Code Cracker Solver

Type the numbers from your code cracker or codeword to see every word that fits. Keep your A–Z key as you go, or copy in the whole grid and crack it in one go.

Put a space between numbers. Type a letter where you know it, or ? for a square you can’t read.

How to use the code cracker solver

  1. Pick a word in your puzzle and type its numbers into Find a word, with a space between each number: 5 2 9 9 2 14.
  2. Put the letters you know in Your key, under their numbers. The solver fills them into every word and leaves out letters that are already taken.
  3. Pick the right word from the list. Its letters go into your key, ready for the next word.
  4. Stuck on the whole puzzle? Open Whole grid, copy in the numbers row by row (Black for shaded squares) and press Solve the grid, or reveal one letter at a time.

An example

Say your puzzle gives you E for 2, and a six-letter word reads:

Type 5 2 9 9 2 14 and 62 words fit: the same letter twice in the middle, E second and fifth, and no other E. BETTER, LESSER and LETTER come first. When a crossing word gives you R for 14, it’s down to 19. Add T for 9 and only seven are left: BETTER, LETTER, FETTER, SETTER, WETTER and two less common ones.

Tips for cracking a code cracker

  • Start with the letters you’re given and write them into every square with that number.
  • Look for short words and common endings such as -ING, -ED, -ER and -TION.
  • Count the numbers. The one that turns up most is often E, then T, A, O, I, N, S and R.
  • The same number twice side by side is often LL, SS, EE, OO, TT or FF.
  • Q is nearly always followed by U.
  • Cross letters off as you use them. When only a few are left, the last numbers often fall into place on their own.

Code cracker, codeword or cipher crossword?

They’re the same kind of puzzle. Papers and magazines in New Zealand and Australia call it a code cracker, British papers call it a codeword, and you’ll also see codebreaker and cipher crossword. The rule is always the same: each number stands for one letter, and no two numbers share a letter.

Many grids use all 26 letters, but not every one does, so the solver doesn’t assume it. It also doesn’t mind the grid’s size: 13 × 13 is common, and some run 15 across.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free online code cracker solver?

Yes. Code Cracker Solver is free, with no sign-up and no app to install. It runs in your web browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

Is a code cracker the same as a codeword?

Yes. It’s the same puzzle under different names: code cracker in New Zealand and Australia, codeword in the UK. You may also see codebreaker or cipher crossword. The solver works for all of them.

Can it solve the whole puzzle?

Yes. Open Whole grid, copy in every square’s number (Black for the shaded squares), put the letters your puzzle gives you in Your key, and press Solve the grid. Puzzles usually give two or three letters to start, and that’s normally enough. If you’d rather keep going on your own, press Reveal one letter instead.

What if it says a square doesn’t fit?

Usually a number was copied wrong. The solver marks that square and tells you which letter would make the grid work, so you can check it against your puzzle and fix it with one press. If it marks a whole word instead, the word may be a name or a rare word that isn’t in our list.

Will it work with the puzzle in my newspaper or puzzle book?

It works with any code cracker or codeword grid, wherever it’s printed: newspapers, puzzle magazines, puzzle books and apps, in any size. Code Cracker Solver isn’t connected to any newspaper or puzzle publisher.

Where can I find free code cracker puzzles?

Code crackers run on newspaper puzzle pages and in puzzle magazines and books. Some publishers also put a free daily one online: Lovatts, for example, has a daily Code Cracker on its website.

What are the answers to today’s code cracker?

We don’t publish answers to particular puzzles. Copy your grid into Whole grid, press Solve the grid, and you’ll have the answers to your own puzzle straight away.

Does it remember my key?

Yes. Your key and your grid are saved in this browser on this device, so they’re still there when you come back. Nothing is sent to us. Use Clear the key and Clear the grid when you start a new puzzle.

Which words does it know?

About 115,000 everyday words in British and Australian spelling, like colour, centre and organise, and about 135,000 less common ones that it checks only when nothing usual fits. They come from the free SCOWL word lists. Names aren’t included, so a mystery answer that’s a name won’t come up as a match, but its letters still show from your key.