Letter Boxed is an elegant daily word puzzle from the New York Times where twelve letters are arranged on the sides of a square, and your goal is to use every letter by forming connected words in as few words as possible. Each word must start with the last letter of the previous word, and consecutive letters in a word must come from different sides of the box. It’s simple to understand, surprisingly tricky to solve, and deeply satisfying when you crack it in just two or three words.
Created by Sam Ezersky and launched as part of the NYT Games collection, Letter Boxed has become one of the most beloved daily puzzles alongside Wordle and Connections. The game presents a square with three letters on each side (twelve total). You form words by drawing lines between letters, but you can never use two consecutive letters from the same side of the square. This constraint is what transforms a simple word-finding exercise into a genuine puzzle — common words become impossible because their letter patterns don’t fit the box layout.
The daily challenge is to use all twelve letters in five words or fewer, with each word starting where the previous one ended. Expert solvers aim for the elusive two-word solution, which exists for every puzzle but often requires obscure vocabulary or creative word choices. The community shares solutions and strategies daily, debating the merits of three-word versus two-word approaches and celebrating particularly elegant solutions.
What makes Letter Boxed special is how it rewards vocabulary breadth over depth. You don’t need to know difficult words — you need to know the right words for each specific letter arrangement. A common seven-letter word might be useless if its letters cluster on one side of the box, while an unusual five-letter word might be the key to a two-word solve. The puzzle refreshes daily, ensuring a new challenge every morning.
How To Play Letter Boxed
- Click letters around the square to form words. Each word must use at least three letters.
- Consecutive letters in a word must come from different sides of the square.
- Each new word must start with the last letter of the previous word.
- Use every letter at least once to complete the puzzle. Letters can be reused across words.
- Try to solve it in five words or fewer — two words is the ultimate challenge.
- A new puzzle is available every day.
