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Puzzle ZTIQ 



??

A 'complete' word is a word in which every letter, in turn, can be replaced by another to form a new word.

For example, RUG is a complete word because:
-ug = hug
r-g = rig
ru- = run

How many of the following words are not complete words? Proper nouns and names are not allowed.
team cost flew ward fail rook soft most lamp load

Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone

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Answer
Three of the words are not complete: flew, rook, lamp.

Reasoning
The remaining 7 words can be changed as follows:
team:  -eam = beam
 t-am = tram
 te-m = term
 tea- = tear

cost:  -ost = host
 c-st = cast
 co-t = coat
 cos- = cosy

flew:  -lew = blew
 f-ew = ---- *
 fl-w = flow
 fle- = flex

ward:  -ard = card
 w-rd = word
 wa-d = wand
 war- = warm

fail:  -ail = nail
 f-il = foil
 fa-l = fall
 fai- = fair

rook:  -ook = book
 r-ok = ---- *
 ro-k = rock
 roo- = roof

soft:  -oft = loft
 s-ft = sift
 so-t = sort
 sof- = sofa

most:  -ost = cost
 m-st = mast
 mo-t = moat
 mos- = moss

lamp:  -amp = damp
 l-mp = lump
 la-p = ---- *
 lam- = lamb

load:  -oad = road
 l-ad = lead
 lo-d = loud
 loa- = loaf

 

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