What is etyML?
etyML is a daily etymology sorting game. Twelve words appear in random order alongside four bins: three bins representing hidden word roots (described by their meaning rather than Latin form) and one labeled "IMPOSTORS." Each bin requires exactly three words. The impostors are words that resemble members of a root family but descend from different origins—for example, "salient" appears related to "salary" and "sauce" yet derives from a root meaning to leap, not salt.
How to play etyML
- Tap a word to highlight it.
- Place it in the bin that matches its root meaning. If it matches none of the displayed roots, place it in the impostors bin.
- Tap a word in a bin to remove it, or tap “Clear” to reset the grid.
- Put three words in each of the four bins. The counter shows each bin’s progress: 0/3, 1/3, 2/3, or 3/3.
- When every bin shows 3/3, tap “Submit” to check your solution.
The impostors bin
Each grid contains exactly three impostors. A word may look like it belongs to a root family because of its spelling, but that resemblance can be misleading. Judge the meaning, since the bin labels describe concepts rather than Latin forms. When a word seems too obviously connected by its letters, check whether the connection is genuine or a deliberate trap.
You receive three hints per grid, and each one places a word in its correct bin. Save them for cases where two root families seem to fit or where you cannot tell a genuine member from an impostor. If you use all three early, you will have no help left for the final ambiguous placements.
The game credits Wiktionary and the Etymological Wordnet under a CC BY-SA license. Grids are generated by an AI-assisted process and may contain inaccuracies. Treat the etymologies as educational approximations rather than scholarly references.
Daily format and progress tracking
A new grid unlocks each day at midnight. The interface includes a Statistics panel and a "Today's result" panel to review your performance. Keep the game in the same browser to preserve locally stored progress across the collection.