What a position filter actually says
A position filter makes a strict claim: this letter belongs in this exact slot. It is different from saying that a letter appears somewhere in the word. Use it only when the puzzle has confirmed the placement.
For a five-letter word, setting A in the third box keeps words such as CHART and STAIN only when A is truly their third letter. Words that contain A in another place are removed, even if every other clue fits.
Count positions from left to right and check the word length before entering anything. This sounds basic, but an off-by-one placement is one of the easiest ways to create an empty list. Reading the numbered boxes aloud can help when a clue refers to positions indirectly, such as the penultimate letter.
Combine positions to reveal structure
One fixed letter narrows the list. Two or three fixed letters often reveal a recognizable spelling pattern. A six-letter search with S first, A third, and E sixth can expose likely consonant clusters and endings without requiring you to guess them in advance.
Enter only confirmed positions first. Then inspect the remaining words for repeated structures. You may notice that several candidates share the same ending or place the required letters in similar ways.
Two-position pattern pages are useful at this stage because they show the complete group supported by those exact slots. Treat the repeated structures as possibilities, not new facts. Return to the puzzle for confirmation before turning a common ending or middle cluster into another filter.
Keep misplaced letters out of fixed boxes
Some games tell you that a letter is in the word but currently in the wrong position. That belongs in the contains field, not in a position box. If the game also rules out its current slot, use the available clues to test candidates rather than pretending the final position is known.
Easy Word Finder keeps these ideas separate on purpose. Position boxes describe exact placement. The contains field describes membership. The excluded field removes letters completely.
A misplaced letter can therefore affect two parts of your reasoning without becoming a fixed-position clue. Record that the letter must appear, remember the slot where it failed, and compare the remaining candidates. Only move it into a position box after the game confirms its final location.
Check the dictionary used by your game
Word lists differ. A candidate can be valid English but absent from a particular game's accepted dictionary. Use the finder to identify plausible matches, then verify unusual words against the rules of the puzzle you are solving.
This is especially important for inflected forms, regional spellings, technical terms, and older words. A broad finder is useful for discovery, but the game remains the final authority on what it accepts.
When several candidates satisfy the same pattern, prefer words supported by the puzzle's theme, definitions, crossing letters, or previously confirmed feedback. Dictionary membership establishes that a word exists; it does not establish that it is the intended answer in a particular game.