Reading the enumeration

Every cryptic clue ends with a number or two in brackets. That is the enumeration, and it quietly tells you the exact shape of the answer: its length, and where any word breaks or hyphens fall. It is one of the most useful pieces of information in the clue, and new solvers often overlook it.

A single number

The simplest case. (7) means a single word of seven letters.

Wild animal (7) → LEOPARD

Seven letters, one word.

Commas mean separate words

A comma splits the answer into words. (3,4) is a two-word answer: three letters, then four. The grid itself has no gaps between the words, since every cell is filled, so the enumeration is your only signpost to where one word ends and the next begins.

Sunday roast, perhaps (3,4) → RED MEAT

RED (3) + MEAT (4), written into seven consecutive cells.

Hyphens mean a hyphenated answer

A hyphen in the enumeration marks a hyphen in the answer.

Cautious and comfortably off (4-2-2) → WELL-TO-DO

Three parts joined by hyphens: WELL-TO-DO.

Why it helps you solve

Add the numbers up and you have the total letter count, your check that the wordplay and definition agree. The word breaks tell you what kind of phrase to look for: a (3,4) is a short two-word phrase, and a (2,3,2) is something like ON THE GO. The shape narrows the field before you have decoded a single letter.

In Decryptic

Decryptic shows the enumeration with every clue, and multi-word answers pack into the grid like any other entry. A (3,7) answer simply fills ten consecutive cells, with the word break carried by the enumeration rather than a gap in the grid.