About the Word Search Maker
This free word search maker turns your own list of words into a real puzzle. Type the words, pick how big the grid should be and which directions are allowed, and the puzzle appears straight away. Then download it as a printable PDF with an answer key on the second page.
Every puzzle is built fresh. Press Make the puzzle again with the same words and you get a completely different layout — handy when you need one copy per child and nobody should be able to copy their neighbour.
Everything runs in your browser. Your word list is never uploaded.
How the puzzle is built
- Your words are placed longest first, so the hardest ones get the empty grid
- Words may cross each other where they share the same letter
- Every empty square is then filled with a random letter
- Spaces and hyphens are removed for the grid but kept in the word list — "New York" is printed as *New York* and hidden as NEWYORK
- If a word will not fit, the tool tells you which one instead of quietly dropping it
Directions you can allow
- Across — left to right, the easiest
- Down — top to bottom
- Diagonal — down and to the right
- Diagonal up — up and to the right
- Backwards too — mirrors every direction you ticked, for a much harder puzzle
For young children, leave only Across and Down ticked. For adults, turn everything on.
Choosing a grid size
- 10 × 10 — 5 to 8 short words, good for ages 5 to 7
- 15 × 15 — 10 to 15 words, the usual classroom size
- 20 × 20 — 15 to 25 words
- 25 × 25 — a big weekend puzzle
A rough rule: the grid must be at least as wide as your longest word, and a grid roughly twice the length of your longest word leaves room for everything to fit comfortably.
What people use it for
- Teachers — a spelling list or a topic vocabulary as a Friday activity
- Language learners — new words stick better when you have to hunt for them
- Parents — a quiet activity for a car journey or a waiting room
- Party and wedding games — guest names hidden in a grid
- Church, club and care-home newsletters — a printable page every month
- Revision — key terms from a chapter, right before a test
The printable PDF
The PDF is A4, ready to print with no setting to change:
- Page 1 — the title, the grid and the word list underneath in three columns
- Page 2 — the same grid with every hidden word highlighted in blue (this page is optional)
Untick Answer key page in the PDF if you are handing the file straight to the children.
How to use it
- Give the puzzle a title — it is printed at the top of the page
- Type your words, one per line
- Choose a grid size that fits your longest word
- Tick the directions you want to allow
- Press Make the puzzle — press it again for a different layout
- Tick Show answers on screen if you want to check where everything went
- Press Download PDF to get the printable puzzle and answer key
