Alternate Letter Clues in Cryptic Crosswords — How to Spot and Solve Them

Alternate letter clues test your patience with a metronome. The answer is spelled out by taking every other letter of a fodder word or phrase — either the odd-positioned letters (1st, 3rd, 5th) or the even-positioned ones (2nd, 4th, 6th). Once you spot the indicator, the mechanism is pure counting.

An alternate letter clue contains a definition of the answer, an indicator for alternating, and a fodder phrase whose alternating letters spell the answer.

How Alternate Letter Clues Work

The setter picks an answer, then finds a longer phrase whose alternate letters match the answer's spelling exactly. The clue defines the answer normally and uses an indicator to signal the alternating operation.

The three parts:

1. Definition — a straight synonym of the answer, at the start or end of the clue
2. Alternate letter indicator — a word signalling "take every other letter"
3. Fodder phrase — a word or phrase whose alternating letters spell the answer

Worked Examples

Example 1: PAN — Odd Letters

"Oddly, plains — a cooking vessel (3)"

Step by step:

1. Spot the indicator: "oddly" — take odd-positioned letters (1st, 3rd, 5th)
2. Identify the definition: "a cooking vessel" at the end — 3 letters
3. Find the fodder: "plains" (6 letters)
4. Take the odd letters of PLAINS: P(1), L(2), A(3), I(4), N(5), S(6) → positions 1, 3, 5 = P, A, N
5. Combine: PAN
6. Check: PAN is a cooking vessel. Enumeration: 3. Match.

Answer: PAN

Six-letter fodder, odd positions, three-letter answer — the answer is exactly half the fodder length. That ratio is the standard pattern to look for.

Example 2: EEL — Even Letters

"Evenly, resell — a wriggling fish (3)"

Step by step:

1. Spot the indicator: "evenly" — take even-positioned letters (2nd, 4th, 6th)
2. Identify the definition: "a wriggling fish" at the end — 3 letters
3. Find the fodder: "resell" (6 letters)
4. Take the even letters of RESELL: R(1), E(2), S(3), E(4), L(5), L(6) → positions 2, 4, 6 = E, E, L
5. Combine: EEL
6. Check: EEL is a wriggling fish. Enumeration: 3. Match.

Answer: EEL

Same mechanism as Example 1, but even positions instead of odd. When you see "evenly" rather than "oddly", start counting from position 2.

Example 3: ACES — Odd Letters of a Seven-Letter Word

"Oddly, archers — top cards (4)"

Step by step:

1. Spot the indicator: "oddly" — odd letters
2. Identify the definition: "top cards" at the end — 4 letters
3. Find the fodder: "archers" (7 letters)
4. Take the odd letters of ARCHERS: A(1), R(2), C(3), H(4), E(5), R(6), S(7) → positions 1, 3, 5, 7 = A, C, E, S
5. Combine: ACES
6. Check: ACES are the top cards in a deck. Enumeration: 4. Match.

Answer: ACES

Seven-letter fodder gives four odd-position letters. The fodder doesn't have to be exactly double the answer — it can be one longer, as here.

Example 4: FLOE — Odd Letters of an Eight-Letter Word

"Oddly, followed — floating ice (4)"

Step by step:

1. Spot the indicator: "oddly" — odd letters
2. Identify the definition: "floating ice" at the end — 4 letters
3. Find the fodder: "followed" (8 letters)
4. Take the odd letters of FOLLOWED: F(1), O(2), L(3), L(4), O(5), W(6), E(7), D(8) → positions 1, 3, 5, 7 = F, L, O, E
5. Combine: FLOE
6. Check: FLOE is a sheet of floating ice. Enumeration: 4. Match.

Answer: FLOE

Eight-letter fodder, four odd-position letters — exact double this time. Alternate letter clues depend on precise fodder construction: the setter finds a word or phrase whose every other letter, read in sequence, spells a common English word. That constraint is why this clue type is rarer than anagrams.

How to Spot Alternate Letter Clues

The indicator is the only reliable signal. Unlike many clue types, there's no structural shape to spot — you really do need to recognise the indicator words.

Odd-Position Indicators

"Take odd letters": oddly, odd characters, odd letters, odd pieces of, at odd moments

Even-Position Indicators

"Take even letters": evenly, even characters, even letters, even parts of, even pieces of

Either Pattern (Try Both)

"Every other": regularly, alternately, every other, alternatively, at intervals, intermittently, in turns, occasionally, periodically, half of (when combined with "letters")

When you see an ambiguous indicator like "regularly", try both odd and even — the answer's letters tell you which the setter intended.

The Counting Process

When you suspect an alternate letter clue:

1. Identify the fodder — usually a word or short phrase adjacent to the indicator
2. Count the fodder letters — ignore spaces, punctuation; just count letters
3. Check both odd and even extractions — take every second letter starting from position 1, then from position 2
4. Match against the definition — whichever extraction spells a word matching the definition is the answer
5. Verify the length — the answer length should be about half the fodder length (rounded)

Common Mistakes

Including spaces or punctuation in the count. Alternate letters apply to the letter sequence, not the visual text. Squish the fodder into one long string first.

Assuming "regularly" means odd. It usually does, but some setters use it for even letters. Always try both.

Confusing with acrostics. An acrostic takes ONE letter per WORD (usually the first). An alternate letter clue takes EVERY OTHER letter in a continuous string. Different operations entirely.

Ignoring fodder word boundaries. When the fodder is a phrase, treat it as one continuous letter string. Positions 1, 3, 5... run through the entire phrase, not within each word.

Missing short fodders. The fodder might be just one small word ("bolted" → OTD). Don't assume you need a long phrase.

Keep Going

Alternate letter clues are rare enough that encountering one is a small event. If you solve one, note which indicator was used — you'll spot it faster next time.

Our cryptic crossword solver will flag alternate-letter indicators and show both odd- and even-position extractions.

Next, try acrostic clues — they share the "take specific letters" idea but work on word boundaries rather than letter positions. Or hidden word clues for another letter-extraction mechanism.