How to play Vowels
Four consonants, free vowels, and as many words as you can find. Here are the rules, how points are counted and what the ranks mean.
The rules
Each puzzle shows four consonants: one orange letter in the middle and three around it. Below them is a row of vowels: A, E, I, O, U and Y. Make words from these letters:
- Every word must contain the orange consonant.
- Words are at least four letters long.
- Use no other consonants than the four on the board.
- Vowels are free: use any of them, anywhere, as often as you like. Consonants can repeat too: from M and L you can make LLAMA.
- Only real words count. Proper nouns, hyphenated words, abbreviations and offensive words are not in the list.
Type on your keyboard or tap the letters, then press Enter. Shuffle rearranges the outer consonants, which often helps you see a new word.
Scoring
- Four-letter words: 1 point.
- Five letters or more: 1 point per letter.
- Pangram, a word using all four consonants: its length plus 7 bonus points. With M, B, L and V, MOVABLE is 7 + 7 = 14 points.
Ranks
Your rank shows what share of the puzzle's total score you have reached: Beginner (0%), Good Start (5%), Moving Up (12%), Good (20%), Solid (30%), Nice (42%), Great (56%), Amazing (70%), Genius (85%) and Vowel Master (100%, every word).
Game modes
- Daily: one puzzle a day, the same for everyone.
- Archive: every earlier daily puzzle.
- Unlimited: as many random puzzles as you like.
- Skeleton: consonants in a fixed order, you add the vowels.
When you get stuck
The Hints button in the game shows how many words start with each letter and pair of letters. Our tips explain how to find more words, the answers page has hints for today and all words of past days, and the solver lists every word for any set of consonants.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a letter twice?
Yes. Vowels are unlimited, and each consonant, including the orange one, can appear as many times as you like.
Do I have to use vowels?
No, but almost every English word needs at least one. Words like LYNX or MYTH use only Y.
Does every puzzle have a pangram?
Yes, at least one. Some puzzles have several.
When does the next puzzle start?
At midnight in your time zone. Your progress on the current day is saved until then, and afterwards in the archive.