11 words + 1 passphrase

[gab0miner]

Hello, a few years ago (2021) a friend sent me a small amount of Bitcoin. I used Electrum to create my wallet and I have 11 words + 1 extra word (phrase), but now when I try to log into Electrum, I can't figure out how to enter the 11 words + the extra one. Can you help me?

I think I somehow sustitute the last word while generating and replaced it with another word I made up (not in any dictionary). In any case, I have access to a public address and I can see that the BTC is still there. Also the xpub.

I insist. I created the wallet with 11 + 1 words. It was in 2021. Could Electrum have changed since then?

[Charles-Tim]

Electrum has been generating 12 words seed phrase since many years ago.

Or did you used the BIP39 import instead and use it to input your own words (which is not secure) unlike the normal seed phrase.

[hosemary]

Unless you have created your seed phrase using electrum console, you can't have a 11 word seed phrase.
To import your seed phrase into electrum, you must select "Standard wallet" and then "I already have a seed", but the problem is that your seed phrase is probably invalid.

I think I somehow sustitute the last word while generating and replaced it with another word I made up (not in any dictionary).

You need to remember what exactly you did.
It's unlikely that you change one of the words to your made up word and still have a valid electrum seed phrase.

Could Electrum have changed since then?

No.

[PX-Z]

I think I somehow sustitute the last word while generating and replaced it with another word I made up (not in any dictionary). In any case, I have access to a public address and I can see that the BTC is still there. Also the xpub.

Are you sure that you just made up the last one? Or its the default from the generated seed on electrum? Coz just like the mentioned above, electrum seed is 12 words by default, and plus one seed extension if you add one (check the checkbox), so it should be 13 total.

[gab0miner]

Thank you for trying to help. When I try to create the seed by checking BIP39, some addresses are created, but they are not mine. I can see the addresses I created in 2021, and my BTC is still there. How strange.

[gab0miner]

I think I somehow sustitute the last word while generating and replaced it with another word I made up (not in any dictionary). In any case, I have access to a public address and I can see that the BTC is still there. Also the xpub.

Are you sure that you just made up the last one? Or its the default from the generated seed on electrum? Coz just like the mentioned above, electrum seed is 12 words by default, and plus one seed extension if you add one (check the checkbox), so it should be 13 total.

Yes, my word isn't in any dictionary. I went into Keepass, which is where I wrote them down, and saw my reference of 11 words + extra word.

[BitMaxz]

That's the weird part—how do you manage to generate a wallet with 11 phrases and one passphrase?
That's not the standard seed phrase. Electrum won't be able to generate a wallet with only 11 phrases.

You might be using a different wallet or a phishing Electrum wallet.
Or possibly it was generated from an old blockchain.info wallet?

Have you ever tried to put all of them into Electrum? These 11+1 should be a 12-phrase with no passphrase.
If not valid, then it's possible it wasn't generated from Electrum.

[gab0miner]

I'm sure I used Electrum. In case it helps you find something... I have the extra word written down as “extend”. Does Electrum use that word?


extend: myownrandomword

[hosemary]

Thank you for trying to help. When I try to create the seed by checking BIP39, some addresses are created, but they are not mine. I can see the addresses I created in 2021, and my BTC is still there. How strange.

When "BIP39" is checked, you can generate wallet with any combination of words or characters. So, you didn't achieve anything.
Did you choose the correct script type? Of course, I highly doubt the problem is with the script type.

As I said in my previous post, you need to remember what exactly you did.

[gab0miner]

address created are P2WPKH, so I checked segwit

[promise444c5]

address created are P2WPKH, so I checked segwit

Check the seed directly from your opened wallet : wallet>seed .
Tell us how many words showed up. Just the number.

[Abdussamad]

Start over by going to file > new/restore and enter a suitable filename for your new wallet file. In the seed entry step don't use the bip39 option. Instead enter the eleven words in the seed entry field and tell us if electrum lets you proceed to the next step i.e. the next button is enabled. If it is don't go to the next step just yet. Instead click on options and check extend seed with custom words. Then go to the next step and you will be given the option to enter the seed extension which is your custom word. Continue through to create your wallet. Does it now show addresses familiar to you?

[hosemary]

address created are P2WPKH, so I checked segwit

Check the seed directly from your opened wallet : wallet>seed .

This won't help.
OP made that post in response to me asking "Did you choose the correct script type?"
He said he was able to generate a wallet (with different addresses) when checking BIP39 and I asked him whether he chose the correct script type or not.

Now the "seed" button should be unclickable. Electrum doesn't display the seed phrase, if you checked "BIP39" when creating the wallet.

[noorman0]

I'm sure I used Electrum. In case it helps you find something... I have the extra word written down as “extend”. Does Electrum use that word?


extend: myownrandomword

Yep, "extend" is one of the words in the BIP39 wordlist and electrum can generate it. I think it's the 12th word and "myownrandomword" is the 13th word.

[promise444c5]

address created are P2WPKH, so I checked segwit

Check the seed directly from your opened wallet : wallet>seed .

This won't help.
OP made that post in response to me asking "Did you choose the correct script type?"
He said he was able to generate a wallet (with different addresses) when checking BIP39 and I asked him whether he chose the correct script type or not.

Now the "seed" button should be unclickable. Electrum doesn't display the seed phrase, if you checked "BIP39" when creating the wallet.

Ohh.. yeah that’s true.
He said he could see his balance as well.. is that even possible?

[hosemary]

He said he could see his balance as well.. is that even possible?

OP wouldn't create this topic if he could see the balance in his wallet. The issue is that he can't recover his wallet and he said he generated a different wallet when checking BIP39.
Most probably, OP checked the balance through block explorers.

[promise444c5]

OP wouldn't create this topic if he could see the balance in his wallet. The issue is that he can't recover his wallet and he said he generated a different wallet when checking BIP39.
Most probably, OP checked the balance through block explorers.

You’re right again..
my brain went a bit foggy after reading this:

When I try to create the seed by checking BIP39, some addresses are created, but they are not mine. I can see the addresses I created in 2021, and my BTC is still there. How strange.

[gab0miner]

I have a long key that start with "zpub6", Can I do anything with that?

https://imgur.com/YeTOQ2j

[hugeblack]

I have a long key that start with "zpub6", Can I do anything with that?

https://imgur.com/YeTOQ2j

It's a watchonly^[1] wallet and is useful for keeping track of transactions, but you can't spend from it.

If you are certain that the 11 words are correct, their order are correct, the phrase is correct, and you used electrum to generate them, then you can brute-force the missing word, where the possibilities will be 2048 attempts.

[1] https://bitcoinelectrum.com/creating-a-watch-only-wallet/

[hosemary]

If you are certain that the 11 words are correct, their order are correct, the phrase is correct, and you used electrum to generate them, then you can brute-force the missing word, where the possibilities will be 2048 attempts.

This is assuming OP knows which word is missing.
Chances are OP missed one word when writing down the seed phrase. If that's the case, he probably doesn't know which word is missing and the number of possibilities is 24,576.

The number of valid seed phrases is much lower if we take the version number into account.