In need of some nice word puzzles that will keep your students busy? Ask them to find as many words as they can within another word.
- They must use only the letters within the words.
- The letters can be in any order.
- They can use as few letters as they need.
Then I’d share some examples and non-examples: “I” and “red” are both valid, but “rider” is not since there’s only one ‘r’ in “soldier.”
This simple task lead to some students opting to stay inside during recess and working together to find more words. Then, every time they’d ask me to check their list, I’d have to say. “Sorry, there are still more. A lot more.” And the would go into a frenzy, diving back into their lists and dictionaries.
I learned to put some goalposts on the board so they wouldn’t come to me with only 5 words. Perhaps: Bronze medal for 20 words. Silver for 35. Gold for 60. Platinum Emerald Diamond for the person or group who finds the most!
Soldier
So… how many words can you find within “soldier”? 20? 35? 60? Even more?
Click to see my list!
- del
- deli
- delis
- die
- dies
- dire
- do
- doe
- doer
- doers
- does
- dole
- doles
- dose
- dries
- I
- id
- ides
- idle
- idler
- idlers
- idles
- idol
- idols
- ire
- is
- isle
- led
- lei
- leis
- lid
- lids
- lie
- lied
- lier
- lies
- lire
- lode
- lodes
- lord
- lords
- lore
- lose
- loser
- ode
- odes
- oil
- oiled
- oiler
- oilers
- oils
- old
- older
- oldie
- oldies
- olds
- ole
- or
- ore
- ores
- oriel
- oriels
- red
- redo
- reds
- resold
- rid
- ride
- rides
- rids
- riled
- riles
- rise
- rod
- rode
- rods
- roe
- role
- roles
- rose
- side
- sidle
- silo
- sir
- sire
- sired
- sled
- slid
- slide
- slider
- so
- sod
- soil
- soiled
- sol
- sold
- solder
- sole
- solid
- sore
Mermaid
One more? Can you find ten words within “mermaid?” 20? 30? 40? 50!?
Click to reveal the words in “mermaid”
- a
- ad
- admire
- aid
- aide
- aim
- aimed
- air
- aired
- am
- amid
- are
- arid
- arm
- armed
- dam
- dame
- dare
- dear
- die
- dim
- dime
- dimmer
- dire
- dram
- dream
- ear
- era
- I
- id
- idea
- ire
- mad
- made
- maid
- maim
- maimed
- maimer
- mare
- me
- media
- mid
- mime
- mimed
- mired
- rad
- raid
- ram
- rammed
- read
- ream
- red
- rid
- ride
- rim
- rimmed
Develop An Algorithm
Then, go beyond a simple word problem and ask students to develop a set of steps, or an algorithm, to find as many words as possible. Rather than randomly grabbing letters, what pattern can be employed? Get kids thinking about the most efficient way to solve the problem.
I had students who ate these puzzles up. They’d end up with a dictionary in hand, double-checking words and even finding new words to use! Kids loved to collaborate and figure out which words they were missing.