Unscramble 18 words.
Beat the clock.
30 seconds per word — unused time rolls over. Same puzzle for everyone, every day.
- 18 words
- 30s timer
- Free · no account
- 1 Read the scramble
Letters shuffled — tap or type in order
- 2 Beat the timer
30 seconds per word, bank extra time
- 3 Share your score
Emoji grid out of 18 — challenge friends
How 18 Words works
One puzzle. 18 scrambled words. 30 seconds per word. Can you survive all 18?
30-second timer
Each word gets 30 seconds. Unused time rolls over to the next word, so solving fast builds a buffer.
Tap the letters
Letters are shuffled on screen. Tap them in the right order to spell the word — or use your keyboard on desktop.
Score out of 18
Every word you solve adds to your score. Hit all 18 and you're in the top 1% of players that day.
One new puzzle daily
A fresh set of 18 words every day at midnight. Same puzzle for everyone — compare scores with friends.
Share your result
After finishing, copy your emoji grid and challenge friends to beat your score.
Free, no account needed
No sign-up, no app install, no subscription. Open the site, play the puzzle, done.
Ready for today's challenge?
18 scrambled words. 30 seconds each. One puzzle per day — same for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
18 Words is a daily word challenge. You get 18 scrambled words and 30 seconds to unscramble each one. The letters are shuffled — your job is to tap them in the right order before the clock hits zero. Unused time from one word rolls over to the next, so solving quickly gives you a buffer for harder words.
Each round shows you a scrambled word. Tap the letters in the correct order to spell it. If you get it right, the next word appears. If time runs out, the word is revealed and you move on. Your final score is how many of the 18 words you solved.
Yes. A new puzzle drops every day at midnight. The challenge is the same for everyone, so you can compare scores with friends.
Yes! On desktop, you can type the letters using your keyboard. The letters get highlighted as you type, just like tapping on mobile.
Unused time carries over. If you solve a 5-letter word with 22 seconds left, your timer for the next word starts at a higher value. Fast solving builds a time buffer.
Your score is the number of words you solved out of 18. Solve all 18 and you join the top 1% for that day. After finishing, you get an emoji grid to share your result.
About 18 Words — The Daily Word Challenge
18 Words is a daily word game that tests your speed and vocabulary at the same time. Every day a new set of 18 words is released. Each word is scrambled — letters shuffled out of order — and you have 30 seconds to unscramble it by tapping the letters in the correct sequence.
What makes 18 Words different from other word games is the timer mechanic. You start each word with 30 seconds. Solve it fast and those unused seconds carry over to the next word, building a time buffer for harder words later in the set. Struggle on an early word and you might find yourself racing against a tighter clock for the rest of the puzzle.
How scoring works
Your score is simply the number of words you solved out of 18. Solve all 18 and you're in the top 1% for that day. Solve 15 or more and you're in the top 5%. The in-game result screen shows your score, your percentile ranking, and an emoji grid you can share directly to social media or messaging apps.
The archive
Every past daily puzzle is saved in the archive. If you missed a day or want to replay a previous challenge, the archive lets you jump back to any past puzzle. Each puzzle can only be played once per day, keeping the daily challenge format intact.
Tips for a higher score
The best strategy in 18 Words is to unscramble quickly on shorter words to bank extra time. A 4-letter word you solve in 8 seconds gives you +22 seconds of buffer. Use that buffer on longer, harder words. On desktop, typing with your keyboard is faster than clicking — the keyboard listener picks up your keystrokes directly.