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Move a letter

One letter moves out of the first word and into the second, and both have to make new words. Here's how to find that letter every time.

Rush doesn’t practise move a letter yet. These games practise related skills: Linking Letter and Missing Letters.

Start the guide Practise 8 questions

Chapter 1

What are move a letter questions?

You’re given two words in capitals, like BRAIN and EAT. One letter leaves the first word and goes into the second, and both have to make new, real words.

Nothing else moves. The other letters stay where they are, in the same order. You pick the letter that moves.

  1. The first word. BRAIN gives up one letter. What’s left must still be a word.

  2. The second word. EAT takes the letter in, at the front, at the end or in between.

A real word means an everyday word from the dictionary, not a name. Papers often ask seven or eight in a row.

Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

BRAIN, EAT

  • B
  • R
  • A
  • I
  • N

Chapter 2

Solve it in 3 steps.

Here’s the question, one step at a time.

The question

Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

BRAIN, EAT

  • B
  • R
  • A
  • I
  • N

  1. Step 1

    Cover each letter of the first word.

    Cover B with a finger and read what’s left: RAIN, a word. Do the same with every letter. Without I it’s BRAN, also a word. R, A and N leave BAIN, BRIN and BRAI, so they’re out.

    Two letters left to try: B and I.

  2. Step 2

    Mark every gap in the second word.

    A letter can go in front, between any two letters, or on the end. EAT has three letters, so there are four places to try.

    Three letters, four places.

  3. Step 3

    Try each letter in every gap.

    I makes IEAT, EIAT, EAIT and EATI. None is a word, so I is out. B in the first place makes BEAT. RAIN and BEAT are both real, so B is the answer.

    I fits nowhere. B makes BEAT.

Three traps in the options

The mistakeDo this instead
Starting with the second word. N jumps out because it makes NEAT, but BRAIN without N is BRAI.Cover letters in the first word first. It rules out most of them before you try any gaps.
Stopping at the first word. BRAIN without I is BRAN, a real word, so I looks safe. But it fits in no gap of EAT.A letter has to pass both checks. One real word is never enough.
Shuffling the letters. R and EAT can be jumbled into TEAR or RATE. But that changes the order of E, A and T.Only put the letter into a gap. REAT, ERAT, EART and EATR: no word, so R is out.

So it’s B. BRAIN without B is RAIN, and B in front of EAT makes BEAT. Every other letter fails on one side or both.

Remember: Both sides, every gap.

Chapter 3

The catches.

Harder questions hide the answer in these ways. Each card is one catch, an example and the trap.

  • It can land in the middle

    Try every gap, not just the front and the end.

    HEART, SAY: T moves, making HEAR and STAY. Trap: try T only at the ends, TSAY and SAYT, and you’ll cross off the answer.

  • Several letters leave a word

    When more than one letter passes, the second word decides.

    CHART, CASH: only R fits CASH, making CRASH. So it’s R: CHAT and CRASH. Trap: picking H because CART comes first. H fits in no gap of CASH.

  • It may not sound right

    Read the letters, not the sounds.

    BARK, NOW: K moves, making BAR and KNOW. Trap: say “k‑now” out loud and it sounds wrong, but the K in KNOW is silent. Spell each try in your head.

  • Only one letter moves

    Never a pair, even one like TH or CH.

    THINK, FOR: moving TH makes INK and FORTH, but that’s two letters. K alone makes THIN and FORK. Trap: picking T or H because you spotted FORTH.

A quick way to cross letters off

Every word needs a vowel: A, E, I, O or U, or a Y as in SKY. If taking a letter out leaves none, cross that letter off without reading on.

Chapter 4

Try it yourself.

Easier ones first. Try each one before you open its answer.

  1. Question 1Level 1

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    TEACH, OUR

    • T
    • E
    • A
    • C
    • H
    Show answer

    Answer: T.

    How to answer it

    1. TEACH without T is EACH, a word. Without C or H it's TEAH or TEAC: no words.
    2. T in front of OUR makes TOUR. The answer is T: EACH and TOUR.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • EE makes no word anywhere in OUR: EOUR, OEUR, OUER, OURE.
    • AA makes no word anywhere in OUR: AOUR, OAUR, OUAR, OURA.
    • CTEACH without C is TEAH, which isn't a word.
    • HH makes HOUR, but TEACH without H is TEAC, which isn't a word.

  2. Question 2Level 1

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    RAISE, WAY

    • R
    • A
    • I
    • S
    • E
    Show answer

    Answer: A.

    How to answer it

    1. Take each letter out of RAISE. Without A it's RISE, a word. Without R or S it's AISE or RAIE, not words.
    2. I and E leave RASE and RAIS, and neither letter makes a word anywhere in WAY.
    3. A goes in front of WAY to make AWAY. The answer is A: RISE and AWAY.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • RR makes WARY, but RAISE without R is AISE, which isn't a word.
    • II makes no word anywhere in WAY: IWAY, WIAY, WAIY, WAYI.
    • SS makes SWAY or WAYS, but RAISE without S is RAIE, which isn't a word.
    • EE makes no word anywhere in WAY: EWAY, WEAY, WAEY, WAYE.

  3. Question 3Level 1

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    MEDAL, SHE

    • M
    • E
    • D
    • A
    • L
    Show answer

    Answer: D.

    How to answer it

    1. Take each letter out of MEDAL. Without D it's MEAL, a word. Without M, E, A or L it's EDAL, MDAL, MEDL or MEDA: not words.
    2. D goes on the end of SHE to make SHED. The answer is D: MEAL and SHED.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • MMEDAL without M is EDAL, which isn't a word.
    • EMEDAL without E is MDAL, which isn't a word.
    • AMEDAL without A is MEDL, which isn't a word.
    • LMEDAL without L is MEDA, which isn't a word.

  4. Question 4Level 2

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    BLACK, SAT

    • B
    • L
    • A
    • C
    • K
    Show answer

    Answer: L.

    How to answer it

    1. BLACK without B is LACK, and without L it's BACK. Keep B and L.
    2. B makes no word anywhere in SAT. Try L in every place: LSAT, SLAT, SALT. SALT is the everyday word.
    3. The answer is L: BACK and SALT.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • BTaking B out leaves LACK, a word, but B makes no word anywhere in SAT: BSAT, SBAT, SABT, SATB.
    • ABLACK without A is BLCK, which isn't a word.
    • CBLACK without C is BLAK, which isn't a word.
    • KBLACK without K is BLAC, which isn't a word.

  5. Question 5Level 2

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    PLANE, MAN

    • P
    • L
    • A
    • N
    • E
    Show answer

    Answer: E.

    How to answer it

    1. PLANE without P is LANE, without L it's PANE, and without E it's PLAN. Three to try.
    2. P and L make no word anywhere in MAN.
    3. E makes MEAN, going in after the M. The answer is E: PLAN and MEAN.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • PTaking P out leaves LANE, a word, but P makes no word anywhere in MAN: PMAN, MPAN, MAPN, MANP.
    • LTaking L out leaves PANE, a word, but L makes no word anywhere in MAN: LMAN, MLAN, MALN, MANL.
    • APLANE without A is PLNE, which isn't a word.
    • NPLANE without N is PLAE, which isn't a word.

  6. Question 6Level 2

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    HEARD, BOY

    • H
    • E
    • A
    • R
    • D
    Show answer

    Answer: D.

    How to answer it

    1. Take each letter out of HEARD. Without E it's HARD, without A it's HERD, without R it's HEAD and without D it's HEAR. Only H is ruled out.
    2. So the second word has to decide. E, A and R make no word anywhere in BOY.
    3. D goes between the O and the Y: BODY. The answer is D: HEAR and BODY.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • HHEARD without H is EARD, which isn't a word.
    • ETaking E out leaves HARD, a word, but E makes no word anywhere in BOY: EBOY, BEOY, BOEY, BOYE.
    • ATaking A out leaves HERD, a word, but A makes no word anywhere in BOY: ABOY, BAOY, BOAY, BOYA.
    • RTaking R out leaves HEAD, a word, but R makes no word anywhere in BOY: RBOY, BROY, BORY, BOYR.

  7. Question 7Level 3

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    PLAIN, RAN

    • P
    • L
    • A
    • I
    • N
    Show answer

    Answer: I.

    How to answer it

    1. PLAIN without P is LAIN, without L it's PAIN, and without I it's PLAN. Keep P, L and I.
    2. L makes no word anywhere in RAN.
    3. Try I in every place: IRAN, RIAN, RAIN. I goes between the A and the N. The answer is I: PLAN and RAIN.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • PP makes no word anywhere in RAN: PRAN, RPAN, RAPN, RANP.
    • LTaking L out leaves PAIN, a word, but L makes no word anywhere in RAN: LRAN, RLAN, RALN, RANL.
    • APLAIN without A is PLIN, which isn't a word.
    • NPLAIN without N is PLAI, which isn't a word.

  8. Question 8Level 3

    Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words?

    THANK, SORT

    • T
    • H
    • A
    • N
    • K
    Show answer

    Answer: H.

    How to answer it

    1. THANK without T is HANK, without H it's TANK, and without K it's THAN. Keep T, H and K.
    2. K makes no word anywhere in SORT.
    3. H goes in after the S: SHORT. The answer is H: TANK and SHORT.
    Why the other answers are wrong
    • TT makes no word anywhere in SORT: TSORT, STORT, SOTRT, SORTT.
    • ATHANK without A is THNK, which isn't a word.
    • NN makes SNORT, but THANK without N is THAK, which isn't a word.
    • KTaking K out leaves THAN, a word, but K makes no word anywhere in SORT: KSORT, SKORT, SOKRT, SORKT, SORTK.
Next in verbal reasoning Anagrams and word making How to answer 11+ anagram questions: read the clue first, build from common endings, and cross letters off to see which words can or can't be made. Read the guide

For parents.

What parents ask us about move a letter.

Questions parents ask

What is move a letter in verbal reasoning?

A question with two words, where one letter moves out of the first word and into the second so that both are new, real words. The other letters stay in their order. You pick the letter from five, all taken from the first word.

Does the letter have to go at the start or end?

No. It can go anywhere in the second word: the front, the end or any gap. In harder questions it can be in the middle, as T in STAY or I in RAIN.

Can more than one letter work?

In a well-set question, no: only one letter makes real words on both sides. If two seem to work, one of the "words" usually isn't one, or the letters have been shuffled.

How can my child get faster?

Start with the first word, because covering one letter at a time is quick and rules most letters out. Then a child only has to try one or two letters in the second word. Cover each letter with a fingertip and read what's left aloud.

Practise the related skills in Rush.

  • Linking LetterOne letter has to make a real word on both sides, and the wrong letters work on one side only. It's the same check, done one pair at a time.
  • Missing LettersReading a word with letters taken out of the middle, as CASHIER is without ASH, is the same skill as reading BRAIN without its B.

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