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Learn Sudoku

Solve harder sudoku with logic, not guessing.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

Sudoku asks you to fill a 9 by 9 grid so every row, column and 3 by 3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 once. It needs no math, only logic, and a well-made puzzle has exactly one solution reachable without guessing. Easy grids fall to scanning for singles, while harder ones need pencil marks and named techniques such as naked pairs, pointing pairs and the X-Wing. Learnr builds a personalized sudoku course from one prompt and teaches these techniques in order of difficulty through short interactive lessons.

How to learn Sudoku, step by step

Cross-hatch each digit across the boxes. Pick a digit, say 5, and trace every row and column that already holds one. Any box where only one cell remains open for 5 gets it. Sweep through all nine digits this way before trying anything fancier.
Learn hidden and naked singles. A hidden single is a digit that fits only one cell within a row, column or box. A naked single is a cell where only one digit is possible. Easy puzzles can be finished with these two alone.
Add pencil marks carefully. Once singles run out, note candidates. Some solvers mark only digits that fit in exactly two cells of a box, which keeps the grid readable. Update marks every time you place a digit, or errors creep in.
Find pairs and pointing pairs. If two cells in a unit can only be the same two digits, those digits can be removed from the rest of that unit. When a candidate in a box sits only along one row or column, eliminate it from that line outside the box.
Learn the X-Wing and XY-Wing. An X-Wing uses one candidate confined to the same two columns in two rows, letting you clear it from those columns elsewhere. Learn these patterns one at a time, then hunt for them only when simpler steps stall.
Practice by difficulty and never guess. Work up through difficulty levels, and when stuck, recheck for a missed single before assuming you need an advanced move. Short Learnr lessons on one technique at a time keep each pattern sharp.

What you'll learn

Scan rows, columns and boxes to place obvious digits
Find naked singles and hidden singles systematically
Keep clean pencil marks without cluttering the grid
Use naked and hidden pairs and pointing pairs
Recognize advanced patterns like the X-Wing and XY-Wing

What's inside your Sudoku course

A sample path Learnr builds for Sudoku. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Rules and the structure of a sudoku grid
2. Cross-hatching and hidden singles
3. Candidates, pencil marks and naked singles
4. Pairs, triples and pointing pairs
5. Box and line reduction
6. X-Wing, Swordfish and XY-Wing

How long does it take to learn Sudoku?

You can solve easy sudoku on your first day. Medium puzzles usually take a week or two of practice to handle comfortably, and the hardest grids that require chains and wings can take a few months of regular solving to recognize.

What you need before you start

None. No math is involved beyond recognizing the digits 1 to 9. A pencil with an eraser or a puzzle app that supports notes makes practice easier.

Common mistakes to avoid

Guessing and backtracking when stuck. Proper sudoku can be solved by logic, so look again for a single or a pair.
Writing every candidate in every cell too early, which turns the grid into noise. Scan for singles first, then mark.
Forgetting to update pencil marks after placing a digit, which leads to contradictions several moves later.

How Learnr builds your course

Type your topic

Tell Learnr you want to learn Sudoku, or get as specific as you like.

Get a personalized course

Learnr instantly builds a full Sudoku course tailored to your goal and skill level.

Learn and level up

Move through bite-sized lessons and interactive practice, earning XP and keeping your streak.

Sudoku questions, answered

Is sudoku a math game?

No. The digits are just symbols, and the puzzle would work the same with letters or colors. It is a logic puzzle about placing each symbol once in every row, column and box.

What should I do when I get stuck?

Rescan for hidden singles digit by digit, then check each box for pairs. If nothing appears, it may be time to learn the next technique for that difficulty level.