AllWordTools

Wildcard Solver

Mix fixed letters with ? for a single unknown and * for any run of letters to search the whole dictionary for every word that fits.

Updated July 10, 2026 6 min read

Use ? for a single unknown letter and * for any number of letters (including none). Combine both with fixed letters for powerful searches.

About the Wildcard Solver

A wildcard solver lets you search for words using flexible placeholders instead of exact letters. A question mark stands for exactly one unknown letter, while an asterisk matches any number of letters — including none — so a single search can span words of many different lengths.

This flexibility makes the AllWordTools.com Wildcard Solver ideal for open-ended searches: finding every word that starts with a string and ends with another, hunting for letter runs in the middle of a word, or expanding blank tiles across the whole alphabet. Type your pattern and every match appears instantly, grouped by length.

It is free, fast and works entirely in your browser on any device, with no sign-up and no limits.

How to use the Wildcard Solver

  1. 1

    Type your fixed letters

    Enter the letters you know in the positions where they belong.

  2. 2

    Add wildcards

    Use ? for a single unknown letter and * for any number of letters, including none.

  3. 3

    Search

    Press Search wildcards and every matching word appears, grouped by length.

  4. 4

    Copy a word

    Tap any result to copy it straight to your clipboard.

Question mark versus asterisk

The two wildcards do very different jobs. A question mark is a placeholder for a single letter, so 'c?t' matches three-letter words like cat, cot and cut. An asterisk is a placeholder for any run of letters, so 'c*t' matches cat, chart, comfort and count alike, no matter how long they are.

Combine them freely with fixed letters for precise, powerful searches. 'qu*' finds every word starting with qu, '*ing' finds everything ending in ing, and 'b??k' finds four-letter words like book, back and bulk. The solver expands each wildcard across the alphabet and returns every dictionary word that fits.

When to use the Wildcard Solver

Reach for wildcards whenever the length of the word is not fixed. It is perfect for finding words that contain a rare letter run, for exploring word families that share a prefix or suffix, and for expanding blank tiles in Scrabble or Words With Friends where a blank can be any letter.

Because results are grouped by length and ranked by score, the tool is also a great way to learn. Scanning families of words that share a pattern builds vocabulary and reveals the high-value plays hiding inside your rack.

Examples

Input

c*t

Sample output

cat, chat, comfort, count

The asterisk matches any run of letters between c and t.

Input

qu*

Sample output

quiz, queen, quartz, quilt

Everything starting with qu, any length.

Input

b??k

Sample output

book, back, bulk, beak

Two single-letter wildcards for four-letter words.

Pro tips

  • Use ? when you know the word's length and * when it can vary.
  • Combine both wildcards, like 'c?t*', to lock some positions while leaving others open.
  • An asterisk can match zero letters, so 'colour*' also returns colour itself.
  • Add more fixed letters to shrink a huge result list to something manageable.
  • For a strict, fixed-length search with only single-letter blanks, use the Pattern Solver.
Questions & answers

Wildcard Solver FAQs

The AllWordTools.com Team

Word-game specialists and language enthusiasts building fast, accurate tools that help millions of players find the right word. Last reviewed July 10, 2026.

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