Grid: The crossword puzzle is made up of a grid. Some squares are black, which you don’t fill in. The white squares are where you write the answers to the clues.

Clues: Each white square is linked to a clue. Clues are usually numbered and listed down and across to tell you which words fit where. For example, “1 Across” or “2 Down”.

Words: You need to think of words that answer the clues and fit into the corresponding spaces in the grid. The length of the word is determined by the number of white squares from the first letter of the word to the next black square or the grid boundary.

Intersecting: Words in a crossword often share letters. So, if you solve one word, it might help you with the letters of another word that crosses it.