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Word Groups
Word Groups is a Connections-style word puzzle. Sixteen words sit in a 4×4 grid and they secretly form four groups of four. Your job is to find what links each set before you make four mistakes. Every puzzle here was written by hand with deliberate red herrings, so a word that looks like it belongs in one group often belongs in another. Play as many puzzles as you like, or come back every day for the daily puzzle and keep your streak alive.
Word Groups Rules
Tap four words you think share a connection, then press Submit. If all four belong to the same group, they lock together in a colored bar that names the category. If not, you lose one of your four mistakes.
Each puzzle has exactly one solution: four groups of four, and every word belongs to exactly one group. Categories can be anything from "Shades of blue" to wordplay like "___fish" or "Hidden animals," where the link is in the spelling rather than the meaning.
Groups are color-coded by difficulty. Yellow is the most straightforward, then green, then blue, and purple is the trickiest — usually a pun, a fill-in-the-blank, or a hidden word. When three of your four picks belong to the same group you'll see a "One away…" hint.
The game ends when you find all four groups or make your fourth mistake, at which point any unsolved groups are revealed. The daily puzzle is the same for every player that day; finish it to extend your streak and copy an emoji grid of your guesses to share.
Word Groups Strategy & Tips
Look for the fifth word
If you can name five words that fit a category, one of them is a red herring that belongs somewhere else. Hold off on that group and solve the one that has no spare candidates first.
Start with the group you're surest of
You don't have to solve yellow first. Lock in whichever set has exactly four candidates — every correct group removes words from the board and makes the rest easier to see.
Read every word three ways
Many words have a second meaning (BASS is a fish and an instrument), a second part of speech (DUCK is a bird and a verb), or a sound-alike (THYME sounds like time). The purple group usually lives in those alternate readings.
Try fill-in-the-blank tests
Say each word with common partners like ___ball, fire___, or ___ cake. When four words snap into the same phrase, you've likely found the hardest group.
Shuffle when you're stuck
Your eye groups tiles that sit next to each other. Shuffling breaks those false patterns and often reveals a connection you've been looking past.
Treat "One away" as information
A one-away guess means three of your words are right. Swap just one word at a time — usually the one that also fits another category — instead of starting over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Word Groups free to play?
Yes. Word Groups is completely free in your browser on phone, tablet, or desktop. There's nothing to download and no account to create.
How many puzzles can I play?
As many as you like. Unlimited mode serves puzzles from a hand-written bank of more than 120 puzzles and avoids repeats until you've seen them all. There's also one new daily puzzle each day.
How many mistakes am I allowed?
Four. Each incorrect guess uses one mistake, and repeating a guess you've already tried doesn't count against you. After the fourth mistake the remaining groups are revealed.
What do the colors mean?
They show difficulty: yellow is the easiest group, then green and blue, and purple is the hardest. Purple groups usually rely on wordplay such as hidden words, homophones, or words that complete the same phrase.
Is this the same as the Connections game?
Word Groups is a Connections-style game with the same basic idea — find four groups of four — but every puzzle here is original and written for this site. It also adds unlimited play so you don't have to wait a day for the next one.
How does the daily streak work?
Solve the daily puzzle to add a day to your streak. Your streak and results are saved in your browser, so play on the same device to keep them. A new daily puzzle unlocks at midnight your local time.