The complete guide

How to Play a 4 Word Grid

Your goal is a 4×4 word square: four words across that are repeated down in the same order. You have 90 seconds and no more than 15 swaps.

Three moves to learn

From shuffle to symmetry

  1. 01

    Select two letters

    Tap or click a tile, then a second tile. Those two letters exchange places and count as one swap.

  2. 02

    Follow the feedback

    Green is exact. Orange belongs somewhere else in that row. A plain tile needs to move to another row.

  3. 03

    Match rows and columns

    Finish when row 1 equals column 1, row 2 equals column 2, row 3 equals column 3, and row 4 equals column 4.

Solve with less guessing

Useful 4 word grid tactics

Start with green tiles

Leave exact green letters in place when possible. They anchor both a row and a column, so moving one can undo two correct clues at once.

Repair rows before columns

Orange tells you a letter already belongs in that row. Rearranging orange letters can solve several row positions while the matching columns improve automatically.

Use symmetry as a check

The tile at row 2, column 4 must match the tile at row 4, column 2. Comparing mirrored positions quickly reveals which letters are still misplaced.

Save the hint for a dead end

The one-use hint performs a helpful swap. Try the clear color-based moves first so the hint can resolve a harder choice later.

What a solved grid means

Four words, not one repeated word

A solved puzzle contains four words. Read the first row and then the first column: they match. Do the same for the second row and second column, then the third and fourth pairs. The four rows do not all need to be identical.

Ready for the grid?

Put the rule into practice

Play Symmetry 16