Crosswordle Glossary: A Word Puzzle Terminology List
Crosswordle is a daily word game that combines the best parts of Wordle®* and classic crossword puzzles. Easy to pick up and play, it's the ideal word puzzle game for the casual player looking for an engaging and appropriately short gaming experience.
This article is a glossary of terms related to Crosswordle, and also includes other useful information such as tricks, tips and more!
Glossary jump links
Click a link to jump to a glossary section!
- Account & community terms
- Color-feedback system
- Core gameplay terms
- Game interface
- Modes & features
- Puzzle mechanics
- Strategy terms
- FAQs
Account & community terms
These are terms related to Crosswordle account usage and community interactions.
User profile
Your Crosswordle account. Access your progress, stats, leaderboard, and streaks when logged in. No account yet? Register now!
Statistics
Your gameplay data—solves, win rates, streaks and more.
Hey, Good Game
The game studio and platform behind Crosswordle and other mentally stimulating games.
Discord
A communication platform that is mostly used for text, voice and video chatting. Its main features are centered around community building, and it offers other features such as built-in social games and more. Join the Hey, Good Game Discord server today!
Color-feedback system
A familiar puzzle logic system that Wordle made famous and is used as a main mechanic in Crosswordle.
Green letter
The correct letter and in the correct position.
Yellow letter
The letter is in the correct word (row or column), but in the wrong position.
Grey letter
The letter belongs somewhere else and is not in the correct place at all. It needs to be moved elsewhere to turn yellow or green.
White letter
The letter is selected and is primed for swapping. Clicking on the white letter deselects it and returns it to its original state.
Core gameplay terms
Terms that are part of Crosswordle's core mechanics and gameplay.
Crosswordle
A hybrid word puzzle combining elements of crosswords and Wordle, where there are intersecting words across and downward. Players must rearrange letters within a grid to form valid words using limited moves, guided by a color-feedback system.
Grid
The 7x7 puzzle layout composed of intersecting horizontal and vertical words (like a crossword).
Row
A horizontal line of squares containing letters that form a valid word. Letter count usually ranges between three to seven, with very rare instances of two. Can intersect with a column.
Column
A vertical line of squares containing letters that form a valid word. Letter count usually ranges between three to seven, with very rare instances of two. Can intersect with a row.
Cell/Tile/Square
A single square within the grid, which holds one letter.
Game interface
The actions, icons, text and every other element you interact with on your screen.
Drag & drop
The action of clicking/tapping and moving letters to swap their places and form words.
Swap counter
The indicator shows how many swaps you’ve made and how many are left.
Feedback button
Clicking/tapping this button redirects you to a feedback form where you can input your feedback, concerns, and ideas.
Three-line drop-down menu
A clickable/tappable button that pulls out a menu showing other features and games within the website.
Stats button
Clicking/tapping this button shows your current stats. Only available when logged in with a Crosswordle account.
Leaderboard button
Clicking/tapping this button shows the current high-scoring players. Only available when logged in with a Crosswordle account.
Game community button
Clicking/tapping this button redirects you to join the Hey, Good Game Discord server. Only available when logged in with a Crosswordle account.
Settings button
Clicking/tapping this button redirects you to an Account Settings page, where you can change and adjust things like your username and other preferences.
Modes & features
These refer to the different modes and features available in Crosswordle.
Daily mode
New daily word puzzles every day. Players can compete for streaks and compare results globally.
Practice mode
Unlimited puzzles for skill-building without pressure. Doesn’t affect your streak but stars earned here count toward a different leaderboard.
Score streak
The number of Daily Mode puzzles you've completed consecutively.
Leaderboard
Ranking boards showing top-performing players based on speed, accuracy, streak and stars earned.
Puzzle mechanics
Swap
The act of switching two letters’ positions. Used to gradually rearrange the grid into correct words and turn all rows and columns green.
Swap stock/count
The maximum number of swaps you can make to solve a given puzzle. Your swap stock/count decreases after each guess you make. Once it reaches zero, the game ends in failure.
Stars
Your score that corresponds to the number of swaps left. There is always a max score of six stars per game, whether you're doing daily puzzles or Unlimited Mode.
Valid word
A real word recognized by the game’s dictionary. Each row and column must spell a valid word to complete the puzzle.
Strategy terms
These are terms used to identify certain strats in playing Crosswordle.
Anchor word
A word (row or column) that appears nearly or completely solved from the start. Often used as a starting point for solving.
Pathing
The strategic process of determining the most efficient swaps to solve the puzzle within the allowed moves. The perfect pathing leads to the perfect score.
Letter tracing
Following a specific letter through the grid to see where it might correctly fit. There are instances that there are multiple copies of the same letter, and letter tracing is best used to avoid making wrong swaps.
Zone clearing
Focusing on solving one section of the grid completely before moving on. This is a strategy used by perfectionists, as perfectly clearing a section requires perfect pathing.
Color cycling
The process of moving a letter around until its color changes from grey to yellow to green. This is the most common strategy for casual/beginner players.
FAQ
Are Crosswordle and Wordle related?
*No. Wordle is a registered trademark of the New York Times and is not affiliated with Crosswordle in any way.
Can you earn more than six stars?
No. Every puzzle is designed to have a maximum of six stars.
I can't see my stats. Why?
You need to register for a Crosswordle account before you can track your streaks and stats. Sign up today!
Will there be more Crosswordle modes available?
We're cooking something up, so stay tuned and keep polishing your 7x7 grid skills in the meantime!
Play Crosswordle today and other word games!
We hope that this glossary was useful in your journey of becoming a better Crosswordle player. If you're interested in playing and hanging out with other word game enthusiasts, come hang out in our Discord!
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