Word Puzzles
Word Puzzles are one of the most varied types of puzzles you will come across.
A word puzzle is a puzzle where you have to figure out the secret word or phrase, and each type of puzzle has a different way of helping you figure it out. Often used to pass secret messages, word puzzles can be very complicated or very simple. One of the biggest hints to solving a word puzzle is the theme or title. Knowing this will help you narrow down what the word(s) could be. This is especially true if there are character names (for example, you're unlikely to find the name "Dumbledore" in a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed puzzle). Four of the most prevalent at HOL are Fallen Letters, Letter Tiles, Anagrams and Cryptograms.
A word puzzle is a puzzle where you have to figure out the secret word or phrase, and each type of puzzle has a different way of helping you figure it out. Often used to pass secret messages, word puzzles can be very complicated or very simple. One of the biggest hints to solving a word puzzle is the theme or title. Knowing this will help you narrow down what the word(s) could be. This is especially true if there are character names (for example, you're unlikely to find the name "Dumbledore" in a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed puzzle). Four of the most prevalent at HOL are Fallen Letters, Letter Tiles, Anagrams and Cryptograms.
Fallen Letters
Fallen Letters shows the spaces for a quote or phrase. The letters are directly below the column in which they will fit, but jumbled within the column.
How to solve: Fallen phrases can be very difficult, especially if you don't know what the quote/phrase theme is. The first thing to do is look for single/two letter words and columns that only have one letter. In the example above, the last column only has one letter, so you know that it is "n". That means that for the three letter word there, the second letter is probably "a", as three letter words that end in "yn" are very uncommon. If you look in the third row, the third word is one block. The only available letters for that block that could be a word by itself is the letter "a", so you know it's A. When you've narrowed the really easy ones down, see what letters remain to make the biggest word. Start with the first column, and write out what combinations of the letters in the following columns make words. Then, see which of those words make sense with the smaller words you've already figured out.
Where to practice: Fallen Letters 1, Fallen Letters 2
How to make: First, you must figure out what your phrase is going to be. Then, make a grid (or get some graph paper/a grid off the internet) and write out your phrase with one space per letter, and leaving a space between words. Any punctuation also gets its own square. As you're writing the words, you want to make only 19-20 blocks per line and then start the next word on the next line. You want to make sure the words fit on the lines, so if a word is going to go over, start it on the next line, again making sure there is a space at the end of the line or beginning of the next line to show there is a separation of words. Color in all the squares that are not containing a letter. Then, take all the letters in each column and write them below, mixing them up within the column so its not too easy (i.e., make sure the top letter doesn't go in the first square, etc). As with any puzzle, once you are done setting it up give it to a friend to test it out!
How to solve: Fallen phrases can be very difficult, especially if you don't know what the quote/phrase theme is. The first thing to do is look for single/two letter words and columns that only have one letter. In the example above, the last column only has one letter, so you know that it is "n". That means that for the three letter word there, the second letter is probably "a", as three letter words that end in "yn" are very uncommon. If you look in the third row, the third word is one block. The only available letters for that block that could be a word by itself is the letter "a", so you know it's A. When you've narrowed the really easy ones down, see what letters remain to make the biggest word. Start with the first column, and write out what combinations of the letters in the following columns make words. Then, see which of those words make sense with the smaller words you've already figured out.
Where to practice: Fallen Letters 1, Fallen Letters 2
How to make: First, you must figure out what your phrase is going to be. Then, make a grid (or get some graph paper/a grid off the internet) and write out your phrase with one space per letter, and leaving a space between words. Any punctuation also gets its own square. As you're writing the words, you want to make only 19-20 blocks per line and then start the next word on the next line. You want to make sure the words fit on the lines, so if a word is going to go over, start it on the next line, again making sure there is a space at the end of the line or beginning of the next line to show there is a separation of words. Color in all the squares that are not containing a letter. Then, take all the letters in each column and write them below, mixing them up within the column so its not too easy (i.e., make sure the top letter doesn't go in the first square, etc). As with any puzzle, once you are done setting it up give it to a friend to test it out!
Letter Tiles
Letter Tiles take phrases and break up the letters into tiles of 3 or 4 letters (a space and punctuation each count as a letter). Then the tiles are all scrambled up and you have to figure out the correct order to create a phrase.
How to solve: The most helpful way to solve a Letter Tiles puzzle is to print (or write) these out and separate them so you physically have the tiles. That way, you can mix them around to form words without having to deal with copying/pasting/cutting/etc. The first thing to look for is punctuation; periods, exclamation points and question marks all go at the end of sentences. Next, look for individual words surrounded by spaces like "I" or "A". Then, starting trying to put tiles together to make words. For example, the two tiles at the end of the second row make "letter". Since that is a word, you know the tile before it has to end with a space, and the tile after it either starts with a space or has letters to add to the word, like "s" to make it "letters" or "ed" to make it "lettered". Then it is trial and error until you can make out the phrase.
How to make: First, figure out your phrase! After writing it out, draw a box around every group of 3 characters (spaces and punctuation each count as one character). Double check your font to make sure all of the letters and punctuation are obvious; with many fonts commas can look a periods and lowercase "Ls" looks like an uppercase "Is" (like the font I'm using!) Take each box and arrange them into lines so that each line ends with a word or a space, so that no words are split between lines. Then take each box and mix them up, keeping the same amount of boxes in each line. Send it to a friend and see if they can figure it out before you submit it to something where people can earn a prize!
How to solve: The most helpful way to solve a Letter Tiles puzzle is to print (or write) these out and separate them so you physically have the tiles. That way, you can mix them around to form words without having to deal with copying/pasting/cutting/etc. The first thing to look for is punctuation; periods, exclamation points and question marks all go at the end of sentences. Next, look for individual words surrounded by spaces like "I" or "A". Then, starting trying to put tiles together to make words. For example, the two tiles at the end of the second row make "letter". Since that is a word, you know the tile before it has to end with a space, and the tile after it either starts with a space or has letters to add to the word, like "s" to make it "letters" or "ed" to make it "lettered". Then it is trial and error until you can make out the phrase.
How to make: First, figure out your phrase! After writing it out, draw a box around every group of 3 characters (spaces and punctuation each count as one character). Double check your font to make sure all of the letters and punctuation are obvious; with many fonts commas can look a periods and lowercase "Ls" looks like an uppercase "Is" (like the font I'm using!) Take each box and arrange them into lines so that each line ends with a word or a space, so that no words are split between lines. Then take each box and mix them up, keeping the same amount of boxes in each line. Send it to a friend and see if they can figure it out before you submit it to something where people can earn a prize!
Anagrams/Unscrambles
An anagram is a fancy word for "scrambled letters". Sometimes the scrambled letters form another word, like "night" is an anagram for "thing". Sometimes, its just random letters, like wnorb is an anagram of brown. Generally there is a theme to help you figure out what the words are. If you're extra lucky, you'll get the original word to match with the scrambled word to check off.
How to solve: The best way to solve these, even if you don't have the list of words to match it, is to start with the extra long words and the strange letter words. There are only so many 9 letter words within a given theme, and there are not many words with "z", "q" or two "f"s, so those are the types of words to start with. Something I always find helpful, like with the tiles, is to print out the letters and rearrange them into words until you find the ones that fit.
Where to practice: Anagrams
How to make: Probably one of the easiest puzzles to make, first pick your theme. Then, pick all the words or phrases you want to have them unscramble. Once you have them set, just rearrange the letters! For phrases, make sure you keep the scrambled letters in the space of the words. For example, if your phrase is "do not be sad" your anagram should be like "ot bed so doo" and not "detoasbnod". You can choose to give the original word list to help the solver out, or make them work a little harder.
How to solve: The best way to solve these, even if you don't have the list of words to match it, is to start with the extra long words and the strange letter words. There are only so many 9 letter words within a given theme, and there are not many words with "z", "q" or two "f"s, so those are the types of words to start with. Something I always find helpful, like with the tiles, is to print out the letters and rearrange them into words until you find the ones that fit.
Where to practice: Anagrams
How to make: Probably one of the easiest puzzles to make, first pick your theme. Then, pick all the words or phrases you want to have them unscramble. Once you have them set, just rearrange the letters! For phrases, make sure you keep the scrambled letters in the space of the words. For example, if your phrase is "do not be sad" your anagram should be like "ot bed so doo" and not "detoasbnod". You can choose to give the original word list to help the solver out, or make them work a little harder.
Cryptograms
A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted text, where one letter stands in for another letter. Some versions may use a number, picture or symbol to stand for a letter. To solve the puzzle, you need to figure out what each letter (/number/picture/symbol) actually stands for. While cryptograms are fun, they were first used for military secrets. It wasn't until the middle ages when monks used them as brain teasers in their spare time.
How to Solve: The first thing to check for is an order. Simple cryptograms use the alphabet in order, just shifted over. For example, A=C, B=D, C=F, etc. Sometimes they will be reversed, like A=Z, Z=A, B=Y, Y=B, etc. Sometimes though, it is random! It is helpful to write out all of the letters of the alphabet in order.
Most cryptograms will give you one or two letters, so fill those in first. Then, look at what appears the most. If the cryptogram uses numbers, and one number appears multiple times, it is probably one of the most prevalent letters of the alphabet, like e, i, r, s, or t.
Next, look at ones that are by themselves. These one letter words are probably an i or a. Look for ones that appear double in a word, these are often e's, o's, L's, s's, t's or r's.
Finally, try to figure out words that make sense. Three letter words that reoccur a lot tend to be words like "and", "one" and "the". If you know the theme, look for words that might be names or items.
Where to practice: Cryptograms
How to make: As with any other word puzzle, first you must figure out what your word or phrase is! Next, decide what you want to use as your key. Will you use numbers, pictures, or maybe other letters to represent the letters of your phrase? Once that's decided, write out a grid with all of the numbers, pictures, or letters that are possible (there should be 26 of these). Fill in the grid with what each item is going to represent (i.e. 1=c, S=k, picture of an apple=r, etc). Then go through your phrase and replace each letter with the corresponding item from the key. Finally, erase all your letters, leaving a line above the newly coded phrase. This will give them a place to write the real letter there, and if you want to be extra nice give the key grid as well (without the answers). Now send it to a friend for testing!
How to Solve: The first thing to check for is an order. Simple cryptograms use the alphabet in order, just shifted over. For example, A=C, B=D, C=F, etc. Sometimes they will be reversed, like A=Z, Z=A, B=Y, Y=B, etc. Sometimes though, it is random! It is helpful to write out all of the letters of the alphabet in order.
Most cryptograms will give you one or two letters, so fill those in first. Then, look at what appears the most. If the cryptogram uses numbers, and one number appears multiple times, it is probably one of the most prevalent letters of the alphabet, like e, i, r, s, or t.
Next, look at ones that are by themselves. These one letter words are probably an i or a. Look for ones that appear double in a word, these are often e's, o's, L's, s's, t's or r's.
Finally, try to figure out words that make sense. Three letter words that reoccur a lot tend to be words like "and", "one" and "the". If you know the theme, look for words that might be names or items.
Where to practice: Cryptograms
How to make: As with any other word puzzle, first you must figure out what your word or phrase is! Next, decide what you want to use as your key. Will you use numbers, pictures, or maybe other letters to represent the letters of your phrase? Once that's decided, write out a grid with all of the numbers, pictures, or letters that are possible (there should be 26 of these). Fill in the grid with what each item is going to represent (i.e. 1=c, S=k, picture of an apple=r, etc). Then go through your phrase and replace each letter with the corresponding item from the key. Finally, erase all your letters, leaving a line above the newly coded phrase. This will give them a place to write the real letter there, and if you want to be extra nice give the key grid as well (without the answers). Now send it to a friend for testing!
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