Rules

How to play word chain

There are two games people call word chain. Here are the rules for both, and how our puzzles score them.

1
Read the ends
Look at the first and last word. Each hidden word in between shows its first letter and how many letters it has.
2
Find the next link
Type a word that pairs with the word above it to make a compound word or a common phrase, like SNOW + BALL.
3
Use the letters
A wrong guess reveals one more letter. You can also ask for a hint. A word that is fully revealed counts as missed.
4
Finish and share
When every word is filled in, share your result as coloured squares. Green is clean, yellow used letters, red was revealed.

Compound word chains

This is the format of our daily puzzle, unlimited mode and Chain Reaction, and the one BuzzFeed and game shows made popular. Every neighbouring pair forms something real:

DOOR → STEP → FATHER → HOOD: doorstep, stepfather, fatherhood.

Pairs can be written as one word (doorbell), with a hyphen (check-in) or as two words (bus stop). The order matters: bow tie works, but tie bow does not.

Scoring

Green square: you solved the word with only its first letter showing.
Yellow square: you solved it after extra letters appeared.
Red square: the word had to be fully revealed.

A perfect chain is all green with no hints. Unlimited mode counts a streak of chains with no red squares.

Last letter word chains

The spoken classic. Each word starts with the last letter of the word before: apple → egg → goat → tiger → rope. No repeats, and in most house rules you get a few seconds to answer. Play it against the computer in the last letter game, or try the Japanese version, shiritori, where a word ending in N loses.

Tips

Read the word above with a blank after it, out loud: “tooth ___”. Brush, paste, pick.
Then check the word below. Only one of those will also join it.
Think of common joiners: back, ball, book, day, house, light, line, man, room, side, time, way, work.
Stuck on the first letter alone? Use a hint early rather than burning wrong guesses.

Want to see more? We have word chain examples with answers, and the generator makes new ones.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is a word chain?

A sequence of words where each one is connected to the next. In compound chains the connection is a phrase or compound word (rain → bow). In last letter chains each word starts with the final letter of the previous one (cat → tiger).

What are the rules of the word chain game?

Each word must link to the one before it. No word can repeat. Our puzzles accept compound words, hyphenated words and common two-word phrases, and they accept any answer that fits the letters shown and links both neighbours.

How many players can play word chain?

The daily and unlimited puzzles are single-player. Chain Reaction supports two players on one device, and challenge links let any number of friends play the same chain.

Is word chain good for kids?

Yes. Easy mode uses only very familiar pairs like cup + cake and bus + stop. The spoken last letter game works for children as soon as they can spell short words.

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