Elucidating Lexoku
If you’ve never seen Lexoku before, you might find the rules a little confusing, so here’s where I give you a push in the right direction to get you started. Click here if you wish to print the puzzle below.
All 18 of the words must be contained within a row, a column, or a 2×3 block, but the letters can be in any order. Every word is used once only, so you can cross off words from the list as you use them.
You will see that the middle right block already contains the letters ETI. There is only one word in the list that fits the bill, namely MINUTE. You must now decide where to put the remaining three letters (M, N and U).
The U cannot go in row 4, since there is no word containing ACEU, so a U is forced in row 3, column 4. Likewise, there is no word that includes HTNO, so the N must go in row 4, column 6, leaving the M to go in row 4, column 5.
The grid is already starting to take shape after putting in just three letters. Row 4 is almost complete — a quick glance at the word list will tell you it’s just missing an E from MENACE. Once you’ve put in the E, there are several ways to proceed.
Personally I’d look at column 5, which must contain SMOOTH. The O can’t go in row 6 because that would give an impossible combination in the bottom right block, so the O must go in row 2 and the S in row 6.
Using your powers of deduction, you can now fill in the rest of the grid.
Click here to see the completed solution or have a go at some of the puzzles below (five stars means hard):
