Free word search maker
Type your words, pick a size, and get a clean printable PDF with an answer key, or play it on screen. No watermark, and everything runs in your browser.
Free, and it stays free
Make and download as many puzzles as you want. No account, no email, no watermark, and nothing to upgrade to.
Play it or print it
Solve it on screen with a timer and hints, or print a PDF with the answer key. Same puzzle, your choice.
Made for the classroom
Set the words and grid to match any age, from kindergarten to adult. Prints cleanly on US Letter or A4.
How to make a word search
- 1
Add your words
Type your own list, or load one of 60 ready-made themes.
- 2
Pick a difficulty
Easy, Medium and Hard change the words, the grid and the directions.
- 3
Reshuffle
Press Reshuffle until you like where the words landed.
- 4
Play or print
Play it in the browser, or press Print for a PDF with an answer key.
Ready-made word lists
Start from a theme, then make it yours.
Questions, answered
Is the word search maker free?
Yes. Make and download as many word searches as you like, with no account, no email and no watermark. There is no paid tier to upgrade to.
Can I play the puzzle instead of printing it?
Yes. Press Play and solve it right in the browser: drag across the letters and each word you find fills in its own colour. There is a timer, a hint button, and your progress is kept if you close the tab. Printing is still one click away.
What do I get when I print?
A clean PDF sized for US Letter or A4, with the word list underneath the grid and an answer key page that rings each hidden word. No watermark and no logo.
How many words can I add?
As many as you like. The maker sizes the list to your grid so the puzzle never ends up empty or overcrowded, and it tells you straight away if a word has numbers in it, is too short, is a duplicate, or is too long to fit.
Can I make it easier or harder?
Yes, and the difficulty changes the words themselves, not just how they are hidden. Easy uses the shortest, most familiar words on a smaller grid, across and down only. Medium uses the full list and adds diagonals. Hard draws the longer words on a bigger grid and hides them backwards too.
Do I have to use your word lists?
No. Type your own words at any time. If you start from one of the 60 ready-made themes you can still add your own, and New words swaps in a fresh set from that theme without touching anything you typed.
Do you store my words?
No. The puzzle is built entirely in your browser and never sent anywhere. Your last list is saved only on your own device, so it is still there next time you visit.