How to Solve Codeword Puzzles

A codeword looks like a crossword with no clues, instead, every square carries a number, and every number stands for one letter of the alphabet, the same everywhere in the puzzle. Crack the code and the whole grid falls into place.

Breaking in

• Use the givens first. Our puzzles reveal two letters, write them into every square that shows their numbers before anything else.
• Hunt for common letters. The number that appears most often is usually E, then T, A, O, or N.
• Watch word shapes. A three-letter word ending in your known E is often THE; double numbers mid-word suggest LL, EE, SS, or OO.
• Keep the A-Z row current. Cross off each letter as you place it, knowing what's left is half the game.

When you stall

Pick the longest word with the most solved letters and run the alphabet against its gaps. One new letter usually starts a chain reaction, every square with that number fills at once.

Solve in comfort

Our large print codewords put the whole puzzle in big, clear squares with the code numbers easy to read, plus an A-to-Z check-off row on every page and full answer grids in the back. Fans of cryptograms and crosswords tend to love them.