How to Solve Word Grouping Puzzles
A word grouping puzzle gives you 16 words to sort into four groups of four. Each word belongs to one intended group. A good first move is to look for four words that share a specific label, then check whether any of them has another meaning.
Try this 16-word board
Find four words that belong together before opening the hints.
- BASS
- COLLAR
- MERCURY
- HARP
- TROUT
- JUPITER
- CUFF
- OBOE
- CARP
- HEM
- NEPTUNE
- FLUTE
- PERCH
- PLACKET
- SATURN
- CELLO
Show a hint
Start with four objects in our solar system. Then look for four words you might see on a sewing pattern.
1. Solve the group with the clearest label
MERCURY, JUPITER, NEPTUNE and SATURN are all planets. Taking those four off the board makes the other possibilities easier to see.
2. Check words that could fit twice
BASS, HARP, OBOE and FLUTE look like a set of instruments. CELLO also fits, so you have five candidates. Set that group aside and look at what BASS does elsewhere. It joins TROUT, CARP and PERCH as a fish. That leaves exactly four instruments.
3. Give the last four a specific label
COLLAR, CUFF, HEM and PLACKET are parts of a garment. A placket is a finished opening, such as the strip where a shirt buttons. Naming the group gives you a way to check it before you submit.
Show all four answers
- Planets. Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn
- Fish. Bass, trout, carp, perch
- Instruments. Harp, oboe, flute, cello
- Garment parts. Collar, cuff, hem, placket
If WordSort says “one away,” three of your selected words share an intended group. Keep the strongest trio in mind and scan the rest of the board for another word that fits the same label.