Find every hidden word in Word Search
Theme
Drag across letters, or tap the first and last letter, to mark a word.
Word Search is the relaxing letter-hunt where a list of words is buried in a grid, running in any direction — across, down, diagonally and backwards. Drag from the first letter to the last to highlight each word, cross it off the list, and clear the whole board against the clock.
How to play
Word Search in 4 steps
Scan the word list
A themed list sits beside the grid. Every word is hidden somewhere in the letters, exactly once, in a straight line.
Drag to select
Press on a word's first letter and drag in a straight line to its last letter — horizontal, vertical or diagonal, in either direction — then release.
Lock in finds
A correct line highlights and the word is struck off the list. A wrong selection simply clears so you can try again. There is no penalty.
Clear the board
Find all the words to finish the puzzle. Your completion time is recorded — then start a fresh grid and try to beat it.
Controls
- Drag / swipe
- Select a run of letters
- Click start, click end
- Select without dragging
- New
- Generate a fresh puzzle
- R
- Restart with a new grid
Strategy
Tips to play better
Hunt first letters
Scan the grid for the uncommon opening letter of a word — a J, Q, X or Z stands out — then check the lines radiating from it. It is faster than reading every row.
Sweep one direction at a time
Pass the grid looking only for horizontal words, then only vertical, then the diagonals. Switching modes constantly is what makes words feel invisible.
Remember words read backwards
Hidden words run in all eight directions, so a word can appear right-to-left or bottom-to-top. If you cannot find one forwards, look for its reverse.
Use letter pairs
Distinctive two-letter combinations like TH, QU or double letters jump out of the noise and often mark the middle of a buried word.
About Word Search
The word search — also called a word find or word sleuth — was popularised by Norman Gibat, who published an early grid in the Selenby Digest in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1968. Teachers seized on it as a spelling aid and it spread through newspapers and puzzle books worldwide.
Its charm is that it asks for pattern recognition rather than vocabulary: the words are given to you, and the pleasure is in the visual hunt. That makes it gentle and meditative, a low-stakes puzzle you can dip into for two minutes or twenty, which is exactly why it remains a staple of waiting rooms and travel pages everywhere.
This Unicode edition generates a fresh grid every round — placing each themed word in one of eight directions, then filling the gaps with random letters — so no two puzzles are alike. Selection works by dragging on touch and mouse alike, found words glow in the accent colour, and your best completion time is saved locally in your browser.
FAQ
Word Search questions
How do I select a word?
Are the words always in a straight line?
What happens if I select the wrong letters?
Do I get a new puzzle each time?
Is my best time saved?
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