PuzzForge
✨
7 days of every premium feature — free
Advanced styling, your own logo, SVG export and attribution-free files. No card needed. Create a free account to claim it.
Create an account →
Loading your workspace…

What is a word search?

A grid of letters hiding a list of words, running in any of eight directions. The solver finds and marks each one.

Make a custom word search in seconds: type your words or let AI suggest a themed list, pick a grid size and difficulty, then download a print-ready US Letter PDF with a separate solution page. Teachers use it for vocabulary practice and early finishers; KDP publishers batch-create themed puzzles for activity books; Etsy sellers and Fiverr freelancers deliver polished, watermark-free puzzles with their own branding on Premium. Every puzzle can also be played on screen and sent as a link, so a class or a family can solve it on a phone without installing anything.

How to make one

  1. Paste your word list, one word per line. Accented letters are converted (CAFÉ becomes CAFE) so the grid does not give answers away.
  2. Pick a grid size. About 12 words fit a 10×10, 25 a 15×15 and 30 a 20×20 — past those, words start being dropped.
  3. Choose which of the eight directions words may run in. This is the real difficulty control, not grid size.
  4. Generate, check the preview, then export as PDF for print or share a link to play it on screen.

How to solve one

The settings that matter

Grid size
10×10 for ages 5-8, 15×15 for a classroom, 20×20 and up for adults.
Word directions
Horizontal and vertical only is gentlest. Diagonals add more difficulty than backwards words do.
Letter case
Uppercase scans faster; lowercase suits early-years handwriting.
Solution style
How found words are marked on the answer key. Highlighter reads best in print.

What people use it for

Questions

How many words should I use?

Around 12 for a 10×10, 25 for a 15×15, 30 for a 20×20. Beyond that the placement engine starts leaving words out, and it may leave out the ones you cared about.

Why does the answer key sometimes seem wrong?

In a densely packed grid the random filler letters can spell your words by accident. We measured this starting around 68% fill. Our generator re-rolls the filler until those collisions are gone — but if you use another tool, check your shorter words appear only once.

Can I use words with spaces or hyphens?

Yes. They are placed as a single run of letters, so "NEW YORK" is hidden as NEWYORK. The word list still shows it with the space.

What size should I print at?

PuzzForge exports US Letter by default. Amazon KDP supports multiple trim sizes, including 8.5 × 11 inches for applicable books, so build your final interior to the trim size you selected. For raster artwork used in print, keep the export at 300 DPI; use PDF when you want the sharpest direct print output.

Can students play it on a phone?

Yes — press Play to solve it on screen, or Share to send a link. The recipient needs no account and no app.

Print it or play it

Export as a US Letter PDF for print, or as PNG/JPG for image-based layouts. Amazon KDP supports multiple trim sizes, including 8.5 × 11 inches for applicable books; build the final interior to the trim size you selected and keep raster artwork at 300 DPI. There is also a grid-only export if you are dropping the puzzle into your own page layout.

This one can also be played in the browser: press Play above to solve it on screen, or Share to send a link that opens playable for whoever receives it — no account and no app at their end.

Read more

Related generators

CrosswordWord ScrambleMissing Letters Worksheet

Or see all generators and ready-made templates.

Essential storage keeps PuzzForge working. Optional first-party analytics helps us improve. Ad choices use Google's certified privacy message when AdSense is on.