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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.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.