Free word search maker and printables

Word Search Online

Find the hidden words on screen: click or tap the first and last letter of each word, then press Next puzzle.

Word search online is a free puzzle you play in your web browser, with no sign-up and no download. The page opens with a 12×12 grid on a random topic, so you can start finding words right away. Each puzzle comes from one of 64 ready-made word lists in eight groups, including Holidays, Animals, Science, Sports and For adults, or from your own words. Choose a grid size, a number of words and a difficulty level, and the same settings produce a fresh grid each time you press ‘Next puzzle’. Your game is saved in the browser, and nothing you type is uploaded. Whether you want quick word search games for a short break or a harder challenge, the controls stay the same.

How to play word search online

  1. Look at the grid and the ‘Find these words’ list. Each word is hidden in a straight line, forwards or in other directions depending on the difficulty.
  2. Click or tap the first letter of a word, then click or tap its last letter. With a mouse you can also drag across the letters.
  3. Check the result. A found word gets a coloured outline and its box in ‘Find these words’ is ticked. A wrong pick shows “That is not one of the words. Try again.”
  4. Watch the status line, which shows ‘Found x of y’ and a timer.
  5. If you are stuck, press ‘Hint’ to make the first letter of an unfound word flash. Press ‘Show answers’ to outline every word.
  6. When all words are found, the page shows “Puzzle complete in mm:ss”. Press ‘Next puzzle’ for a new grid with the same settings.

Before you start, pick a topic from the ‘Topic’ menu, a grid size and a difficulty. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move and Enter or Space marks a letter. The ‘Print’ panel prints up to 20 copies with answer keys, and ‘Copy link’ saves an address that opens exactly the same puzzle again.

What are the word search directions?

Directions depend on the difficulty you choose. Easy puzzles use only left to right (→) and top to bottom (↓). Medium adds diagonals going down-right (↘) and up-right (↗), but words never run backwards. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards and upward words. Expert also uses all eight directions, and its filler letters come from the hidden words, so the whole grid looks alike.

Words cross when two of them share a square. On Easy, words never cross. On Medium, they may cross where their letters agree. On Hard, crossing is allowed, and on Expert the generator tries crossings first. A shared letter helps you: once you find one word, check whether its crossing letter also belongs to another word on your list.

How do I solve a word search faster?

Start with the letters that are easiest to track. If a word contains Q, X, Z, J or K, scan for that letter first and check around it. Double letters such as OO, LL and SS are another good clue. Take the first letter of a word and check all eight neighbouring squares for its second letter. Then follow that line to see whether the word continues.

Find the longest words first, because they take the most space and are easiest to confirm. Cross each word off the list as you find it, so you do not search for it again. On Hard and Expert, remember to read backwards and upward as well as forwards.

Are the hidden words in a word search always unique?

Yes. Every hidden word appears exactly once in the grid. The generator rejects any filler letters that would spell a second copy of a word, so you will not find two matches for the same entry. The random filler is also checked so it never spells a rude word by accident.

A word that is part of a longer word only counts where it was placed. For example, if both CAT and CATERPILLAR are on the list, the CAT inside CATERPILLAR does not count; CAT is hidden once more on its own.

Which word search level suits adults?

Choose a topic from the For adults group, such as Countries, US states, World capitals, Cooking, Gardening, Travel or Big words, and set the difficulty to Hard. A smaller grid puts bigger letters on the screen, which helps when reading small type is tiring. This combination gives a more demanding word search game without making the letters hard to read.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play word search online?

Click or tap the first letter of a word, then click or tap its last letter. A found word is outlined and ticked off in the list. Use ‘Hint’ or ‘Show answers’ if you need help.

Is there a timer?

Yes. The status line shows a timer while you play. When you find every word, the page shows how long the puzzle took as “Puzzle complete in mm:ss”.

Can I get a hint?

Yes. Press ‘Hint’ and the first letter of an unfound word flashes, which points you to a starting place. ‘Show answers’ outlines every word if you want the full solution.

Does it save my game?

Yes, the game is saved in your browser. If you reload the page, your puzzle continues where you left off. Your words stay in the browser and are not uploaded.

Can I play on a phone?

Yes. You can tap the first and last letter of each word on a phone or tablet. Choosing a smaller grid can make the letters larger on a small screen.

Is it free?

Yes. Word search online is free, needs no sign-up and has no download. It runs entirely in your web browser.

Is there an online word search for adults?

Yes. Pick a topic from the For adults group and set the difficulty to Hard. You can also choose a smaller grid for larger letters on screen.