How to Do a Crossword Puzzle: A Beginner's Guide
To do a crossword, read a clue, count the squares for its answer, and write one letter per square, across (left to right) or down (top to bottom) from the numbered square. Start with the clues you're surest of, especially fill-in-the-blanks and short words, then use the letters they give you to crack the clues that cross them.
How a crossword grid works
- White squares each hold one letter. Black squares (or gaps) separate the words.
- Numbers mark the first square of every answer. The clue list is split into Across and Down, and each clue starts with the number of its first square.
- Across answers read left to right; Down answers read top to bottom. They never run backwards or diagonally.
- Most squares belong to two answers, one across and one down. That's the heart of solving: every answer you get gives you letters in the answers that cross it.
| Across | Down |
|---|---|
| 1 Farm animal that moos (3) | 1 Pet that purrs (3) |
| 4 Space or region (4) | 2 Rocks mined for metal (4) |
| 6 Age from 13 to 19 (4) | 3 Seven days (4) |
| 7 Where clouds float (3) | 5 "Do you have ___ questions?" (3) |
Look at how the numbers work. Square 1 starts an across answer and a down answer, so it gets one number for both. Square 5 starts only a down answer, and square 4 only an across. Numbers simply go in reading order, left to right and top to bottom.
A step-by-step method
- Read through all the clues once without stopping. Fill in any answer you know straight away.
- Start with fill-in-the-blanks. Clues like "Twinkle, twinkle, little ___" are the easiest way in.
- Count the squares. The length rules out most wrong guesses. A five-letter answer to "Big striped cat" is TIGER, not LION.
- Work from the letters you have. Go to the clues that cross your first answers. A word with two or three letters filled in is much easier.
- Write in guesses lightly (in pencil on paper). If the crossing words don't fit, rethink one of them.
- Leave the hardest clues for last and come back to them. A fresh look, and a few more crossing letters, often makes them obvious.
The main types of crossword clues
| Clue type | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Straight definition | Bird that quacks | DUCK |
| Fill in the blank | Twinkle, twinkle, little ___ | STAR |
| Abbreviation | Doctor, for short | DR |
| Plural | Rocks mined for metal | ORES |
| Past tense | Ran quickly | RACED |
| Wordplay (with ?) | Something with keys but no locks? | PIANO |
| Foreign word | Friend, in Paris | AMI |
The golden rule: the answer matches the clue's grammar. A plural clue has a plural answer, a past-tense clue has a past-tense answer, and a clue that's an adjective has an adjective for its answer. If the clue could be swapped for the answer in a sentence, you've probably got it right.
Signals hidden in the clue
- "for short", "briefly" or "abbr." means the answer is shortened too: "Street, for short" is ST.
- A question mark at the end warns of a pun or a playful meaning. Don't read it literally.
- Quotation marks around a clue mean the answer is something people say: "See you later!" could be BYE.
- "in Paris", "in Madrid" and the like ask for a word in that language.
- "e.g." or "for one" means the clue is an example and the answer is the group: "Robin, for one" is BIRD.
Common short answers every solver learns
Short words full of vowels are useful to puzzle makers, so they come up again and again. Learn these and the corners of many grids fall into place:
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| Long period of time | ERA |
| Mined rock | ORE |
| Large Australian bird that can't fly | EMU |
| Plant with soothing gel | ALOE |
| Great Lake (4 letters) | ERIE |
| Greek letter (3 letters) | ETA, RHO or PSI |
| At sea | ASEA |
| Old Norse god of thunder | THOR |
Doing GameLake's daily mini crossword
GameLake's crossword is a friendly free-form mini: words cross each other on an open grid, and the clues are straight definitions and fill-in-the-blanks, with no cryptic tricks. Here's how it plays:
- Tap a square and type. Tap the same square again to switch between Across and Down. The current clue shows above the keyboard.
- Move between clues with the arrows beside the clue, or Tab and Enter on a keyboard.
- Check marks any wrong letters in red without giving the answer away. Use it before Reveal.
- Reveal fills in one correct letter. You get three per puzzle.
- Sizes: Easy fits 5 words in a grid up to 7×7, Medium 8 words up to 9×9, and Hard 12 words up to 11×11. The Daily is a Medium puzzle that's the same for everyone and changes at midnight.
- Stars: three for solving with no reveals inside the par time (1:30 on Easy, 3:20 on Medium, 6:00 on Hard); two for at most two reveals within twice the par time.
Clues are written separately for each of GameLake's six languages, so the Spanish or German crossword is its own puzzle, not a translation.
Where crosswords came from
The first crossword is usually credited to Arthur Wynne, whose diamond-shaped "Word-Cross" puzzle appeared in the New York World newspaper on 21 December 1913. Crosswords spread quickly through newspapers in the 1920s and have been a daily habit for millions of people ever since.
Like word puzzles in general? Try our word search tips next.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read a crossword?
Each clue has a number that matches a numbered square in the grid. Across answers run left to right from that square, and down answers run top to bottom.
Where should a beginner start on a crossword?
With fill-in-the-blank clues and short answers you're sure of. Their letters then help with the clues that cross them.
What does a question mark at the end of a clue mean?
That the clue is playful: a pun or an unexpected meaning. Don't take it literally.
What does abbr. mean in a crossword clue?
It means abbreviation: the answer is a shortened form, like ST for street. "For short" and "briefly" mean the same.
Is there a free daily crossword on GameLake?
Yes. The Daily mini crossword is free, changes at midnight and is the same for every player. You can also play unlimited Easy, Medium and Hard puzzles.