Where words come from

whence is a free daily word game about etymology: the origins of words and how their meanings developed.

You might know what a word means today. But what did its individual parts originally mean? Each puzzle gives you three words to take apart, one root at a time.

A little deduction, a little discovery

Choose a meaning for each root, then use the feedback to refine your guess. You have four tries per word. After each round, read the story behind the word, explore related words, and follow the sources to learn more.

Three words a day

A new puzzle opens each day at midnight UTC. Finish today’s puzzle to build your streak, or explore the archive for more words. You can play in your browser without creating an account.

Your progress is saved for the browser you play in. Using another browser or clearing cookies starts a separate game history.