Word search maker
Free word search maker. No sign-up, no ads, no watermark. Type up to 60 words, pick a grid from 10 x 10 to 25 x 25, and print or download a PDF with the answer key, on US Letter or A4.
Preview
The preview redraws as you go. This is exactly the page that prints.
This free word search maker turns your own word list into a printable puzzle. You choose the title, the grid size and how hard it is: words only across and down, or every direction, backwards too. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Updated
How to make a word search
- Give it a title. It prints across the top of the page.
- Type your words. Put one on each line, or separate them with commas. You can use up to 60. Spaces, hyphens and apostrophes are fine: "ice cream" hides in the grid as ICECREAM and prints in the word list the way you typed it.
- Pick a grid size and a difficulty. The preview redraws as you go.
- Choose your paper: US Letter or A4.
- Print it, or download the PDF. The PDF has two pages: the puzzle, then the answer key.
Press New layout to rearrange the same words.
How many words for each grid size
Leave room for filler letters; a grid packed with words has nothing to hunt through. For words of four to nine letters:
| Grid | Words | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 | 8 to 12 | Young children, early readers |
| 12 x 12 | 12 to 18 | Younger grades, a quick break |
| 15 x 15 | 15 to 25 | The everyday size for classrooms and adults |
| 18 x 18 | 25 to 35 | A longer sit-down puzzle |
| 20 x 20 | 30 to 45 | Big theme lists |
| 25 x 25 | 40 to 60 | A rainy afternoon |
Your longest word has to fit across the grid, so a 13-letter word needs at least a 15 x 15. If a word won't fit, the maker tells you which one and why.
Easy, medium or hard
- Easy: words run across and down. A good start for young children.
- Medium: words also run diagonally.
- Hard: words run every way, backwards too, and the filler letters come from your own words, so the grid is full of near misses.
Word search ideas for the classroom
- This week's spelling list. Children look at each word letter by letter while they hunt for it.
- Unit vocabulary: parts of a plant, state capitals, characters from the class read-aloud.
- Student-made puzzles. Each student builds one from a topic and swaps with a classmate.
- Lowercase letters for early readers, to match the print in their books.
Printing and the answer key
Leave Print the answer key ticked to get the key as a second page, or untick it to print the puzzle alone. Answer key, above the preview, marks every word on the sheet, so you can check before you print.
The PDF always puts the answer key on page 2; print page 1 to hand out puzzles only. If the PDF won't download, press Print and choose "Save as PDF".
The word list prints under the grid in alphabetical order.
Free printable word search: questions
Is it really free?
Yes. No account, no sign-up, nothing to install.
Why was one of my words left out?
The maker lists every word it left out, with the reason. Usually the word has fewer than three letters, is too long for the grid, is already on the list, or there was no room. One reason surprises people: a word hidden inside a longer word on your list, such as CAT in CATERPILLAR. CAT would then appear twice, and the puzzle would have two right answers. Drop one or swap it.
Can I use numbers or symbols?
No, letters only. Accented letters print plain in the grid: café becomes CAFE.
Does every word appear exactly once?
Yes. Before you see a puzzle, a separate checker confirms each word is in the grid once, exactly where the answer key says. It also makes sure the filler letters don't spell any word on a short list of crude ones, so nothing rude turns up on a classroom wall.
Can I print a word search large for an older reader?
Yes. Pick a 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 grid. The grid always fills the width of the page, so fewer squares means bigger letters. A 10 x 10 prints its letters two and a half times the size of a 25 x 25.
What's the small line at the bottom of the page?
Our name and web address. It is the only branding on the sheet. A Pro version, coming later, will make sheets without it.
Can I sell puzzles I make here?
Yes. Use them for anything: classrooms, newsletters, party games, or your own puzzle books for sale. You don't need to ask or pay. Free sheets keep one small line at the bottom of each page with our name and web address. A Pro version, coming later, will make sheets without that line and export a whole book at once.