science

Wonderword

Wonderword is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wonderword rather than just read about it. In short: Wonderword is a word search puzzle, still created by hand, with a solution at the end. All the words in the grid connect and the remaining letters spell out the answer.

Key takeaways

Wonderword belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wonderword to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wonderword from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wonderword is a word search puzzle, still created by hand, with a solution at the end. All the words in the grid connect and the remaining letters spell out the answer. The puzzles are either in a 15×15 or 20×20 grid. Each puzzle has a title, theme, solution number and wordlist.

History Wonderword first entered syndication in Edmonton and Montreal in 1970. In 1980 Universal Press Syndicate of Kansas City assumed syndication rights and continues to do so today. It appears in 2 formats: A 15×15 grid Monday through Saturday and 20×20 for Sunday editions. For space reasons, some Sunday newspapers carry a 15×15 version under the name Teleword. It's estimated that Wonderword has over 1 million players a day. Wonderword was created by Canadian author Jo Ouellet, and in 1994 her son David Ouellet appeared as co-author until her death in 1997. David Ouellet continues the feature today with his wife Sophie Ouellet and Editor Linda Boragina and a staff of researchers.

Features Wonderword currently appears in over 225 newspapers across North America. Wonderword also publishes books in 2 types of series. The Treasury books offer puzzles that already have been published and date back as early as 1980. The Treasury books contain about 133 puzzles, 25 of which are the larger 20×20 size. The second series of books are the Collected Wonderword in the Volume sequence. The puzzles have been created specifically for the book and sometimes have a theme within a theme. Book themes include Presidential Edition, Classical Television and Book of Celebrities. The Volume books contain a total of 43 puzzles, 9 of which are the larger 20×20 size. Wonderword also appears in a daily "page-a-day" desk calendar.

How to play The words are found in all directions — vertically, horizontally, diagonally and backwards. Players should read all the words in the word list, then look at the puzzle. Once a word is found, circle each letter of the word or highlight it. The letters are used more than once so it's recommended not to circle the entire word. It is best to find the long words first. As each word is found, strike it out from the list. Once every word is found, the remaining letters will spell out the solution, or "Wonderword" in order.

Recognition Wonderword has done puzzles that have caught the attention of Boeing, Swarovski and Bill O'Reilly among others. Wonderword is part of the Puzzle Society.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wonderword

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wonderword claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wonderword before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wonderword ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wonderword

In research: Wonderword appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wonderword in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wonderword is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Word games, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wonderword outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wonderword in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wonderword means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wonderword out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wonderword in simple terms?

Wonderword is a word search puzzle, still created by hand, with a solution at the end. All the words in the grid connect and the remaining letters spell out the answer.

Why does Wonderword matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wonderword?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wonderword.