How to play ItWord

The basics

An example game

Say the ItWord were PLANET. Each round's word starts and ends on neighbouring letters of it, and gets one letter longer, until the last round wraps back around to the first letter.

1. Round 1: 3 letters, from P to L

   PAL

   P

   A

   L

2. Round 2: 4 letters, from L to A

   LAVA

   L

   A

   V

   A

3. Round 3: 5 letters, from A to N

   APRON

   A

   P

   R

   O

   N

4. Round 4: 6 letters, from N to E

   NATURE

   N

   A

   T

   U

   R

   E

5. Round 5: 7 letters, from E to T

   ELEMENT

   E

   L

   E

   M

   E

   N

   T

6. Round 6: 8 letters, from T to P

   TEARDROP

   T

   E

   A

   R

   D

   R

   O

   P

Any valid word that fits will do, but the rarer it is, the more points it scores.

How the rounds work

• There are six rounds, one for each letter of the ItWord.
• Each round's word must start on one letter of the ItWord and end on the next. The first and last letters are filled in for you.
• Words get one letter longer each round: three letters in round one, up to eight in round six.
• The final round wraps around, ending on the ItWord's first letter.
• A round is complete as soon as you enter a valid word. If a word isn't recognised, try another.

Points in detail

• Every valid word that fits a round is ranked by how often it's used. The rarest words score 17 points, and more common words score less, down to as few as 3.
• The best possible words for a round also earn a star.
• Each guess that isn't a recognised word costs 1 point, up to 5 points per round.
• Each round's clock starts when the previous one ends, and you lose 1 point for every full 3 minutes a round takes, up to 5 points per round.
• Your final score is the total of your words' points less any penalties, from 0 to 100.

Leaderboards and accounts

• Anyone can play, with or without an account.
• With a free account your games appear on the daily leaderboard, and your profile tracks your stats, streak, best words and game history.
• Players are ranked by score, then by fewest incorrect guesses, then by fastest time.
• Today's leaderboard unlocks once you've finished today's game, so it never spoils the answer. Past days' leaderboards are open to everyone.
• When you finish, you can share your result. It includes your score, time and incorrect guesses, but never your words.

Tips for a higher score

• Think beyond the first word that comes to mind. Unusual and specialist words often score far more.
• Make sure a word is real before you enter it, as every miss costs a point.
• Keep an eye on the clock. A good word now can be worth more than a perfect one in six minutes' time.
• Plurals and other word forms count too, which can open up extra options.

Frequently asked questions

What is ItWord?

ItWord is a free daily word game. Each day there's a new 6-letter ItWord, and you chain together 6 words from its letters, scoring more points the less common your words are.

How do the rounds work?

Each round gives you a start and end letter, taken from neighbouring letters of the ItWord, and a word length: three letters in the first round, growing by one each round up to 8. The final round wraps around, ending on the ItWord's first letter.

How is my score worked out?

Every valid word scores up to 17 points, depending on how uncommon it is compared with the other words that fit the round. You lose 1 point for each invalid guess (up to 5 per round) and 1 point for every 3 minutes a round takes (up to 5 per round). Your total score runs from 0 to 100.

Do I need an account to play?

No, anyone can play. A free account puts your results on the daily leaderboard and gives you a profile with your stats, streak and best words.

Can I see past answers?

Yes. Every past day's leaderboard shows that day's ItWord along with its definitions and the top scoring players.