11+ Hidden Words: How to Find a Word Hidden Across Two Words
By Simply Eleven Plus · Updated 25 October 2026 · 3 min read
In hidden word questions, a four-letter word is hidden in a sentence, made from the end of one word and the start of the next. The letters are always in order and next to each other. Children often look for the word inside a single word, so practising the right method makes a big difference.
The method
- Look at each pair of neighbouring words, one gap at a time.
- Take the last one, two or three letters of the first word and join them to the start of the next word.
- Check the combinations: 1 + 3 letters, 2 + 2, and 3 + 1.
- Skip pairs that can’t work, such as a one-letter word followed by a one-letter word.
Example
Find the four-letter word hidden across two words: I hope Arthur comes.
Look at the gap in hope Arthur. Join the last two letters of “hope” (p, e) to the first two letters of “Arthur” (a, r).
Answer: PEAR
Example
Find the hidden word: Please ask Ingrid.
In ask Ingrid, take s and k from “ask” and i and n from “Ingrid”.
Answer: SKIN
Tips
- Ignore capital letters and punctuation: “Arthur” is just a-r-t-h-u-r.
- Run your finger along the sentence and say the joined-up letters aloud.
- The hidden word is always a real, common word.
Practise it
The method only sticks with practice. Try hidden word questions on Simply Eleven Plus, free to start, with instant marking and an explanation for every answer, or sit a free live mock exam to practise under real exam conditions.
Free 11+ live mock exams
Let your child sit a real-time, timed mock paper online, then go through the trickiest questions together. It’s free.