diff --git a/client/src/components/MnemonicBuilder.tsx b/client/src/components/MnemonicBuilder.tsx
index b0029e4..ddfb5fd 100644
--- a/client/src/components/MnemonicBuilder.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/MnemonicBuilder.tsx
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ export function MnemonicBuilder({ token, onComplete }: Props) {
       </label>
       <p style={{ fontSize: '0.85rem', color: 'var(--color-brown)', marginBottom: '0.5rem' }}>
         {pattern.length} word{pattern.length !== 1 ? 's' : ''} —
-        {' '}≤3 letters for dots · (short), 4+ letters for dashes — (long).
+        {' '}≤3 letters for dots ·, 4+ letters for dashes —.
+        {' '}Start a word with "{letter}" to anchor it!
       </p>
       <input
         type="text"
diff --git a/client/src/lib/morse.test.ts b/client/src/lib/morse.test.ts
index d3bcc9c..ba52081 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/morse.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/morse.test.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,14 @@ describe('suggestPhrases', () => {
       expect(phrase.length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(3)
     })
   })
+  it('first word starts with the target letter', () => {
+    for (const letter of ['A','E','T','S','N','H','R','D','L','I','U','O']) {
+      const s = suggestPhrases(letter, 5)
+      s.forEach(phrase => {
+        expect(phrase[0].toUpperCase()).toBe(letter)
+      })
+    }
+  })
   it('returns empty array for unknown letter', () => {
     expect(suggestPhrases('$', 5)).toEqual([])
   })
@@ -108,40 +116,52 @@ describe('suggestPhrases', () => {
 
 describe('validatePhrase', () => {
   it('accepts valid phrase for E (.)', () => {
-    expect(validatePhrase('go', 'E')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+    expect(validatePhrase('eat', 'E')).toEqual({ valid: true })
   })
   it('accepts 3-letter dot word', () => {
-    expect(validatePhrase('run', 'E')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+    expect(validatePhrase('eat', 'E')).toEqual({ valid: true })
   })
   it('accepts valid phrase for A (.-)', () => {
-    expect(validatePhrase('go WALKING', 'A')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+    // A = .- → dot + dash; "age" starts with A, "WALKING" is 4+
+    expect(validatePhrase('age WALKING', 'A')).toEqual({ valid: true })
   })
   it('accepts valid phrase for S (...)', () => {
-    expect(validatePhrase('go go go', 'S')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+    // S = ... → three dot words; "sun" starts with S
+    expect(validatePhrase('sun go go', 'S')).toEqual({ valid: true })
   })
   it('rejects 4-letter word in dot position', () => {
-    const r = validatePhrase('walk go go', 'S')
+    const r = validatePhrase('walk sun go', 'S')
     expect(r.valid).toBe(false)
   })
   it('accepts 3-letter word in dot position', () => {
-    expect(validatePhrase('run', 'E')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+    expect(validatePhrase('eat', 'E')).toEqual({ valid: true })
   })
   it('rejects 3-letter word in dash position', () => {
-    const r = validatePhrase('go go', 'A') // A=.- so second word must be 4+ letters
+    const r = validatePhrase('age go', 'A') // A=.- so second word must be 4+ letters
     expect(r.valid).toBe(false)
   })
   it('accepts 4-letter word in dash position', () => {
-    expect(validatePhrase('go walk', 'A')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+    expect(validatePhrase('aim also', 'A')).toEqual({ valid: true })
   })
   it('rejects wrong word count', () => {
-    const r = validatePhrase('go go', 'S')
+    const r = validatePhrase('sun go', 'S')
     expect(r.valid).toBe(false)
     expect(r.message).toContain('3')
   })
   it('rejects long word for dot position', () => {
-    const r = validatePhrase('WALKING go go', 'S')
+    const r = validatePhrase('SAILING go go', 'S')
     expect(r.valid).toBe(false)
   })
+  it('rejects phrase without anchor letter', () => {
+    // A = .- but no word starts with A
+    const r = validatePhrase('go walk', 'A')
+    expect(r.valid).toBe(false)
+    expect(r.message).toContain('"A"')
+  })
+  it('accepts anchor letter in any position', () => {
+    // A = .- → "go ALSO" — "ALSO" starts with A
+    expect(validatePhrase('go ALSO', 'A')).toEqual({ valid: true })
+  })
   it('rejects unknown letter', () => {
     expect(validatePhrase('test', '1')).toEqual({ valid: false, message: 'Unknown letter' })
   })
diff --git a/client/src/lib/morse.ts b/client/src/lib/morse.ts
index 92c2377..f495a33 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/morse.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/morse.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ export const DOT_WORDS = [
   'pay','put','raw','sad','shy','son','tap','tin','toe','toy','two','use',
   'way','you','aim','air','ask','bit','cut','dry','fun','god','had','hit',
   'its','law','log','lot','mad','mix','net','not','odd','pet','row','she',
+  'up','urn','us','ore','our','oar','oh','ow','ox','nod','nap','nil',
+  'nor','dip','dig','dug','den','did','dam','hub','hug','hum','hen',
 ]
 
 export const DASH_WORDS = [
@@ -88,19 +90,29 @@ export const DASH_WORDS = [
   'weed','week','well','went','wide','wife','wild','will','wind','wine',
   'wing','wire','wise','wish','wolf','wood','wool','word','work','worn',
   'yarn','yell','zone','zoom',
+  'oath','once','only','open','ours','over','oven',
+  'unit','upon','urge','used',
 ]
 
+function pickRandom<T>(arr: T[]): T {
+  return arr[Math.floor(Math.random() * arr.length)]
+}
+
 export function suggestPhrases(letter: string, count: number): string[] {
   const upper = letter.toUpperCase()
   const pattern = MORSE[upper]
   if (!pattern) return []
   const elements = pattern.split('')
+  // First word should start with the letter
+  const firstPool = elements[0] === '.' ? DOT_WORDS : DASH_WORDS
+  const anchorWords = firstPool.filter(w => w[0].toUpperCase() === upper)
   const results: string[] = []
   const seen = new Set<string>()
   for (let attempt = 0; attempt < count * 30 && results.length < count; attempt++) {
-    const words = elements.map(el => {
+    const words = elements.map((el, i) => {
+      if (i === 0 && anchorWords.length > 0) return pickRandom(anchorWords)
       const pool = el === '.' ? DOT_WORDS : DASH_WORDS
-      return pool[Math.floor(Math.random() * pool.length)]
+      return pickRandom(pool)
     })
     const phrase = words.join(' ')
     if (!seen.has(phrase)) { seen.add(phrase); results.push(phrase) }
@@ -134,6 +146,11 @@ export function validatePhrase(phrase: string, letter: string): ValidationResult
     }
   }
 
+  const hasAnchor = words.some(w => w[0].toUpperCase() === upper)
+  if (!hasAnchor) {
+    return { valid: false, message: `At least one word should start with "${upper}"` }
+  }
+
   return { valid: true }
 }