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Sunday Puzzle: Alphabetical arrangements

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge: I'm going to name some things that are in categories -- like days of the week or U.S. states. Each one I name is second alphabetically in its category. You name the one that's first.
 

Ex. Five  -->  Eight  (alphabetically the first two digits)

1. August

2. Sight

3. British Columbia

4. Astros

5. Columbia

6. "Antony and Cleopatra"

7. Huron

8. Brooklyn

Last week's challenge: Last week's challenge comes from Joseph Young, who's a frequent contributor here. Name a famous island in eight letters. Remove three consecutive letters. The letters that remain, in left-to-right order, will name where many islands can be found -- but not this one. What is this island, and where can't it be found?

Challenge answer: Atlantis --> atlas

Winner: Drew Skinner of Havertown, Pennsylvania

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Dan Asimov, of Berkeley, Calif. In English the two-letter combination TH can be pronounced in two different ways: once as in the word "booth," the other as in "smooth." What is the only common English word, other than "smooth," that ends in the letters TH as pronounced in smooth?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, March 27 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Will Shortz

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.