Bob’s "JumbAlly" Page

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Configuration Settings:

Volume: Show Instructions?

The Puzzle Generator:

If you don’t have a puzzle handy, one can be built for you. The generated puzzle will not have a humorous clue, and the puzzle solution will be a single word, but it will be a solvable puzzle to play. Click on the Generate button below to configure and build the puzzle. Click on the Hide button below to hide the generator options and build the puzzle manually.

Otherwise, enter the number of jumbled words desired, with a minimum and maximum allowed length. The minimum and maximum may be the same, but if the maximum is less than the minimum, they will be reversed. Enter the solution minimum and maximum lengths. Again, they may be the same, but if the maximum is less than the minimum, they will be reversed.

Note that the puzzle generator will not allow a puzzle to be built if the solution length is too small or too large for the jumbled words available. There must be at least as many letters in the solution as there are jumbled words, and the combined minimum lengths of all the jumbled words must be 50% greater than the maximum solution length. For example, if the number of jumbled words is 4 and the minimum jumbled word length is 5, their combined minimum length is 20, which means that the maximum solution length is 13 (50% of 14 is 7, 14+7=21, and 21 is greater than 20).

Checking the “Show Clue” checkbox tells the generator to provide a clue for the solution. The clue will only be a dictionary definition, and it may not be the most common definition for the word nor may it be phrased properly for the part of speech (singular instead of plural, adjective instead of noun, etc.).

Once all of the configuration options have been selected, use the Build button to generate the puzzle.

The Clue:

Insert the clue for the answer below.

The text entered will be displayed as typed, with two special formatting exception. First, an asterisk (*) will toggle “emphasis” display which will continue until another asterisk is entered. Emphasized text will display in a bold italic font. Second, an underscore (_) character immediately followed by a number (no space between) will be translated into a blank underline proportional to the length specified by the number. For example, “_4” will be converted to “ ”. A maximum value of 30 is allowed. Numbers larger than 30 will be reduced to 30.

There are two configuration options available for the clue:

“Use mixed case” - This option allows for both uppercase and lowercase letters in the clue. Note that choosing mixed case (checking this value) does not affect text already entered. However, choosing uppercase only (clearing this value) will convert all text to uppercase when the clue text is changed.
“Clue ends in a fragment” - Many times, the clue ends in a sentence which will be completed by the solution. Selecting this option will indicate that the solution completes the clue by appending a series of three hyphens to the end of the clue.

Use mixed case?
Clue ends in a fragment?

The Solution:

Insert the solution for the puzzle, complete with any punctuation, in the solution layout below.

Use this checkbox to allow words that aren't regonized to be used in the solution. They will be recognized for this puzzle only.

Allow unrecognized words in the solution?

The Solution Letters:

This is a list of the letters from the selected solution entries above. Each of the letters from the list needs to be selected from the words entered below. As letters are selected below, they will be removed from the list.

No letters available.

The Word Hint:

Word hints are an optional feature provided by some versions of the scrambled-word puzzle. These are clues about the word formed by each set of jumbled letters, and aid the solver when unscrambling the letters.

You may choose to not use hints, to show the hints together after all of the words (in random order), or to show each hint with its jumbled letters.

Even if you choose to use hints, a hint is not required for each set of letters. Leaving one or more hints blank will work.

Jumbled Word Hints:

No hints

Hints with each word

Hints together after the words

The Jumbled Word:

Enter the scrambled letters desired word in the text box below. Use the button to remove all the letters from box.

Once the letters have been entered, click on the squares beneath box to identify which letter positions are part of the solution. A circle will appear in each selected box and a placeholder (“”) for each selected box will appear in the solution layout below. Attempting to select a letter that is not in the “Solution Letters” section above is not allowed. If a solution has not been entered, no letters can be selected.

Alternately, you can press the number key corresponding to the square (listed below each square) to toggle the circle indicator for the first nine squares (or fewer, if less than 9 letters are entered).

Once the word has been entered and the solution letters have been identified, use the “Jumbled Text” box beneath set of letters to enter the scrambled letter order for the word. The shuffled letters cannot be in the same order as the actual word, either forward or backward. Use the button to rearrange the shuffled letters in box.

In the next box, enter the hint associated with the word. If no hint is desired for a particular word, leave the hint blank and it will be ignored. Hint text will be displayed as entered with one exception. An underscore (_) character immediately followed by a number (no space between) will be translated into a blank underline proportional to the length specified by the number. For example, “_4” will be converted to “ ”. A maximum value of 30 is allowed. Numbers larger than 30 will be reduced to 30.

In the next box, enter the hint associated with the word. Hint text will be displayed as entered with one exception. An underscore (_) character immediately followed by a number (no space between) will be translated into a blank underline proportional to the length specified by the number. For example, “_4” will be converted to “ ”. A maximum value of 30 is allowed. Numbers larger than 30 will be reduced to 30. If no hint is desired for a particular word, leave the hint blank and it will be ignored. Even though the hints are going to be shown together in a separate block after the words, they are still entered with the associated word. The block hint order will be set later.

The Scratch Pad:

Use this area to enter the jumbled letters, then use the boxes below to rearrange them as desired.

Hit either the “Enter” key or the “Spacebar” key on the last entry above, or use the Add button below to add another jumbled text entry word to the puzzle. If you accidentally add too many, simply leave any extra text entry boxes blank, and they will not appear when solving the puzzle.

Use this checkbox to allow words that aren't regonized to be used as scrambled words. They will be recognized for this puzzle only.

Allow unrecognized words?

The Search Tool:

Need help finding a unique common word for a given group of letters? (A unique common word is one that cannot be rearranged to form another common word.) Use this search tool to help. Simply enter the minimum and maximum word lengths and the letters needed in the word, then click on the Search button.

Minimum Length: Maximum Length:
Characters required:

The Solution Format:

After selecting the letter positions from the above jumbled text entry word, add any desired spaces, punctuation, and extra text to accompany the placeholder characters (“”) in the solution layout below.

The Byline: *

The byline is an optional area where you can provide information about the source of the puzzle. If it’s from a puzzle book, you can specify the book’s title and author. If it’s from a newspaper, you can specify the puzzle header and date. If you’re creating your own, you can put your own information in. If this field is empty, no byline information will be displayed.

The Copyright:

The copyright is an optional area where you provide copyright ownership information about puzzle. If it’s from a puzzle book, you can specify the book’s copyright information. If it’s from a newspaper, you can specify the syndication copyright. If you’re creating your own, you can put your own information in. be sure to include the year of copyright at the start. The leading “Copyright ©” and trailing “All rights reserved” will be added automatically. If this field is empty, no copyright information will be displayed.

The Last Step:

Once all of the jumbled texts have been entered, all of the letter positions have been selected, the clue text has been entered, and all of the desired extra text and spaces (if any) have been added to the solution layout, use the Done button below to start solving the puzzle.

Bob’s “JumbAlly” Page

Scrambled Word Puzzle Tool