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Fewest distinct letters used
These puzzles are the opposites of pangrams, using as few letters as possible.
Top constructors and grids:
Tue 4/18/2017
S | E | E | S | | E | T | T | E | | | L | A | S | S |
T | I | L | T | | R | E | A | R | S | | A | R | I | A |
A | R | E | A | | A | S | S | A | I | | R | A | T | S |
R | E | A | L | I | S | T | | | S | T | I | L | E | S |
| | | E | T | E | S | | A | S | E | A | | | |
A | L | T | A | I | R | | A | L | I | S | T | E | R | |
S | A | R | I | S | | R | I | T | E | S | | L | A | T |
S | T | I | R | | S | E | L | E | S | | R | I | T | A |
T | E | T | | S | T | E | E | R | | E | A | T | E | R |
| R | E | T | A | I | L | S | | A | T | R | E | S | T |
| | | E | L | L | S | | E | S | A | I | | | |
I | S | R | A | E | L | | | S | A | L | T | I | E | R |
R | I | I | S | | E | T | A | T | S | | I | R | A | E |
E | L | L | E | | R | E | L | E | E | | E | A | S | E |
S | T | E | R | | | L | E | S | T | | S | S | T | S |
Tue 4/14/2015
G | A | G | A | | A | I | R | E | S | | T | E | E | S |
A | G | E | S | | G | R | E | T | A | | R | A | T | E |
T | H | A | T | S | G | R | E | A | T | | I | S | H | E |
E | A | R | | H | I | E | S | | T | A | S | T | E | R |
| | | S | I | E | G | | T | I | T | T | E | R | S |
S | T | R | E | S | S | | S | I | G | H | E | R | | |
H | E | A | T | H | | S | E | T | H | S | | E | E | G |
A | R | T | I | | E | I | G | H | T | | A | G | R | I |
H | A | T | | R | A | R | E | E | | S | S | G | T | S |
| | E | R | A | S | E | R | | G | E | T | S | E | T |
S | T | R | E | E | T | S | | T | I | T | I | | | |
T | E | R | E | S | A | | H | A | R | T | | A | H | S |
E | R | I | S | | S | T | A | R | T | E | R | S | E | T |
T | R | E | E | | I | R | I | S | H | | A | T | R | A |
S | I | R | S | | A | E | G | I | S | | G | R | E | G |
Wed 12/21/2005
M | A | R | A | T | | C | A | R | O | M | | A | T | M |
A | T | A | R | I | | A | R | O | A | R | | R | O | I |
C | O | M | I | C | A | C | T | O | R | S | | M | O | M |
R | O | I | L | | L | A | O | S | | C | C | C | L | I |
O | T | S | | S | M | O | O | T | | R | A | H | | |
| | | T | O | A | | | | C | A | M | A | R | O |
A | S | S | O | C | | I | M | H | O | T | | I | O | S |
A | C | H | R | I | S | T | M | A | S | C | A | R | O | L |
H | O | I | | A | T | O | M | S | | H | A | S | T | O |
S | T | R | O | L | L | | | | A | I | R | | | |
| | T | L | C | | S | H | A | L | T | | C | A | L |
T | O | T | A | L | | M | A | S | T | | C | A | L | I |
A | R | A | | A | L | A | S | T | A | I | R | S | I | M |
T | A | I | | S | O | L | T | I | | M | A | C | A | O |
A | L | L | | S | O | L | A | R | | A | M | A | S | S |
Tue 6/5/2001
A | L | S | O | | E | S | T | A | | E | S | S | E | N |
L | O | I | T | E | R | E | R | S | | E | N | U | R | E |
A | U | R | O | R | A | A | U | S | T | R | A | L | I | S |
S | T | E | E | R | | L | E | N | O | | R | T | E | S |
| | | | O | A | S | | | A | R | E | A | | |
| S | I | L | L | S | | T | A | T | I | | N | E | E |
A | T | N | O | | T | O | O | T | | L | E | A | S | T |
R | U | S | S | I | A | N | R | O | U | L | E | T | T | E |
T | N | U | T | S | | T | O | I | L | | R | E | E | S |
S | T | L | | E | S | O | S | | N | O | O | S | E | |
| | A | S | E | A | | | O | A | R | | | | |
A | L | T | E | | L | E | N | A | | A | L | L | I | N |
T | R | I | N | I | T | R | O | T | O | L | U | E | N | E |
R | O | O | S | T | | T | E | E | N | S | I | E | S | T |
A | N | N | E | S | | E | L | S | E | | S | S | T | S |
Tue 1/16/2001
P | A | L | M | E | | | A | P | E | | A | M | A | N |
E | L | I | E | L | | E | M | I | L | | L | I | L | I |
A | L | L | A | H | | N | A | P | A | | A | L | O | E |
L | I | L | L | I | A | N | H | E | L | L | M | A | N | |
E | E | E | | | P | U | L | L | | A | O | N | E | |
| | | M | A | U | I | | I | W | O | | | | |
W | H | E | E | L | | | O | N | O | | K | E | E | L |
W | E | E | W | I | L | L | I | E | W | I | N | K | I | E |
W | E | L | L | | A | O | L | | | K | E | E | N | E |
| | | | E | M | O | | P | H | E | W | | | |
| P | H | I | L | | K | A | L | E | | | P | A | L |
| H | O | N | O | L | U | L | U | H | A | W | A | I | I |
I | O | W | A | | A | P | I | N | | L | E | M | O | N |
A | N | I | L | | M | O | N | K | | M | A | P | L | E |
N | O | E | L | | E | N | E | | | A | L | A | I | N |
Here's the complete list of all 40 Modern Era puzzles using fewer than 19 letters:
Date | Author | Used | These letters |
Tue Apr 18, 2017 | Bruce Haight | 7 | AEILRST |
Tue Apr 14, 2015 | Bruce Haight | 8 | AEGHIRST |
Wed Dec 21, 2005 | David J. Kahn | 10 | ACHILMORST |
Tue Jun 5, 2001 | Peter Gordon | 10 | AEILNORSTU |
Tue Jan 16, 2001 | Peter Gordon | 12 | AEHIKLMNOPUW |
Tue Dec 23, 2008 | Joe Krozel | 13 | ADEILMNOPRSTV |
Tue Jun 19, 2012 | Steve Riley | 15 | BCDGHKLMNOPRSTW |
Tue Mar 8, 2011 | Paul Hunsberger | 15 | ABCDEFGQRSTVWXZ |
Thu Dec 15, 2005 | Patrick Merrell | 15 | ABCDEFGQRSTVWXZ |
Tue Jun 6, 2023 | Daniel Jaret | 16 | ACDEGILMNOPRSTUV |
Thu Mar 21, 2002 | Patrick Berry | 16 | ABCDFGHKLMNPRSTW |
Sat Apr 28, 2012 | Gary J. Whitehead | 17 | ACDEFHIKLMNOPRSTU |
Tue Feb 9, 1999 | Janet R. Bender | 17 | BCDEFGHKLMNPRSTVW |
Sat Jan 24, 1998 | Randolph Ross | 17 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTU |
Wed Jan 9, 2019 | Trenton Charlson | 18 | BCDFGHIKLMNPRSTWXZ |
Tue Aug 2, 2016 | Paula Gamache | 18 | ABCEFGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Tue Jun 23, 2015 | Jules P. Markey | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Wed Apr 8, 2015 | Zhouqin Burnikel | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUW |
Fri Jun 8, 2012 | Martin Ashwood-Smith | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Wed Aug 3, 2011 | Paul Guttormsson | 18 | ADEFGHILMNOPRSTUVY |
Wed Feb 2, 2011 | Peter A. Collins | 18 | ABCDEGHIJLMNOPRSTU |
Sat Dec 22, 2007 | Harvey Estes | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Sat Jan 20, 2007 | Harvey Estes | 18 | ABCDEGIKLMNOPRSTUW |
Fri May 26, 2006 | Mike Torch | 18 | ABCDEFGHILMNOPRSTU |
Fri Jan 21, 2005 | Frank Longo | 18 | ACDEFGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Sat Jun 21, 2003 | Dana Motley | 18 | ABCDEHIKLMNOPRSTUY |
Sat Aug 24, 2002 | Chuck Menning | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Sat Jul 27, 2002 | Robert H. Wolfe | 18 | ABCDEGIKLMNOPRSTUV |
Fri Dec 29, 2000 | David J. Kahn | 18 | ABCDEGHIKLMNOPRSTW |
Mon Oct 30, 2000 | Gregory E. Paul | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Fri Feb 18, 2000 | Manny Nosowsky | 18 | ACDEFGHILMNOPRSTUW |
Thu Aug 21, 1997 | Martin Ashwood-Smith | 18 | ABCDEFGHILNOPRSTUV |
Sat Dec 28, 1996 | N. Joline | 18 | ACDEGIJLMNOPRSTUVY |
Fri Oct 11, 1996 | F. Longo | 18 | ACDEGHIKLMNOPRSTVY |
Mon Dec 4, 1995 | Sidney L. Robbins | 18 | ABCDEHIKLMNOPRSTUW |
Sat Oct 7, 1995 | Frank A. Longo | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Sat May 13, 1995 | Nancy Joline | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Wed Apr 20, 1994 | Walter Webb | 18 | ACDEFGILMNOPRSTUVY |
Sun Feb 13, 1994 | Cathy Millhauser | 18 | BCDEFGHKLMNPRSTVWX |
Fri Nov 26, 1993 | Nancy A. Corbett | 18 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Pre-Shortz puzzles
Fewer than 18 letters used for pre-Shortz:
Date | Author | Editor | Used | These letters |
Thu Jan 11, 1990 | Jeanette K. Brill | Maleska | 16 | ABCDEGILMNOPRSTU |
Mon Mar 21, 1988 | Frank Geary | Maleska | 16 | ACDEGHILMNOPRSTU |
Fri May 3, 1974 | Jack Wherry | Weng | 16 | ABDEGHIKLNORSTUY |
Mon Jun 7, 1993 | Bill Polvogt | Maleska | 17 | ACDEGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Sat May 16, 1992 | Bernard Meren | Maleska | 17 | ACDEGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Thu Nov 7, 1991 | Margaret W. Huskey | Maleska | 17 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTY |
Sat Aug 12, 1989 | Bernard Meren | Maleska | 17 | ACDEGILMNOPRSTUWY |
Wed Sep 14, 1988 | Melvin Kenworthy | Maleska | 17 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTU |
Sat Jul 16, 1988 | Joe Clonick | Maleska | 17 | ABCDGHKLMNPRSTWYZ |
Thu Sep 3, 1987 | William S. McIlrath | Maleska | 17 | ABCDEHILMNOPRSTUV |
Fri Jul 5, 1985 | Louis Sabin | Maleska | 17 | ABCDEHILMNOPRSTVY |
Mon Aug 6, 1984 | Arthur W. Palmer | Maleska | 17 | ABCDEFGHILMNOPRST |
Thu Mar 22, 1984 | Rhonda Kraus | Maleska | 17 | ACDEHILMNOPRSTUWY |
Tue Dec 14, 1982 | Nancy McCarthy | Maleska | 17 | ACDEFGHILMNOPRSTV |
Tue Oct 6, 1981 | Judson G. Trent | Maleska | 17 | ACDEFGHILMNOPRSTU |
Sat Aug 9, 1980 | Jack L. Steinhardt | Maleska | 17 | ABCDEGILMNOPRSTVY |
Sat Oct 6, 1973 | Unknown | Weng | 17 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTU |
Sat Jul 15, 1972 | Unknown | Weng | 17 | ACDEGHILMNOPRSTUV |
Thu Mar 19, 1970 | Unknown | Weng | 17 | ABCDEFILMNOPRSTUV |
Mon Sep 20, 1965 | Unknown | Farrar | 17 | ADEFGHILMNOPRSTUY |
Wed Jul 23, 1958 | W. E. Jones | Farrar | 17 | ABCDEGHILMNOPRSTY |
Tue Sep 10, 1957 | H. L. Risteen | Farrar | 17 | ABCDEGILMNOPRSTUV |