How Suvi's Mini is built
The grid is five by five, with black squares placed symmetrically. Every answer is three to five letters long, and every white square belongs to both an across and a down word. That last rule matters most: each letter you place helps two clues, and any stuck word can be attacked from the other direction.
A few house rules help too. No word appears twice in a grid, and neither do two from one family, such as CAT and CATS. Every answer is an everyday word spelled the same in British, American, Canadian and Australian English, so you never have to choose a spelling. There are no brand names and nothing obscure.
Where to start
- Open the Clues list and read every clue once. It takes a few seconds and two or three answers often jump out.
- Fill-in-the-blank clues first. "Income ___" has very few possible answers.
- Then the three-letter answers, which have the fewest options.
- Aim for the long words through the middle. If the middle row is a full five-letter word, it crosses every down answer and opens the whole grid.
Match the clue's grammar
A clue and its answer are the same part of speech, in the same form. That gives you letters before you know the word.
- Tense: a past-tense clue wants a past-tense answer. "Departed" is LEFT; "Tested" is TRIED. An -ED or irregular ending is a good bet before you know the rest.
- Plurals: "Small cities" is TOWNS and "Brick barriers" is WALLS, so type the final S early. But an S at the end doesn't always mean plural: "Commotion" is FUSS.
- Verb or noun: "Smudge" could be either, and so could BLOT. When a clue could be both, let a crossing letter decide.
Know the clue types
| Clue | Answer | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Summit | APEX | Plain definition |
| Income ___ | TAX | Fill the blank |
| Hammer or saw | TOOL | Examples of it |
| Grow, as the moon | WAX | Meaning in one setting |
| Long (for) | PINE | Word in brackets goes with it |
| Opposite of push | PULL | Opposite |
Two more to know. A clue in quotation marks is something people say, so "Say ___" is WHEN. And a one-word clue often uses its less obvious meaning: "Inexperienced" is GREEN. If the first meaning won't fit the crossings, try another.
Work the crossings
When a word won't come, stop staring at its clue. Tap the square again to switch direction and solve a crossing word instead. Every square in the Mini is crossed, so one crossing answer gives you a letter and two usually give you the word.
With a few letters in, say the pattern to yourself: _ A _ E. Gaps between consonants are often vowels, and the last square is often E, S, D or Y. Type a likely letter in. Backspace costs nothing, and a wrong guess usually shows itself when its crossing stops making a word.
Check, Reveal and the gold tick
A clean solve, with no Check and no Reveal, earns the gold tick. Check marks every wrong square in the grid at once. Reveal fills one square and fixes that letter in place; one Reveal a day is free, and while Suvi is new a few more are on us, with no ad to watch.
If every square is filled and the timer is still running, Suvi tells you something's wrong. Before you press Check, re-read the clues for the words you filled fastest: a quick guess is the usual culprit. Going for time rather than the tick? One Check is often quicker than a minute of hunting.
If you only remember three things
- Blanks and three-letter words first.
- Match the clue's tense and number.
- Stuck on a word? Solve its crossings instead: every square is shared.
Try it on today's Mini, then keep going with the daily word ladder.
Questions
- Are there trick clues in the Mini?
- No cryptic clues. They're straight definitions, blanks and examples, though a short clue may use a less obvious meaning of a word. If an answer fits the clue but not the crossings, look for another meaning.
- Do I need British or American spelling?
- Neither. Every answer is spelled the same in British, American, Canadian and Australian English.
- Can an answer appear twice in one grid?
- No. No word is used twice, and two words from one family, such as CAT and CATS, never share a grid.
- Does using Check or Reveal stop the solve counting?
- No. It still counts for your streak; it just isn't a clean solve. Revealed squares show as yellow on your share card.
Play it now
Mini Crossword is free on Suvi, on your phone or computer, no download.