The same change can be made to each word below to form new words. After you have made the changes, see if you can see a pattern that gives a clever second layer to this puzzle.

TENON

BORED

FLUE

NEAT

TWIST

LOU

LATER

FOE

 

Answers to the new words:

 

One letter in each word can be replaced by an X to form a new word:

XENON

BOXED

FLUX

NEXT

TWIXT

LOX

LATEX

FOX

 

Answer to the hidden pattern:

 

The changed letters, in order, are T R E A S U R E - which is traditionally marked by an X in pirate lore.