About this word search generator
This word search maker turns your own word list into a ready-to-print puzzle. Type or paste the words, choose a grid size and how hard the search should be, and the generator hides every word in the grid and fills the gaps with random letters. You can show the answer key, print the puzzle straight from the page, or download it as an image to drop into a worksheet or document. It runs entirely in your browser, so your word list stays on your device.
How to make a word search
- Enter your words. Use one word per line or separate them with commas. Spaces and punctuation are removed, so “ice cream” becomes ICECREAM. Accented letters are converted to plain letters.
- Pick the grid size. Longer words and longer lists need a bigger grid. A good rule is a grid at least as wide as your longest word, with roughly 1 word per 8 to 10 cells.
- Choose the difficulty. Easy hides words left to right and top to bottom, Medium adds diagonals, and Hard uses all eight directions including backwards.
- Make the puzzle, check the answer key, then print or download it.
Difficulty guide
| Level | Directions | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Right and down | Young children, early readers, vocabulary practice |
| Medium | Right, down and diagonal down | Elementary classrooms, family activities |
| Hard | All 8 directions, including backwards and diagonal up | Older students, adults, party games |
Ideas for your puzzle
- Classroom vocabulary. Use spelling lists, science terms or historical names to reinforce a unit.
- Holiday and party games. Make themed puzzles with names of guests, birthday words or holiday terms.
- Team building. Use company values, product names or inside jokes.
- Language learning. Hide translations or new vocabulary in the grid.
- Gifts and cards. Hide a message, names or memories for a personal puzzle.
How the generator places words
Words are placed longest first at random positions and directions. Words may cross and share letters where they match, which keeps the grid compact. If a word does not fit, the generator retries the whole grid with a new layout up to 60 times before reporting which words could not be placed so you can enlarge the grid or shorten the list. Words are capped at the grid size and the list at 40 words.
More game tools: draw with the Pictionary Word Generator, get theme ideas from the Random Word Generator or the Random Object Generator, or split players with the Random Team Generator.
Frequently asked questions
Type or paste your words into the box, one per line or separated by commas, choose a grid size and difficulty, then press Make word search. The puzzle appears below, ready to print or download.
The grid must be at least as wide as your longest word. For a comfortable puzzle, allow roughly 8 to 10 grid cells per word, so 10 words fit well in a 12 by 12 grid and 20 words suit a 15 by 15 or 18 by 18 grid.
Yes. Hard mode uses all eight directions, including backwards and diagonal up. Easy mode keeps words reading left to right or top to bottom, which suits younger children.
Yes. Press Print to print the puzzle. Turn on Show answer key first if you want the solution highlighted, and print it separately for the teacher or host.
A word is skipped when it is longer than the grid or when the grid is too crowded to place it. Increase the grid size, shorten the list or switch to a harder direction setting to give the generator more room.
No. The puzzle is built in your browser and nothing is sent to a server, so your words stay private.