How to Do a Word Search
A word search takes about ten seconds to explain and a lifetime to stop enjoying. The trick to doing one quickly is not reading faster, it is searching smarter.
What you are doing
A word search is a grid of random-looking letters with a list of words hidden inside it. Every word from the list is in there somewhere, spelled in a straight line, and your job is to find and mark each one. The letters that are left over are just filler, they mean nothing. There is no time limit, no scoring, and no way to get stuck: every word is definitely present.
The words hide in eight directions
This is the part beginners miss. A hidden word can run in any of eight straight lines from its first letter:
- Across (left to right) and backwards (right to left),
- Down and up,
- and along either diagonal, in either direction.
Easy and children's puzzles usually stick to across and down. Harder ones use all eight, which is why the last couple of words always seem impossible, they are the diagonal and backward ones. Here is a small grid with four words found, one in each main direction:
How to do one quickly
1. Hunt one word at a time
The slow way is to stare at the whole grid hoping a word pops out. The fast way is to take one word from the list and look only for that. A single target is far easier for your eyes to lock onto than "any of these twelve words, anywhere".
2. Scan for the first letter
Pick the word, then sweep the grid for its first letter and ignore everything else. When you land on a match, glance at the eight cells around it to see if the second letter follows in a straight line. If it does, you are almost certainly onto it; if not, move to the next match.
3. Start with the rare letters
If a word begins with Q, X, Z, or J, do it first. There might be only one or two of that letter in the whole grid, so there is almost nothing to scan. Common openers like S or T are slower because they are everywhere, save those for last.
4. Cross off as you go
Circle each word on the grid and strike it off the list the moment you find it. It sounds obvious, but it stops you re-searching for words you have already caught, which is where most wasted time goes on a big grid.
When you are stuck on the last one
There is always one word that refuses to appear. Nine times out of ten it is hiding backwards or on a diagonal, the two directions your reading brain resists. Two things break the block: read the word backwards in your head as you scan, and physically turn the page ninety degrees or upside down. Rotating it stops your eyes travelling in their usual left-to-right groove, and the word tends to jump straight out.
Doing it on paper vs on screen
On this site you can do any puzzle online, click the first letter of a word and drag to the last, and it locks in with a line through it. On paper you circle it with a pencil instead. The logic is identical; paper is just better for a quiet moment away from a screen, and every puzzle here has a print button and a PDF with the answer key on the second page.
Where to start
If you are new to it, or doing one with a child, start with an easy grid where the words only go across and down:
Easter Word Search
Kids · 11 words
Earth Day Word Search
Kids · 11 words
Mother's Day Word Search
Kids · 11 words
Once eight directions feel natural, these all-ages grids are a comfortable step up:
Frequently asked questions
How do you do a word search?
Pick one word from the list, look at its first letter, then scan the grid for that letter and check the eight directions around each match. Once you spot the first two or three letters lined up, the rest of the word confirms it.
What is the fastest way to do a word search?
Hunt one word at a time and scan by its first letter rather than reading the grid at random. Uncommon starting letters like Q, X, or Z are quickest because there are so few of them to check.
Do word search words go backwards and diagonally?
In harder puzzles, yes. Words can run in any of eight directions, including right to left, bottom to top, and along either diagonal. Easy and kids puzzles usually keep them across and down only.
Why can I not find the last word?
It is almost always hiding backwards or on a diagonal. Turn the page ninety degrees or upside down, that breaks your reading habit and the word tends to jump out.
Are word searches good for your brain?
They are a light, low-pressure workout for visual scanning and pattern recognition, which is part of why they are popular with both children learning to read and adults who want something calming.
All free word search puzzles → · Word search for kids → · Word search for adults → · Make your own →