Word Search Generator: Make a Printable Puzzle From Your Own Words
Type your words, pick a grid size and whether words can run diagonally or backwards, and get a fresh puzzle with an answer key you can show or hide before printing.
Enter one word per line or separate them with commas, choose a grid from 8 x 8 to 20 x 20, and the generator hides each word right, down, and on diagonals or backwards if you allow them, then fills the empty squares with random letters. Every click of Make a new puzzle gives a different layout of the same words.
This generator builds word search puzzles in your browser from the words you enter. The filler letters are random and can spell unintended words, so check a puzzle before you hand it out, especially to children.
Building your puzzle...
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About the Word Search Generator
A word search is a square of letters with a list of words hidden in straight lines. This generator builds one from the words you type, which makes it handy for a spelling list, a vocabulary unit, a party theme or a baby shower. Words are read in capitals, and spaces, hyphens and apostrophes are dropped, so ice cream is hidden as ICECREAM. A word needs at least 2 letters and must fit the grid, and a list can hold up to 30 words. The longest words go in first, because they have the fewest places to land. Each word then takes one spot picked at random from every position where it fits, and two words may cross only where they share a letter. If a word cannot fit, it is listed under Did not fit rather than squeezed in, and a larger grid or extra directions usually solve that. The blank squares get random letters from A to Z. Those letters are drawn with your browser's secure random generator, using the same unbiased method as the site's random number generator. The answer key highlights each hidden word, and Print leaves out the form and the Show the answers box; highlights print only if you turn them on.
Frequently asked questions
How big should the grid be?+
Start with a grid a little wider than your longest word. The ten default animal words fit in 12 x 12. For young children, 8 x 8 or 10 x 10 with diagonals off keeps it gentle. A 20 x 20 grid with backwards words on makes a long puzzle for adults.
Why did one of my words not fit?+
A word only goes where every letter lands on an empty square or on a matching letter of another word. With long words, a small grid and only two directions, the free spots can run out. Make the grid bigger, turn on diagonal or backwards words, or remove a word, then make a new puzzle.
Can the random letters spell a word by accident?+
Yes. The fill letters are random, so they can now and then spell one of your words a second time or spell some other word. Turn on Show the answers to see where each word was placed. For a classroom, it is worth a quick look over the grid before you print.
Can I use letters with accents or other alphabets?+
Not yet. The grid uses the 26 letters A to Z, so a word with an accented letter, a number or another script is listed with the reason it was left out. Spaces, hyphens and apostrophes are simply removed.
Embed this calculator
Free to use on your own site. Paste this snippet where you want the word search generator to appear — it resizes itself automatically.
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</script><a href="https://manytools.co/text/word-search-generator">Word Search Generator by ManyTools</a>