Word search maker
Your spelling list, hidden in a grid of letters.
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This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
Example
Example: a Thanksgiving word search with GOBBLE GOBBLE hidden in the leftover letters
For the kids’ table at Thanksgiving: ten words, one per line: turkey, pumpkin, pilgrim, harvest, gravy, stuffing, cranberry, parade, family, thankful. Title “Thanksgiving Word Search”, Grid size “Just big enough for the words”, capitals, puzzle number 1, US Letter.
| Settings | Grid | How the words run |
|---|---|---|
| Easy, no hidden message | 12 × 12 | 6 across, 4 down; 82 squares of filler letters |
| Medium, no hidden message | 12 × 12 | 2 across, 7 down, 1 diagonal |
| Hard, no hidden message | 12 × 12 | 4 across, 2 backwards, 1 down, 2 upwards, 1 diagonal |
| Easy, hidden GOBBLE GOBBLE | 8 rows × 10 | 8 across, 2 down; exactly 12 squares free for its 12 letters |
| Easy, hidden FEAST | 8 rows × 9 | 8 across, 2 down; exactly 5 squares free |
| Easy, hidden GIVE THANKS | 8 rows × 10 | 11 squares free for 10 letters: one is filled at random, and a note says so |
The ten words have 69 letters, so without a message the page picks 12 × 12. With GOBBLE GOBBLE it looks for a grid in which exactly 12 squares stay free and finds 8 rows of 10; under the word list the sheet says the leftover letters, read row by row, spell a hidden word. Page 2 has the answers.
How it works
- Type the words to hide, one to a line — a spelling list, a topic, names from the class.
- Choose how hard: across and down only, diagonals too, or every direction including backwards.
- Add a hidden message if you want one; the letters left over will spell it.
- Download the PDF: the puzzle, and the answers on the next page.
Frequently asked questions
- How many words can I use?
- Up to 40, each up to 24 letters. Spaces and hyphens are dropped in the grid, so “ice cream” is hidden as ICECREAM and listed as ICE CREAM.
- How big will the grid be?
- With “Just big enough for the words”, the smallest square grid they fit, and never narrower than the longest word: ten Thanksgiving words of 69 letters fit 12 × 12. With a hidden message the page looks for a grid with exactly as many free squares as the message has letters. You can also fix it at 10, 12, 15 or 20.
- What does each difficulty allow?
- Easy: left to right and top to bottom only. Medium adds two diagonals, down to the right and up to the right, so words still read left to right. Hard uses all eight directions: backwards, upwards and every diagonal too.
- How does the hidden message work?
- Once the words are placed, the squares no word uses are read row by row, left to right, and they spell your message. Grids of several sizes are tried until the free squares are exactly as many as its letters; if none fits exactly, the preview says so and suggests adding a word.
- Why do I get the same puzzle each time?
- The grid is worked out from your words and settings, so the preview is exactly what you download and the same list gives the same sheet next week. Change the puzzle number to get a different grid from the same words.
- Can I make one in another language?
- Yes. Letters such as Ä, Ñ, Ç and Ş are kept, and the filler letters are drawn from your own words as well as the alphabet, so an unusual letter does not give a word away. Accents can be removed if you prefer.
- Is anything uploaded?
- No. The puzzle is made in your browser. On the free plan a small line with our name is printed at the foot of the last page.