About Alphabet Order
Alphabet Order sounds like something from the first year of school, and for the first set or two it is. Then the game starts choosing words that begin with the same letter, and you find out how well you really know your alphabet.
How it works
Each set is five words. Tap the one that comes first in a dictionary, then the next, and so on. A correct tap turns the word green and locks it. A wrong tap flashes red and takes two seconds off the clock.
Clear all five and a new set appears immediately. The round lasts forty-five seconds, and your score is the number of complete sets.
The opening sets use words with a mix of first letters. After that, the game prefers groups that share a first letter, so that you have to compare the second letter, and sometimes the third or fourth.
Being quick and right
Compare letter by letter. When words start the same way, move along until they differ. "Stage" comes before "stamp" because G comes before M. "Stand" comes before "start" because N comes before R.
Find the first word only. You do not need the whole order worked out before you begin. Find the earliest, tap it, then find the earliest of what remains.
Know the middle of the alphabet. Most people are sure of A to G and of the end. The stretch from L to S is where hesitation creeps in. If it helps, recite a short run of it under your breath.
Do not guess. Two seconds is a heavy penalty in a round this short. A moment's thought is cheaper.
Read the endings last. Words that look alike at a glance, such as "sheep" and "shelf", need a proper look at the fourth letter.
Six sets is a strong score. It is a small, sharp test, and unlike most HTML5 games it genuinely gets easier with practice.