Anagram Checker
Type two words or phrases. The result says whether one can be rearranged into the other, and if not, which letters are extra on each side.
Worked examples
A true anagram
First list: Dormitory Second list: Dirty room!
Yes, these are anagrams of each other.
Spaces and punctuation are ignored.
Not an anagram
First list: abc Second list: abd
No, these are not anagrams. Only in the first: c Only in the second: d
c and d are the letters that differ.
About Anagram Checker
Two words are anagrams when they contain exactly the same letters the same number of times, in a different order. Listen and silent are anagrams, and so are dormitory and dirty room. Checking by eye means crossing off letters one by one, and it is easy to miss a repeat. The anagram checker counts every letter in both entries and compares the totals.
By default capitals, spaces and punctuation are ignored, so whole phrases work, and accents are ignored too, so école matches cole e. If the two entries are not anagrams, the answer lists the letters that appear only in the first and only in the second, which tells you what to change. Identical text is reported as the same text and not as an anagram. Untick the options to compare strictly, character by character.
How to use Anagram Checker
- Type the first word or phrase in the top box.
- Type the second in the box below it.
- Choose whether capitals, spaces and punctuation should be ignored.
- Read the answer, and the list of leftover letters if they do not match.
Common uses
- Checking answers in word games and crosswords
- Setting anagram puzzles and checking your own
- Finding out why two words that should match do not
- Teaching letter counting and word patterns
Frequently asked questions
Is a word an anagram of itself?
No. If the two entries are the same once capitals and spaces are ignored, the answer says they are the same text, since an anagram needs a different order.
Are spaces and punctuation counted?
Not by default, so phrases like "dirty room!" work. Untick the option to count every character.
What are the leftover letters?
Letters that appear more times in one entry than the other. Adding or removing them would make the pair a true anagram.
Does it work with accents?
Yes. Accents are ignored, so é is treated as e. Letters in other alphabets are compared as typed.