How to Find Words With Specific Letters

Containing letters is not the same as using only those letters

A contains search asks whether a word includes the required letters somewhere. A search for AER can return CRANE because it contains A, E and R plus other letters. An unscrambler answers a different question: which words can be built from a limited rack without using unavailable letters?

A reliable search sequence

1. Enter only letters that must appear.
2. Repeat a letter in the input if the word must contain it more than once.
3. Set a minimum, maximum or exact length when the puzzle provides one.
4. Add a start, ending or position constraint last.
5. Review results in context rather than assuming every dictionary match is suitable.

Examples with repeated letters

Searching for LET can match LATER, HOTEL and PLATE because each contains L, E and T. Searching for LLET is stricter: a result must contain two Ls. This matters in letter-box puzzles and when you are checking whether a repeated tile is required.

If you have a seven-letter answer that must contain RAIN, use the letter filter first and set the length to seven. That is more accurate than trying to invent a pattern for positions you do not know.

Common mistakes and useful tips

• Do not repeat a letter unless the result genuinely needs multiple copies.
• Do not use a contains search when the word must be made only from your letters.
• Start broad, then add length or position constraints one at a time.
• Check game legality separately because dictionaries differ between games and regions.

Choose the search that matches the rule

The fastest route to a useful answer is to describe the actual rule, not merely the letters on screen. Required letters, available letters and fixed positions are three different constraints, and each has a purpose-built tool.