Keep the blank flexible
A blank supplies one missing letter. In a rack search, its position is not fixed: CART? can be rearranged, and the blank can represent a different letter for each candidate. Choosing E before searching would exclude words needing O, K, S or F. Keep the blank unassigned until a clue or board constraint narrows your options.
Count through CART?
For CRATE, cross off C, R, A and T from the rack; the blank supplies E. For ACTOR, it supplies O. For TRACK, it supplies K. For CARTS, it supplies S. Each candidate uses all five tiles. CAR uses only C, A and R, so it fits subset mode but fails exact mode. These are letter-inventory checks; acceptance in a particular game is a separate dictionary check.
Repeated letters still need separate tiles
LET? can make TELL: the printed tiles supply T, E and one L; the blank supplies the second L. LET alone cannot make TELL. Cross out one available tile for every letter in a candidate. If none remains, spend a blank. If neither a matching tile nor a blank remains, reject the candidate. In exact mode, every rack tile must also be used.
Score the tiles you actually have
Using English Scrabble-style values, CRATE from CART? has base value C(3) + R(1) + A(1) + T(1) + blank E(0) = 6. The same spelling made from five printed tiles totals 7. Our result highlights blank-supplied letters and counts them as zero. This is not a complete move score: board multipliers, crossing words and applicable bonuses require your actual board and game rules.
Choose length and mode deliberately
Use exact mode when every supplied tile must be used. Use subset mode when shorter words are acceptable. With seven tiles and space for five letters, choose a five-letter range in subset mode. Exact mode would instead require seven letters. When there are no results, check the settings and repeated letters before assuming no word exists; a dictionary can also omit a legitimate word.
Do not confuse racks with position patterns
CART? is an unordered rack. A pattern such as C?A?E may instead describe known first, third and fifth letters. CRATE fits those fixed positions; REACT does not. This solver rearranges letters and has no fixed-position mode. For a crossword, use an explicit pattern tool, then verify the clue meaning.
Practice before reading the answers
Question 1: Can LET? make TELL using every tile, and which letter is blank? Question 2: Can CART? make CAR in exact mode? Question 3: What is CAT’s base value from CA?, with C=3 and A=1? Write down your reasoning before checking.
Answers and what they teach
Answer 1: Yes; the second L is blank. Answer 2: No, because two tiles remain; CAR works in subset mode. Answer 3: Four points, because the blank T contributes zero. Use the linked example to repeat the method with CART?, then try LET? yourself. For unfamiliar results, check a definition and your required game dictionary.
Review record: Examples follow the letter-count method documented for this site. Our editorial method explains authorship, checks and corrections.
Quick review
The strongest habit is to separate hard constraints—letter counts, length, fixed positions—from helpful clues such as frequency and familiar patterns. Use the tool to narrow possibilities, then use meaning and context to choose.