Jumble algorithm

Each clue in a Jumble word puzzle is a word that has been “jumbled” by permuting the letters of each word to make an anagram.

Computerized solution

Algorithms have been designed to solve Jumbles, using a dictionary. Common algorithms work by printing all words that can be formed from a set of letters. The solver then chooses the right word.

One algorithm is as follows:

1. Begin
2. Input: J , all the jumbled letters that form an unknown W word(s), we want.
3. Sort the letters of J in alphabetical order, preserving duplicates.
4. Look up sorted letters in a hash table, initialised with a dictionary, that maps a sorted set of letters to unscrambled words.
5. Print the set of words, which is W.
6. End

Another algorithm:

1. Begin
2. Input: J, all the jumbled letters that form an unknown W word(s)
3. Frame a word list Y with all different combination of J
4. For each word in Y check if the word is existing in the dictionary
5. If a match is found then collect it in word list W
6. Prints the words in W

Algorithm to write J in all different combination

1.Begin
2.Initialize a string with first character of J denoted by J(1)
3.Add the second character of J denoted by J(2) in either side of J(1)to get two strings

  J(1)J(2) 
  J(2)J(1)

4.Add the third character of J denoted by J(3) in either side and in between of the above 2 strings in above step to get 6 strings

  J(1)J(2)J(3)
  J(1)J(3)J(2)
  J(3)J(1)J(2)

  J(2)J(1)J(3)
  J(2)J(3)J(1)
  J(3)J(2)J(1)

5.Same way add J(4) to each of the above string in either sides and between two characters to get 24 strings
6.Continue this until all the characters are completed

Though the algorithm looks complex it is easy to program.

Douglas Hofstadter developed a program called Jumbo that tries to solve Jumble problems as a human mind would. The program doesn't rely on a dictionary and doesn't try to find real English words, but rather words that could be English, exploiting a database of plausibilities for various combinations of letters. Letters are combined non-deterministically, following a strategy inspired by chemical reactions and free associations.

In other media

Various electronic versions of Jumble have been released, including a version by Hasbro Interactive for Microsoft Windows. The game features 5 modes of play ranging from classic Jumble to crossword puzzles to an easier Jumble mode for kids.

TextTwist, a Java game by GameHouse, is similar to Jumble. Players form words from a set of six scrambled letters, and must find at least one 6-letter word using all the letters to get to the next round. Additional points are granted for words using at least three letters.

A TV game show based on Jumble aired in 1994. It was hosted by game show veteran Wink Martindale, and aired on The Family Channel (now called ABC Family).

In the Seinfeld episode “The Pez Dispenser,” Kramer, upon hearing that George Costanza was doing crossword puzzles with his girlfriend, said he “likes to do the Jumble.”

In the Strong Bad email from Homestar Runner entitled "Caper," Strong Bad and The Cheat break into Homestar's house to steal the Jumbles from his newspapers. Strong Bad refers to this in song as "The Jumble Caper."