Wei-Hwa's Puzzle Challenge Number 9 by Google

July 21, 2006: Give and Take: Add (or subtract) one letter from each word, and then rearrange each group of the resulting letters to form one word (which may or may not be a proper noun). The letters you add (or subtract) will spell out the name of the category that all the resulting words are in.

Puzzle 1:

"LEVEE", "ENNUI", "IMP", "BENT", "FORTUNE", "NERVES", "HANDOUT"

Puzzle 2:

"FINDER", "HAIRDO", "BONNETS", "RESONANCE", "HOMES", "FIREARMS", "AMUSED"

Puzzle 3:

"CLERICS", "LATHERING", "BOLOGNA", "TONNAGE", "HOMBRE", "SALVO"

Puzzle 4:

"LYRICS", "CONTINENTS", "INANE", "WADER", "SITUATING", "PRESET"

Puzzle 5:

"HERMIT", "MAKES", "BURNT", "LIVED", "FORAGED", "HERNIATE", "FAZE", "ELBOW"

Puzzle 6:

"EARTH", "HEAT", "RUSTIC", "ATHEISM", "OUNCES", "UNCROSS"

Inspired by the Family Reunions puzzles by Stanley Newman. Drag letters to swap them. Click on the plus/minus sign to change sign. Click on the "Mix" button to randomly rearrange the letters in that row. Click in this module and then on a letter to activate a "cursor"; arrow keys and typing letters will change the letters appropriately.

Hints:
To make things easier, use Webster's Online Dictionary to get sets of words that can be formed with a +1 / -1 character for the given words. You can get these sets of words from the Anagrams section of the definition. (Note: Not all have anagrams)

Example:

LEEVE
Words containing the letters "e-e-e-l-v"
+1 letter: eleven, leveed, levees, releve, sleeve.
-1 letter: N/A

ENNUI
Words containing the letters "e-i-n-n-u"
+1 letter: ennuis, undine.
-1 letter: nine.

IMP
Words within the letters "i-m-p"
+1 letter: gimp, impi, imps, jimp, limp, pima, pimp, prim, simp, wimp.
-1 letter: mi, pi.

Once you have all these words, try to pair as many words into categories. You will start to see the answers form before your very eyes. Eleven... Nine.. Pi.. Oooppss...

Answers / Solutions:
Answers are usually (and will be) posted in the comments section.

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