to arrange them into the correct word before time runs out.
- If stuck, spend one of your three run-wide hints to reveal a letter.
- Solve the word or let the timer reveal it, then continue to the next of the 18 words.
- After word 18, view the result screen showing your score and daily percentile, and optionally share the emoji grid.
Easy to miss
- Hints are three per run, not three per word — spending them early leaves none for later.
- Leftover time on one word does not carry to the next; every word starts with a fresh 30 seconds.
- Timing out is not a loss: the word is revealed and you keep going through all 18.
- Archived puzzles also play once per day, so replays are still paced.
Is 18 Words for you?
- You enjoy short, timed word puzzles that fit into a few minutes a day.
- You like comparing your score against other players through percentiles and shared results.
- You are an ESL learner looking for a daily vocabulary workout.
- You prefer untimed puzzles with room to think about each answer at length.
18 Words compared with similar games
Swipe sideways to see all 4 games.
| Detail | 18 Words | Sexaginta-quattuordle | Crucigramas Del Dia | TypeCircuit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You find | scrambled words | 64 five-letter words | a Spanish crossword grid | Quotes from games, movies, and anime |
| You work from | scrambled letters and optional letter hints | Tile colors plus red and purple hint letters | horizontal and vertical Spanish clues | The displayed quote text |
| Attempts | 18 words per daily puzzle, 3 hints per run | 70 guesses | Not stated | Not stated |
| New puzzles | New puzzle daily | Not stated | Not stated | New puzzle daily |
| Access | Free | Free | Free | Free |
18 Words FAQ
Is 18 Words free to play?
Yes, it is free and runs on the web. There are no ads and no sign-up required.
How many words do I get in each puzzle?
Each daily puzzle contains 18 scrambled words, and your score is how many of the 18 you solve.
How much time do I have per word?
Each word gets a fresh 30-second timer with no banking or borrowing of time. If time runs out, the word is revealed and play moves on to the next one.
How many hints do I get?
You get three hints per run, each revealing a letter. They are shared across the whole run, not per word.
Can I play past puzzles?
Yes. The Archive lets you replay past days, and old puzzles still play once per day.
Source checked 11 Oct 2026. This guide is based on the game's published rules. How we check guides · Official game
