Free Word Search Maker
Make your own word search from any list of words. Play it here, print it with an answer key, or share it as a link. Free, and nothing to sign up for.
Words to find
Drag across a word, or tap its first and last letter. Tap a word in the list for a hint.
Make your own word search, free and printable
This is a word search maker, also known as a word search generator, word find creator or word hunt maker: you supply the words, it builds the puzzle. Teachers use it for spelling and vocabulary lists, and families use it for birthdays, baby showers, weddings and holidays, with the guests’ names as the hidden words.
How the word search maker works
Give your puzzle a title and enter your words. The maker builds the grid as you type: it sizes the grid to fit your longest word and the length of your list, places the longest words first, and crosses words over each other where the letters match, the way a hand-made puzzle would.
The difficulty sets which directions words can run. Easy keeps to across and down. Medium adds diagonals. Hard uses all eight directions, including backwards, and fills the empty squares with letters from your own words to create near misses.
The filler letters are checked before you see them. Each of your words appears exactly once, and the maker re-rolls any grid where the random letters happen to spell something rude, which matters when the puzzle is going home in a school bag.
Word search maker questions
How do I make my own word search?
Type a title, then type or paste your words, one per line. The puzzle appears straight away. Pick Easy, Medium or Hard, press New puzzle to shuffle the layout, and print or share it when you are happy.
Is the word search maker free?
Yes. It is free to make, print and share as many puzzles as you like. There is no account and no watermark across the puzzle.
Can I print my word search with an answer key?
Yes. Press Print above the grid and choose “Puzzle + answer key”. The key prints on a second page with the hidden words shaded. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to download it.
How do I share a word search I made?
Press “Copy share link” and send the link to anyone. The puzzle is stored in the link itself, so it opens as a playable word search on any phone or computer and never expires.
How many words can I use?
Up to 40 words of 2 to 16 letters each. The grid grows to fit your list, up to 22×22. Phrases are fine: spaces and punctuation are dropped in the grid.
Can I make a word search with clues instead of a word list?
Not yet. The word list is always shown under the grid, on screen and on the printed sheet.
Is it a word find maker too?
Yes. Word search, word find and word hunt are three names for the same puzzle, so this makes all three.
Can I make a word search from spelling or vocabulary words?
Yes. Paste the week’s spelling list, choose Easy for younger students, and print a class set. Each press of New puzzle gives a different layout of the same words, which is handy for stopping copying.