How to Play Letter Boxed: The Complete Beginner-to-Expert Guide (2026)

⚡ Quick Answer

Letter Boxed is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times. Twelve letters sit on the four sides of a square (3 per side). You spell words by clicking letters, but no two consecutive letters can come from the same side. Each new word must begin with the last letter of the previous word. The goal is to use all 12 letters in as few words as possible; 3 words or fewer is the NYT target; 2 words is expert level.

Use AI Word Solver's free Letter Boxed Solver to get instant help whenever you’re stuck.

1. What Is Letter Boxed?

Letter Boxed is a daily word puzzle created by The New York Times, launched by the NYT Games team in 2019. It sits alongside other beloved daily puzzles like Wordle, Connections, and the Crossword and has quickly earned a devoted global following.

Unlike Wordle, where you guess a hidden 5-letter word, Letter Boxed gives you all 12 letters upfront. The challenge lies entirely in how you chain those letters into words. Letters are arranged three per side on a square, and you must build a sequence of valid English words that collectively use every letter at least once.

The puzzle rewards vocabulary, spatial thinking, and strategic planning in equal measure. A fresh board is released every day at midnight Eastern Time, making it a shared global challenge, the kind you discuss (and brag about) with friends.

AI Word Solver, we cover every NYT puzzle in depth. Whether you need a Letter Boxed solver, today’s Wordle Hints, or strategy guides, we’ve got you covered.

2. How to Play Letter Boxed — Step by Step

Follow these six steps from first click to completed puzzle:

1. Open today’s free puzzle. Go to nytimes.com/puzzles/letter-boxed or open the NYT Games app. No subscription is needed for the daily puzzle.

2. Study the board before your first move. Spend 30 seconds mapping which letters share a side. Those letters can never be used back-to-back. Spot any rare letters (Q, X, Z, J) — plan around them first.

3. Spell your first word. Click or tap letters to form a word of at least 3 letters. You can jump freely between sides, just never two consecutive letters from the same side. Valid words turn green; invalid ones flash red.

4. Chain each new word off the last letter. Your next word must begin with the final letter of the word you just submitted. If your word ends in G, your next word must start with G. This chaining rule is the heart of the puzzle.

5. Cover all 12 letters. Used letters darken on the board. Keep steering words toward uncovered letters until all 12 are used at least once. You may reuse any letter freely.

6. Win and share your score. The puzzle ends when all letters are covered. Fewer words = better score. Share your result the same way you’d share a Wordle.

💡 PRO TIP FROM AIWORDSOLVER.COM

If you’re stuck mid-puzzle, visit our free Letter Boxed Solver at AI Word Solver. Enter the letters on your board and get instant word suggestions that follow all the rules, no spoilers required, just the nudge you need.

Example Word Chain

Word 1: PAINTING → Word 2: GRUEL → 🎉 Solved in 2 words! All 12 letters used.

The last letter of Word 1 (G) becomes the mandatory first letter of Word 2. Together, they cover all 12 letters on the board.

3. The Full Rules of Letter Boxed Explained

Understanding each rule precisely prevents common frustrations and unlocks better solutions:

Rule	What It Means
No same-side consecutive letters	Each move must land on a letter from a different side than the previous one. T, A, P on top? You cannot play T→A or A→P consecutively.
Minimum 3 letters per word	One- and two-letter words are rejected. Every submitted word must contain at least three letters.
Words chain by last letter	Your new word must begin with the exact letter that ended your previous word. This forces long-term planning.
Letters can be reused	You may use any letter again in later words. Each letter only needs to appear at least once in your entire solution.
Standard dictionary words only	Proper nouns, abbreviations, and slang are excluded. The NYT uses its own curated word list.
No time limit	There is no timer. Take as long as you need. The puzzle rewards deliberate thinking, not speed.

Not sure whether a word is valid for today’s board? The Letter Boxed Solver on AI Word Solver checks word validity in real time before you commit.

4. Winning Strategies for Letter Boxed

Strategy 1 — Start with the Rarest Letters

Before spelling anything, identify the awkward letters on your board — Q, X, Z, J, W, or unusual consonant clusters. Build your word plan around these first. Common letters like E, R, S, T fall naturally into place. Rare ones need deliberate placement before you run out of options.

Strategy 2 — Prefer Long Words

A single 8-letter word crossing multiple sides is far more valuable than three 3-letter words. Before committing to anything short, ask: Is there a longer word available from this starting letter? Long words reduce your total word count dramatically.

Strategy 3 — Engineer Your Chain Endings

Before submitting any word, ask: “What letter does this end on, and can I build a strong word from it?” Words ending in Q or X create dead ends. Aim to land on versatile letters — T, E, R, N, S, L — that open thousands of next words.

Strategy 4 — Hunt the Two-Word Solution

Nearly every daily puzzle has a two-word solution. Look for a word whose last letter starts a second word that together covers all 12 letters. Actively hunting for it — even when you don’t find one always reveals a more efficient 3-word path.

Strategy 5 — Anchor with Common Suffixes

Suffixes like -ING, -TION, -NESS, -MENT, -LY, and -ER cover 2–5 letters in a single clean stretch. Build a mental library of words ending this way before you start each puzzle. If those letter sequences exist on your board, they’re gold.

🔗 RELATED ON AIWORDSOLVER.COM

Explore our full Letter Boxed Strategy & Tips guide for deep-dives into advanced techniques. Also check out our Wordle Solver and Connections Hints — all free tools for NYT puzzle fans.

5. Expert Tips to Solve Today’s Puzzle Faster

• Map the vowels first. Identify which sides hold A, E, I, O, U. Your words must cycle through those sides; a plan that ignores vowels stalls fast.

• Plan your full chain mentally before clicking. Spend 60 seconds thinking through a complete solution. A rough "Word A → Word B → Word C" plan prevents painful mid-puzzle dead-ends.

• Watch the uncovered letters obsessively. After every word, immediately scan what remains. Steer your next word toward uncovered letters. This single habit cuts your average word count significantly.

• Work backwards when stuck. Think about what word could end your solution, covering the remaining stubborn letters. Then figure out what chains into it. Reverse thinking breaks blocks faster than forward guessing.

• Don’t fear reusing letters. Reusing covered letters is fine; what matters is net new coverage. A word reusing two letters while covering three new ones is a great move.

• Use AI Word Solver when you need a nudge. Our free Letter Boxed Solver at AI Word Solver gives instant suggestions without spoiling the full answer. Perfect for a single-word hint.

6. Where to Play Letter Boxed

• NYT Games Website — nytimes.com/puzzles/letter-boxed. Official source. Daily puzzle is always free, no account required.

• NYT Games App (iOS & Android) — Polished mobile experience with haptic feedback and streak tracking.

• NYT Games Subscription — Unlocks the full archive of past puzzles for unlimited practice. Ideal for serious players.

• AI Word Solver — aiwordsolver.com/letter-boxed. Our dedicated Letter Boxed hub: solver, today’s answer, strategy guides, and tips all in one place.

7. How AI Word Solver Can Help You

AI Word Solver is your dedicated companion for every NYT word puzzle. Here’s everything we offer for Letter Boxed players:

Tool / Resource	What It Does
Letter Boxed Solver	Enter your board letters and get instant, valid word suggestions — all rule-compliant.
Today’s Answer	Daily updated Letter Boxed answer with full solution walkthrough.
Strategy & Tips Guide	Deep-dive into advanced two-word strategies, suffix anchoring, and chain planning.
Wordle Solver	Free solver for the NYT Wordle puzzle — unlimited guesses, full pattern matching.
Connections Hints	Answer-Page for the NYT Connections puzzle.
Puzzle Blog	Guides, how-to articles, and daily answer posts for all NYT Games.

All tools on AI Word Solver are completely free to use. No account, no paywall, no limits.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of Letter Boxed?

Use all 12 letters on the board at least once, in as few chained words as possible. Solving in 3 words is strong. A 2-word solution is expert-level and achievable in nearly every daily puzzle with the right strategy.

How many words do you need to solve Letter Boxed?

There’s no hard cap. You can use as many words as needed. The NYT par is typically 3–4 words. Most players solve in 3–6. Expert players hunt for 2-word solutions. If you’re stuck at 6+, try our Letter Boxed Solver for a quick hint.

Is Letter Boxed free to play?

Yes. The daily puzzle is free on the NYT website and app — no account or subscription required. A paid NYT Games subscription unlocks the full archive of past puzzles.

Why won’t my word work?

Check four things: (1) Are any two consecutive letters from the same side? (2) Is the word shorter than 3 letters? (3) Does it start with the last letter of your previous word? (4) Is it in the NYT word list? Proper nouns and abbreviations are excluded. These four causes explain 95% of rejections.

How is Letter Boxed different from Wordle?

Wordle asks you to guess a hidden 5-letter word in 6 tries. Letter Boxed gives all letters upfront — the challenge is in sequencing them into chains. Wordle tests deduction; Letter Boxed tests vocabulary, planning, and spatial reasoning. Both are free and daily. We cover both: see our Wordle Solver and Letter Boxed Solver.

Where can I find today’s Letter Boxed answer?

Nytsolvers publishes today’s Letter Boxed answer every day, with a full walkthrough explaining the 2- or 3-word solution. We also explain why the solution works — so you learn, not just copy.

Can I use AI Word Solver during the puzzle?

Absolutely. Our Letter Boxed Solver is designed to give you a single-word nudge or a full solution — your choice. You decide how much help you want. Visit aiwordsolver.com/letter-boxed-solver anytime you’re stuck.

Ready to Solve Today’s Puzzle?

You now know the rules, the strategies, the expert tips — everything you need to crack Letter Boxed every day. Put it all into practice, aim for 3 words, and hunt for that 2-word solution.

Whenever you need a hand, AI Word Solver is here: solver, today’s answer, tips guide, and more — all free, all on one site.