Word Groups

Word Groups is a free word puzzle where you sort 16 words into four hidden groups of four before you run out of mistakes. If you like Connections, you’ll enjoy it, but Word Groups is our own original game with its own puzzles and isn’t affiliated with the New York Times or any other publisher. Play Word Groups online free in your browser, with no download or sign-up, on a phone, tablet, Chromebook or desktop.

How to play

The board shows 16 words. Hidden among them are four groups of four words that share something in common. That might be a simple category like dog breeds, or a trickier link like words that fit before “___board”.

1. Tap four words you think belong together, then press Submit.
2. If you’re right, the group locks in and reveals its name and colour.
3. If you’re wrong, you lose one of your 4 mistakes. “One away” means three of your four words belong together.
4. Find all four groups to win, then share your result.

Groups get harder by colour: yellow is the easiest, then green, blue and purple, the trickiest. Your win percentage and streaks are saved in your browser.

Strategy tips

• Expect red herrings. Most puzzles include words that seem to fit more than one group. If you spot five candidates for a category, one of them belongs somewhere else.
• Solve the easy group first. Locking in yellow takes four words off the board, which makes the overlaps in the harder groups much easier to see.
• Think about wordplay for purple. The hardest groups are often about the word itself, not its meaning: words that go before or after a common word, or words hiding something inside them.
• Use Shuffle when you’re stuck. Seeing the words in a new order can break a false pattern your eyes have locked onto.
• Treat “One away” as a clue. Don’t resubmit the same set with a random swap. Work out which word is the odd one out, and where else it could fit.
• Don’t guess early. With only four mistakes, it pays to name all four groups in your head before you submit the first one.

FAQ

Is Word Groups free?

Yes. The Daily puzzle and Practice mode are both free, with no account and no app.

Is there a new puzzle every day?

Yes. A new Daily puzzle goes live each day at midnight your local time, and it’s the same for everyone. Want more? Practice mode has 64 puzzles to work through.

Does Word Groups work on a phone or Chromebook?

Yes. Tap words on a touch screen, or on a keyboard use the arrow keys to move, Space to select, Enter to submit and S to shuffle.

What does “One away” mean?

It means three of the four words you picked belong to the same group, but the fourth doesn’t. Swap out one word and try again.

Finished today’s puzzle? Find more in our list of word-grouping puzzles to play next.