Every other letter
Alternate letters
Take odd or even letters from a word or short phrase. Indicators include oddly, evenly, regularly, and every other.
Alternate-letter clues are easy to overthink. Once you see “oddly” beside a single word, write that word with gaps and read the kept letters.
“Oddly” usually means letters in odd positions (1, 3, 5…). “Evenly” takes the even ones. “Regularly” can mean either, so test both.
Alternate-letter indicators
Odd positions are 1, 3, 5… Even positions are 2, 4, 6… “Regularly” can mean either, so test both.
| Indicator | Letters to keep |
|---|---|
| oddly / odds / unevenly | Odd positions (1, 3, 5…) |
| evenly / evens | Even positions (2, 4, 6…) |
| regularly / alternately / every other / intermittently | Either pattern (try both) |
Things to watch
- Pencil the source word with spaces: c_l_e_a_n.
- Match the kept letters to the enumeration before hunting synonyms.
- Short answers (3–5) are the usual range for this device.
Odd letters
Oddly chain container (3)
Even letters
“Evenly” is the mirror of “oddly”: keep positions 2, 4, 6… instead.
Evenly creation shower (4)