How to Number a Crossword Puzzle

Number crossword puzzle grids according to the positions of the answers.

A crossword puzzle is a challenging word game based on a grid. Players use the accompanying hints and numbered squares to guess the answers that will fit into specific areas of the grid. The numbers on the grid depend on how the answers are arranged in the solution.

Instructions

1. Create a grid containing four rows and four columns. Grid sizes vary, depending on the number of hints and the number of letters in the answers. You may adjust the size of your grid for puzzles with more hints.

2. Generate a list of words for the grid. For example:

   Plot
   Near
   Pine
   Tarp

3. Place the answers in the grid. Look for words that share a letter and arrange them in the grid so that they both share the same letter. For instance, "Plot" and "Tarp" share the letter "T." Write "Plot" in the first row and write "Tarp" in the fourth column so that "Tarp" begins with the "T" that "Plot" ends with. Arrange the rest of the words in the grid accordingly. Use a black felt pen to fill in the blank squares.

4. Place a number in the square containing the first letter of each word. For instance, place "1" at the top of the square containing the "P" in "Plot" and place "2" at the top of the square containing "T."

5. Create a list of hints for the answers and arrange them in the order that the answers appear. Place the numbers for the answers on the left side of the corresponding hint. For instance:

   Across
   1 A small piece of land
   3 A short distance

   Down
   1 An evergreen tree
   2 An abbreviation

6. Create a duplicate of the grid (without the answers) for a crossword enthusiast to complete.

References

• "USA TODAY": Crossword
• Boatload Puzzles