Target (word puzzle)

Target is a word puzzle. The objective of the puzzle is find as many four-letter or more words from a 3×3 grid of nine letters, using one mandatory letter in each word.

Each word must contain the centre letter (sometimes called the "target" letter and distinguished from the other letters by a black background) and each letter, including the centre letter, may only be used once per word. For each word formed, there must be no plurals ending in 's', no foreign words, no hyphenated words and no proper names. The first word of a phrase is permitted (for example, 'inkjet' in 'inkjet printer'). There must also be at least one nine-letter word amongst all possible words for each puzzle.

With each published puzzle, a number of words to aim for (the "target") is usually included as a guide, with three difficulty ratings: good, very good and excellent. Each puzzle differs in its "target".

Fairfax Books has published two Target puzzle books titled "Aiming up", which comprise 75 puzzles each.

Alterations to the conventional 3×3 grid include a hexagonal-shaped puzzle containing 9 letters.