Word Stacks answers helper

Suppose the clue is "cutlery" and the letters left are KNIFESPOON. With the shortest length at 4, the helper finds 159 words. The longer ones start with SPOKE, SPOKEN, NOISE, OPENS, PENSION, KNIFE, SPIKE, POISON; reading the list with the clue in mind, KNIFE and SPOON stand out. Once you swipe KNIFE, type the letters that remain (SPOON) to confirm the last word.

Word Stacks, from PeopleFun (the makers of Wordscapes), gives you a board of stacked letter blocks and a clue. You swipe across letters to spell a word that fits the clue; when you find one, its blocks disappear and the letters above drop down, so the board changes after every word. Extra valid words can earn bonus rewards, but only the themed words clear the level.

1. Type the letters you can see, or just the letters in the part of the board you are working on.
2. Set the shortest length. Themed words are often four letters or more, so 4 is the default here.
3. Read the list with the clue. The helper can't know the theme, but you can scan dozens of words in seconds.
4. Use Known letters when you can see part of a word, for example SP??N.

Tips for Word Stacks

Think of the category before you look at the letters. A clue like "zoo animals" brings words to mind (LION, ZEBRA), and you can check whether the board has their letters. Then use the helper to confirm or to find the words you couldn't think of.

Clear words near the top of the stacks first. Removing letters low down drops everything above, which can split the letters of a word you had already spotted. After each word, retype the remaining letters: the list gets much shorter as the board empties, and the last word is often the only common word left.

Limits

The helper checks letters, not paths, and uses the public-domain ENABLE dictionary rather than the game's own list, so treat its results as candidates and confirm them on the board.