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Word Search guide

Printable word search maker: make one for a class or party

Type a title and up to 40 of your own words, choose how hard it should be, and print: you get a clean page with the grid and a tick-box word list, plus an answer page with every word ringed. It takes about two minutes, it is free, and you can also send the puzzle as a link instead of printing it.

Updated · 6 min read

Make one in six steps

  1. Open the maker. Open Word Search and choose Make your own.
  2. Give it a title. “Year 3 spellings: week 6” or “Maya’s party”. The title is printed at the top of the page.
  3. Type your words. One on each line, or split with commas. A small preview of the grid appears as you type, with your words coloured in so you can check them.
  4. Choose how the words run. Easy hides words across and down only, Medium adds diagonals, Hard adds backwards words.
  5. Choose the grid. Leave it on Auto and the grid grows to suit your list, or pick a size from 8×8 to 20×20. Press Shuffle if you would like a different layout of the same words.
  6. Print it. Press Print. Switch the answer key, large print and the name and date line on or off, check the preview, and print or save a PDF.
Check before you copyPrint one copy and solve it yourself, or hand it to a colleague, before you run off thirty. It takes a minute and catches a misspelt word.

Choosing good words

  • Ten to twenty is plenty. A page with 12 to 16 words takes most children 10 to 15 minutes. More than 25 becomes a slog.
  • Mix the lengths. A few long words are the satisfying finds; short words of three or four letters are the hardest to spot, because the same letters turn up everywhere.
  • Keep to one theme. This week’s spellings, the vocabulary for a science topic, the guests at a party, the characters in a class book.
  • Check the spelling first. The puzzle hides exactly what you type.
  • Avoid a word inside another word. If the list has both RAIN and RAINBOW, RAIN could be found twice, so the maker keeps the longer word and tells you which one it left out.

Two-word answers are fine: “ice cream” is shown in the list as ICE CREAM and hidden in the grid as ICECREAM, which is how printed puzzle books do it. Accents are hidden as plain letters.

Grid size and difficulty by age

Two things set the difficulty: how big the grid is and which ways the words run. This table is a starting point; you know your group best.

A starting point for grid size and difficulty
Who it is forGridWords runHow many words
Ages 5 to 6, early readers8×8Easy: across and down6 to 8 short words
Ages 7 to 810×10Easy8 to 10
Ages 9 to 1112×12Medium: diagonals too12 to 15
Ages 12 and up, adults14×14 or 16×16Hard: backwards as well16 to 22
A long quiet activity18×18 or 20×20Hard25 to 30

Worked example

A Year 3 class has twelve spellings this week, the longest eleven letters. On Auto the maker picks a 12×12 grid: big enough for the longest word, with about half the squares left as filler. Set to Easy, every word reads left to right or top to bottom, which suits seven-year-olds. For the table that finishes early, press Shuffle, switch to Medium and print a second, harder sheet of the same words.

The printed page is black on white with no adverts and no watermark, and fits both A4 and US Letter paper. It holds the title, a line saying how the words run, the grid, and the word list with a box to tick beside each word.

  • Answer key. A second page shows the same grid with every word ringed and the filler letters greyed out. Print it once for yourself, or pin it up for self-marking.
  • Large print. Bigger letters in the grid and a bigger word list, for younger children, tired eyes or readers with low vision. It works best with grids up to 14×14.
  • Name and date. Adds a line to write on at the top right. Switch it off for parties and newsletters.
  • Save as PDF. In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. Use the PDF to post on a class page or send to parents.
BookletsPrinting several different puzzles in one go, with the answers gathered at the back, is part of Word Search Pro. Printing one puzzle at a time, as often as you like, is free.

Sending it as a link instead

Press Share link and the maker gives you a link with the whole puzzle inside it. Whoever opens it gets your puzzle on their phone, tablet or computer: they drag across each word to mark it, with a timer and hints if they want them. Nothing is uploaded, and nobody needs an account.

That makes it handy for homework set by message, a puzzle for a grandparent, or a birthday treasure hunt where the hidden words are the clue.

Ideas for class, parties and home

  • Spelling practice. Finding a word letter by letter makes children look at its spelling closely. Ask them to write each word once they have found it.
  • Topic vocabulary. Start a new science or history topic with its key words, then talk about what each one means.
  • A class of names. Hide every pupil’s first name for the first week of term.
  • Party tables. Guests’ names, the birthday child’s favourite things, or the menu. Roll each sheet up with a pencil.
  • Early finishers and wet play. Keep a folder of ready-made topics: the app has 72, from animals to weather, and any of them prints the same way.
  • Languages. Hide this week’s French or Spanish words and give the English as the list read aloud.

Common mistakes

  • A grid that is too big. A 20×20 with eight words is mostly filler and feels endless. Let Auto choose, or follow the table above.
  • Backwards words for young children. Reading right to left undoes what early readers are practising. Keep to Easy until about age nine.
  • Too many very short words. Three-letter words hide almost too well. Use a handful, not a page of them.
  • Forgetting the answer key. Print it with the first copy; hunting for the last word in thirty sheets is no fun.
  • Photocopying a faint print. Print the master at normal quality so thin letters such as I and L survive the copier.

Questions

Is the word search maker free?

Yes. Making a puzzle from your own words, sending it as a link and printing it with an answer key are all free, with no sign-up and no watermark. Word Search Pro (a one-off $1.99) adds printed booklets of several puzzles, the two biggest topic grids, more topics and three looks.

How many words can I put in?

Up to 40 words in one puzzle. Each word needs at least three letters and can be as long as the grid is wide, so a 12×12 grid takes words of up to twelve letters.

Can I save the puzzle as a PDF?

Yes. Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” (on an iPhone or iPad, pinch out on the print preview and share it). The PDF holds the puzzle page and, if you left it on, the answer page.

Can words have spaces, hyphens or accents?

Yes. “Ice cream” is listed as ICE CREAM and hidden as ICECREAM, hyphens and apostrophes are dropped, and accented letters are hidden as plain ones (CAFÉ as CAFE).

Will the filler letters spell anything rude?

The maker checks every row, column and diagonal, forwards and backwards, against a blocklist and changes any filler letters that would spell a rude word. It also makes sure none of your words turns up a second time by accident.

Does the person I send it to need an account?

No. The whole puzzle travels inside the link, so it opens straight away in their browser. Nothing is uploaded and nobody signs in.

Why was one of my words left out?

A word is left out if it is longer than the grid, if it sits inside another word on the list (CAT inside CATERPILLAR would be found twice), or if there is no room left. The maker names every word it leaves out; choose a bigger grid to fit more.