Puzzle: Words Within Words

There's a whole bunch of examples at Byrdseed.TV ➔

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!
  1. del
  2. deli
  3. delis
  4. die
  5. dies
  6. dire
  7. do
  8. doe
  9. doer
  10. doers
  11. does
  12. dole
  13. doles
  14. dose
  15. dries
  16. I
  17. id
  18. ides
  19. idle
  20. idler
  21. idlers
  22. idles
  23. idol
  24. idols
  25. ire
  26. is
  27. isle
  28. led
  29. lei
  30. leis
  31. lid
  32. lids
  33. lie
  34. lied
  35. lier
  36. lies
  37. lire
  38. lode
  39. lodes
  40. lord
  41. lords
  42. lore
  43. lose
  44. loser
  45. ode
  46. odes
  47. oil
  48. oiled
  49. oiler
  50. oilers
  51. oils
  52. old
  53. older
  54. oldie
  55. oldies
  56. olds
  57. ole
  58. or
  59. ore
  60. ores
  61. oriel
  62. oriels
  63. red
  64. redo
  65. reds
  66. resold
  67. rid
  68. ride
  69. rides
  70. rids
  71. riled
  72. riles
  73. rise
  74. rod
  75. rode
  76. rods
  77. roe
  78. role
  79. roles
  80. rose
  81. side
  82. sidle
  83. silo
  84. sir
  85. sire
  86. sired
  87. sled
  88. slid
  89. slide
  90. slider
  91. so
  92. sod
  93. soil
  94. soiled
  95. sol
  96. sold
  97. solder
  98. sole
  99. solid
  100. sore

Mermaid

One more? Can you find ten words within “mermaid?” 20? 30? 40? 50!?

Click to reveal the words in “mermaid”
  1. a
  2. ad
  3. admire
  4. aid
  5. aide
  6. aim
  7. aimed
  8. air
  9. aired
  10. am
  11. amid
  12. are
  13. arid
  14. arm
  15. armed
  16. dam
  17. dame
  18. dare
  19. dear
  20. die
  21. dim
  22. dime
  23. dimmer
  24. dire
  25. dram
  26. dream
  27. ear
  28. era
  29. I
  30. id
  31. idea
  32. ire
  33. mad
  34. made
  35. maid
  36. maim
  37. maimed
  38. maimer
  39. mare
  40. me
  41. media
  42. mid
  43. mime
  44. mimed
  45. mired
  46. rad
  47. raid
  48. ram
  49. rammed
  50. read
  51. ream
  52. red
  53. rid
  54. ride
  55. rim
  56. 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.

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