How to Solve a 5x5 Nonogram (Step-by-Step Example)

A 5x5 nonogram is the perfect place to learn, because the grid is small enough to hold in your head and big enough to show every core technique. If you have ever wondered how to solve a nonogram 5x5 step by step, this guide walks through one complete puzzle, explaining every single deduction along the way. By the end you'll have a repeatable routine for any small grid. If you need the rules first, start with how to solve nonograms.

The puzzle

We'll solve a 5x5 nonogram with these clues. Number the cells 1 to 5 from left to right and top to bottom.

• Row clues (top to bottom): 5, 1 1 1, 5, 1 1 1, 5
• Column clues (left to right): 5, 1 1 1, 5, 1 1 1, 5

When we finish, the filled cells will form a tidy grid pattern, like a window with crossbars. Let's get there one logical step at a time.

Step 1: Fill the completely full lines

Always begin with lines the clue fills on its own.

• Row 1, clue 5: the row is five cells long and the run is five, so fill the entire row.
• Row 3, clue 5: same, fill all of row 3.
• Row 5, clue 5: fill all of row 5.

Three rows are now solid. This is the free-line opening, and it instantly gives the columns plenty to work with.

Step 2: Solve the full columns

Look at the column clues. Columns 1, 3, and 5 each have the clue 5, meaning every cell in them is filled.

• Column 1, clue 5: fill all five cells. Rows 1, 3, 5 were already filled, so this adds rows 2 and 4.
• Column 3, clue 5: fill rows 2 and 4 to complete it.
• Column 5, clue 5: fill rows 2 and 4 to complete it.

Now five lines are fully solved: rows 1, 3, 5 and columns 1, 3, 5.

Step 3: Place the 1 1 1 columns

Columns 2 and 4 each have the clue 1 1 1: three single filled cells, each separated by at least one empty cell. In a five-cell column, three runs of 1 plus their mandatory gaps need exactly 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 cells, so they fit in only one way: filled, empty, filled, empty, filled.

For columns 2 and 4:

• Rows 1, 3, 5 are filled (which matches what step 1 already gave us).
• Rows 2, 4 are empty, so mark them with an X.

Step 4: Confirm the 1 1 1 rows

Now check rows 2 and 4, each with the clue 1 1 1. Reading across what we've placed:

• Columns 1, 3, 5 are filled.
• Columns 2, 4 are X.

That's three single filled cells separated by gaps, which is exactly 1 1 1. Both rows check out perfectly. This cross-check between rows and columns is the safety net that confirms a solve, and it's the habit that catches any miscount.

Step 5: The grid is solved

Every cell is now decided:

• Rows 1, 3, 5: completely filled.
• Rows 2, 4: filled at columns 1, 3, 5; empty at columns 2, 4.

The picture is a clean grid of bars, three solid rows joined by three solid columns, reached entirely by logic with no guessing.

The repeatable routine for any 5x5

That solve used the same four moves you'll use on every small nonogram:

1. Fill the completely full lines first (any clue that fills its whole line).
2. Solve the crossing full lines the new cells help complete.
3. Place the constrained clues like 1 1 1 that fit only one way.
4. Cross-check rows against columns and recount the instant something disagrees.

Practice on real 5x5 grids

The best way to lock this in is to solve a few. Our easy nonograms are all 5x5, with hints if you get stuck, so you can apply this exact routine on a fresh grid right now. Once 5x5 feels automatic, the overlap technique becomes essential for the larger 10x10 medium grids, where you can no longer fill whole lines for free.

Frequently asked questions

How do you solve a 5x5 nonogram step by step?

Start by filling any row or column whose clue covers the whole line (a 5 on a five-cell line fills it). Then solve the crossing lines those fills complete, place any clue that fits only one way (like 1 1 1 in five cells), and cross-check rows against columns. A 5x5 grid solves in just a few of these passes.

Are 5x5 nonograms good for beginners?

Yes. 5x5 is the ideal beginner size. The grid is small enough to see the whole puzzle, full lines are common so you get quick wins, and the overlap technique resolves most cells. Our easy nonograms use 5x5 grids for exactly this reason.

Why does my 5x5 nonogram have no solution?

Almost always it is a miscount or a misread clue. Recount each clue and the filled cells and gaps you have placed, and make sure your rows and columns agree. A properly made nonogram always has exactly one solution reachable by logic, so an apparent dead end means a deduction or count went wrong somewhere.