Find Words by Pattern — Free Word Search Tool
WordForge's Word Finder is a free online tool for searching the English dictionary by pattern. Unlike the unscrambler (which takes a rack of letters and finds all possible words), the Word Finder lets you specify structural constraints — prefix, suffix, contained letters, and length — and returns every word that matches. This makes it the ideal tool for crossword puzzles, vocabulary building, spelling games, and any situation where you know part of a word but not the whole thing.
To use the Word Finder, enter your constraints in the filter fields above. You can combine any number of filters: for example, set "Starts with" to "re", "Contains" to "ar", "Ends with" to "ing", and length to 5–8 letters. The finder instantly returns every matching word from our 370,000+ word dictionary. Results are sorted alphabetically with their Scrabble scores shown for reference.
Using the Word Finder for Crossword Puzzles
Crossword clues often give you a partial word with some letters filled in and blanks for the rest. For example, the clue "_A_I_" (5 letters with A in position 2 and I in position 4) could be "BASIN", "RADIO", "PAPIL", or dozens of other words. To solve this with the Word Finder:
- Set "Contains" to "a"
- Set "Contains" to "i" (each filter takes one letter)
- Set length to 5
- Browse the results for words that fit your clue's meaning
For longer patterns, combine the "Starts with" and "Ends with" filters. If you know a 9-letter word starts with "cross" and ends with "d", set those filters and length 9 — you'll get "crossword" and "crossroad".
Using the Word Finder for Vocabulary Building
If you're learning English or preparing for a vocabulary test, the Word Finder is a goldmine. Browse all words ending in "-tion" to learn noun forms of verbs. Look at all 7-letter words starting with "pre" to expand your prefix vocabulary. Filter by length to focus on 4-6 letter words (the most common in everyday speech) or 8+ letter words (for academic writing).
Using the Word Finder for Scrabble Practice
Serious Scrabble players memorize word lists. Use the Word Finder to generate those lists: all 2-letter words (essential for parallel plays), all 3-letter words containing Q (for Q-without-U strategy), all 7-letter words starting with common bingo stems like "SATINE" or "RETAIN". Copy the list with one click and study it offline.
Common Suffixes to Explore
- -ing — present participles (running, jumping)
- -ed — past tense (walked, jumped)
- -tion / -sion — noun forms (creation, vision)
- -ness — state of being (happiness, darkness)
- -ment — noun forms (development, achievement)
- -able / -ible — adjectives (capable, possible)
- -ous — adjectives (famous, dangerous)
- -ly — adverbs (quickly, happily)
- -er / -or — agent nouns (teacher, actor)
- -ify — causative verbs (simplify, clarify)