How to play
A word search hides a list of words inside a grid of letters. Your job is to find every word on the list. Words run in straight lines and always read from one end to the other without turning corners. Pick a theme, choose a difficulty, and the game builds a fresh puzzle for you every time.
To mark a word, press on its first letter, drag to its last letter and let go. You can also tap the first letter and then tap the last one. A correct word gets a coloured highlight and is crossed out in the list. A wrong guess simply fades away, so you can try as many times as you like. The timer starts with your first selection and stops when the last word is found.
Difficulty levels
- Easy uses a 10 × 10 grid with 8 words. Words run left to right or top to bottom only.
- Medium uses a 12 × 12 grid with 12 words. Diagonal words running down-right or up-right are added.
- Hard uses a 15 × 15 grid with 16 words. Words can run in all eight directions, including backwards, so you will need to read both ways.
Every hidden word appears exactly once in the grid, so you never have to wonder whether a second copy is lurking somewhere. There are 18 themes to choose from, plus a random mix that draws words from all of them. Your best time is saved separately for each difficulty.
Controls
Mouse
- Press on the first letter, drag to the last letter and release. The highlight snaps to the nearest of the eight directions while you drag.
- Or click the first letter, then click the last letter.
Touch
- Drag your finger across the word. The grid does not scroll while you drag on it.
- If you prefer precision, tap the first letter (it is marked with a blue dot) and then tap the last letter. Tap the marked letter again to cancel.
Keyboard
- Use the arrow keys to move the cursor through the grid.
- Press Space or Enter to mark the first letter, move to the last letter and press Space or Enter again.
- Press Escape to cancel a selection. Each cell has an accessible name such as “Row 2, column 5, letter K”.
Buttons
- Hint flashes the first letter of a random word you have not found yet. Hints are counted.
- New puzzle builds a fresh grid with the current theme and difficulty.
- Reveal all shows where the remaining words are and ends the puzzle without a win.
- Print prepares a clean black-and-white page with just the grid and the word list.
Tips and strategy
- Scan for unusual letters first. Words with Z, Q, X, J or K are easier to spot than words made of common letters.
- Look for the first letter of a word, then check the eight neighbours for the second letter.
- Work through the list in order of length. Long words give you many letters to match against.
- Sweep the grid row by row, then column by column, instead of letting your eyes jump around at random.
- On Hard, remember that a word can be spelled backwards. Try reading a suspicious line from the other end.
- Words can share letters and cross each other, so a letter you already used may belong to two words.
- If you are stuck on the last word or two, use a hint. It costs nothing but a mark in your hint count.
Printing a puzzle
Press Print to open your browser's print dialog. The printed page shows only the title, the theme, the grid in black on white and a checklist of the words. Buttons, highlights and everything else on the page are left out, so you can hand the sheet to a friend, a class or a long car journey.
Frequently asked questions
Can I select a word backwards?
Yes. Drag or tap from either end of the word. Both directions count.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. The puzzle in progress, your timer, hints and best times are stored in your browser, so you can reload the page and carry on. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Why did my selection not count?
The selection must start on the first letter and end on the last letter of a listed word, in a straight line. Anything else just fades away.
Does the timer keep running if I switch tabs?
No. The timer pauses while the page is hidden and starts again when you return.
Are the words family friendly?
Yes. Every theme uses common, everyday words, and the random filler letters are checked so they do not spell anything rude.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, it does not need an internet connection.
More free games
- Word Guess – find the hidden five-letter word.
- Sudoku – fill the grid with logic.
- Memory – match the pairs in as few moves as you can.
- Minesweeper – clear the board without hitting a mine.
- Mahjong Solitaire – match free tiles to clear the layout.
- Block Puzzle – fit shapes into the grid and clear lines.
- 2048 – slide and merge tiles.
- Klondike Solitaire – the classic patience card game.