How to Answer 11+ Move a Letter Questions

This type gives you two words. Your job is to move exactly one letter out of the first word and into the second word, so that BOTH turn into new real words. Take the s out of "sport" and you're left with "port"; drop that s into "hip" and you get "ship". One move, two new words.

There are two rules that make the puzzle fair. First, you may not shuffle anything: when a letter leaves the first word, the remaining letters close the gap but stay in their order. Second, the letter can slot into the second word anywhere — front, middle or end — as long as the letters already there also keep their order.

Children usually enjoy this type, because it feels like a magic trick. Where they lose marks is checking only half of the trick: they find a letter that leaves a real word behind, forget to test the second word properly, and move on. The method below builds that double-check in.

The method

1. Try the letters of the first word one at a time. The answer choices are simply the five letters of the first word, in order — so work along them.
2. Take the letter out and read what's left. Close the gap. Is it still a real word? If not, that letter is out — move to the next one.
3. Now slot the letter into the second word. Try it at the front, the end, and each spot in between. The letters already in the word must stay in their order.
4. Check BOTH words are real before you answer. This is the tip that saves marks: the move only counts if the first word survives losing the letter AND the second word becomes real. If one side fails, try a different letter.

Worked examples

Example 1

Move one letter from the first word to the second word to make two new words: thank and

A. t B. h C. a D. n E. k

1. Try t: "hank" is not a word for most juniors, and "and" has nowhere useful for a t. Next.
2. Try h: thank without its h is "tank" — a real word.
3. Slot h into "and": h + and = "hand". Both real.

Answer: B. h — thank → tank, and → hand.

Example 2

Move one letter from the first word to the second word to make two new words: haste oak

A. h B. a C. s D. t E. e

1. Try h: "aste" — not a word. Try a: "hste" — no.
2. Try s: haste without the s is "hate". Real word — promising.
3. Slot s into "oak": s + oak = "soak". Both real, both checked.

Answer: C. s — haste → hate, oak → soak.

Example 3 (harder — the letter lands in the middle)

Move one letter from the first word to the second word to make two new words: spear very

A. s B. p C. e D. a E. r

1. Try s: "pear" is real, but where does s go in "very"? "svery", "vsery"… nothing works.
2. Try e: spear without the first e is "spar" — a real word.
3. Now slot e into "very". Not the end ("verye" — no), but the front: e + very = "every".

Answer: C. e — spear → spar, very → every.

The traps

• The half-checked answer. The classic mistake: "pear is a word, done!" — without noticing the moved letter has no home in the second word. Always finish the second half of the move.
• Shuffling letters. You may not rearrange anything. If the only way to make a word is to jumble the letters, it's the wrong letter.
• Only trying the front of the second word. The letter can land anywhere: it goes on the front for "hand", but into the middle for "tear" (tar + e) and "every". Slide it along every position.
• Near-words. "Hank", "aste" and "vry" might sound almost right when you're rushing. If you're not certain it's a real word, it probably isn't — pick the letter where both words are ones you know.

Try these yourself

1.

Move one letter from the first word to the second word to make two new words: sport hip

A. s B. p C. o D. r E. t

2.

Move one letter from the first word to the second word to make two new words: flank not

A. f B. l C. a D. n E. k

3.

Move one letter from the first word to the second word to make two new words: place pane

A. p B. l C. a D. c E. e

Answers

1. A — move the s: sport → port, hip → ship.
2. E — move the k: flank → flan, not → knot (the k goes on the front).
3. B — move the l: place → pace, pane → plane (the l slots in after the p).

Related

• The complete 11+ question-type guide
• VR: Letter Fit — one letter finishes one word and starts another
• VR: Build the Word — build a new word from pieces of two others

All example questions come from the Brainblox question bank — practise this question type inside 15 arcade games, timed mock exams and focused practice. Brainblox is an independent app: not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by any exam board, school or assessment publisher, and it contains no past papers.