The letters round
Enter the nine letters, or press Pick random letters to practise with a fair mix of vowels and consonants. The solver lists the longest words first. A nine-letter word is the best possible answer, and an eight-letter word is still excellent.
Practise by giving yourself thirty seconds before you look at the results. Over time you will start to see common endings such as -ING, -ERS and -IEST, and spot useful prefixes like RE- and UN-.
Choose UK spelling to match a British-style game, so American spellings are left out.
The numbers round
Enter six numbers and a target between 100 and 999, or press Pick random numbers. The solver uses addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to reach the target, with every step giving a positive whole number, which is how the round is normally played.
It looks for an exact answer that takes the fewest steps. If the target cannot be reached exactly, it shows the closest result instead, along with how far away it is.
Each line of the working shows two numbers combined into a new one, so you can follow it, check it, and learn the kinds of moves that tend to work, such as multiplying a large number by a small one and adjusting with the rest.
Practice tips
In the numbers round, aim for a multiple of the large number close to the target first, then use the small numbers to close the gap. With 75 and a target of 452, for example, 6 × 75 = 450 leaves just 2 to find.
In the letters round, try building from a strong ending. Put the common suffix aside first, then see what the remaining letters make in front of it.
Questions and answers
What are the rules in the numbers round?
Use some or all of the six numbers once each, with plus, minus, times and divide, to reach the target. Every step must give a positive whole number.
What happens if the target cannot be reached?
The solver shows the closest total it can make and how far it is from the target, with the working.
How are the random letters chosen?
You choose how many vowels you want, and the rest are consonants. Letters are drawn with weights roughly like a real letter pile, so common letters such as E and T turn up more often.
Is this connected to the TV show?
No. This is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with Channel 4 or the makers of Countdown.