FAQ
What is Lextension?
Lextension is a word bridge puzzle. You're given a start word and a target word, and you need to build a chain of words connecting them. Each word you add must have a valid relationship to the previous word. Fewer hops means a higher score.
What counts as a valid link?
Two words are linked if they share a recognizable relationship. That includes compound words in either order (hot + dog works both ways), kangaroo words (astound + stun), synonyms, opposites, rhymes, anagrams, homophones, category siblings (cat + dog), part-whole (wheel + car), and more. If you can explain the connection, there's a good chance it'll count.
How does validation work?
Some link types are checked instantly in your browser: anagrams are detected by comparing sorted letters, known kangaroo word pairs are matched by their joey letters, and rhymes are matched using the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (a phonetic dictionary used in speech research). Everything else is validated by an AI model. Results are cached by word pair, so reversing the same two words won't need a separate check.
Why won't it accept my word?
Every word you play has to be a real English word before any link is considered — jamming two words together ("tissue" + "sheriff" = "tissuesheriff") used to satisfy the letter-containment rule against both neighbours, which isn't a puzzle so much as a loophole. Words are checked against a bundled dictionary of about 275,000 entries, and anything it hasn't heard of is looked up on Wiktionary, so newer words still count. If a genuine word gets turned away, report it and it'll be added.
Rhyming feels strict. Why doesn't X rhyme with Y?
Rhyme detection uses syllabic rhyming based on the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Two words rhyme if they share the same stressed vowel sound and everything after it. This is stricter than "sounds kinda similar" — it requires a proper phonetic match. There's also a small set of spelling-pattern fallbacks (like -ight/-ite) for words not in the dictionary. If a rhyme doesn't register, the AI validator may still catch it as a different link type.
What are the game modes?
Daily Chain — a new start/end pair every day (rolls over at midnight your local time). Build the shortest chain you can.
Daily Fibonacci — like Chain, but each word you add must link to both of the two words before it, not just the last one.
Practice — random puzzles (Chain or Fibonacci) for when you want to keep playing.
How is scoring calculated?
Your score is 1000 divided by the number of hops (words you added between start and end). One hop is a Genius score. Two is Brilliant. Four or fewer is Solid. The fewer words you need, the better.
Who made this?
Lextension is made by Ben Brady.
I found a bug / have feedback
If the judge gets a link wrong — either accepting a bogus one or rejecting a real one — hit the 🐛 button next to it. Reporting a rejection clears the cached verdict, so you can play the word again straight away.
For anything else, join the Discord — that's the best place to report issues or suggest improvements.